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Njaaga's child hope home was founded by James Njaaga and his wife Lucy around 3-4 years ago. James being an orphan himself and I believe from the same area wanted to give something back to the community that supported him so he opened the orphanage. It is situated in the tiny village of Kiringero which is around 2000 metres above sea level. Unlike the valley, this area gets quite abit of rain but unfortunately the locals don't seem to know how to manage the water.
Kiringero is very much a farming community and basically the locals live off the land by planting maize, vegies etc.
When I was at the orphanage, it supported 55 children whose ages ranged from 4yo to 17yo. At one stage in the past there have been 70 children.
Their temporary home is a very neglected 1930’s house which has been sold and now James is looking to buy a permanent home for the children but to do so he needs around $45000us
The main income that supports the children is a safari company (founded by James) the volunteers that spend time there and what ever sponsorship James maybe lucky enough to find.
When I was in Kenya I used the safari company to go to Amboselli Park while knowing that doing so, the children would also benefit from it.
My time at the orphanage was spent teaching the children english, maths etc. a little bit of maintenance, building the chicken house which I was very proud of and of course, donating money to buy the chickens and one rooster. The children now have close to 40 chickens and an egg for their breakfast.
Imagine my joy when I received a letter from one of the boys in which he wanted to tell me that the chickens had babies and one was still in "incubation period"
This web site was created to raise the awareness of Kenya's problem with AIDS and other dis-eases that bring so much sorrow to so many families. Because of poverty and the lack of medicine, so many children are homeless, and places like Njaaga's orphanage bring hope when otherwise there would be none.
All money generated through this website will go towards clothes, school fees, medical fees. Not one child will benefit more than the other but instead I will make sure that all children benefit.
The following is the story of young Joseph:
Joseph is around nine years old and at the age of three and because of his mum's death, he found himself wondering the streets of Kabazi begging for food. He was finally taken in by a single mum with three boys of her own. When she heard about the orphanage, she approached James and Joseph was the first child at the orphanage and because of this he is often referred to as the "founder". Three years later, he still visits the lady he refers to as his "mama" and I had the pleasure of meeting this humble lady with the big heart
click here to see Joseph with his "mama"
singing is a favorite past time for the children and you can listen to two of the girls singing jambo kenya by clicking on the icons
 
Below the galeries is a letter from James (the founder of the orphanage) and I urge every one to read it for volunteers are desperately needed and specially people who can teach the children life skills etc
Danations of money, clothing etc are always welcome and if anyone out there wishes to donate money or send a parcel
the details are further down this page.
What the children love is receiving letters from other children so if any teachers read this, then how about getting your students to write letters and perhaps include some photos.
It was both my pleasure and honor spending time with the children and I look forward to next year when I return to visit them.
Few days ago I asked James to send me a letter in which he explains the reasons behind the orphanage etc and which I could include on this site and James has sent the following.
Originally I was only going to include parts of it but changed my mind for there are things I feel everyone needs to know about.
If anyone wishes to make a donation then banking details are
NJAAGA CHILD HOPE KENYA CHAPTER
Kenya Commercial Bank
Moi Avenue Branch
Account No: 234721640
SWIFT CODE - KCBLKENX
Nairobi Kenya
If anyone wishes to make a donation to me then let me know and I will give you my details.
snail address for parcels being:
Njaaga Child Home
PO Box 79347-00200
Nairobi
Kenya
2-11-2007
The following is the latest letter from James and you can visit him at www.njaaga2007.com
I trust that you are doing fine, happy and in good health. I am particularly grateful for the concern and support you have been giving to the children at Njaaga Child Hope. Without you all this could not have been possible. I know the love you have for the children at Kirengero, I love them as much but I would like to reach out for more orphaned and needy children within my community.
Right now I have the 218 whom I don't support except during Christmas when I usually invite them to eat together or may be give them each one piece of cloth, Whenever I have well wishers to donate. All these troubles have taught me that without political power, the dream of giving such kids a future will not be realized.
Sister, the official campaign time is here after the president has dissolved the parliament as from Monday 22nd October 2007 as well as the local government and the campaigns are in full gear.
I have already laid down my strategy for campaigning as well as the budgetary requirements for an efficient and effective campaign. Some of the major budgetary requirements include funds for mobilization and movements, hiring public address systems, printing of posters, brochures and placards.I feel I need all these and more in order to be able to reach far and wide.
In this regard, I would like to request my friends to help make contributions. A Njaaga Njau campaign fund ( www.njaaga2007.com) has been established to enable all well meaning friends from all over the world to make their contributions in support of my election to achieve my pledge to my community.
Thank you very much for your participation and contribution and God bless you.
this is the email from James
We always remember you whenever we see the chicken making noise or when feeding them. From 13 chicken that you bought, today we have got over 40 chicken. May God bless your hand that giveth and be multiplied. Thank you Ross.
The number of chicken could be higher but there is a black kite that is always eating the chicks. This is a great project that you started. With your permission, should I kill this black kite or should we employ somebody to be chasing away this killer? I can get somebody to take care of the poultry and the milk cow that we have, but this will be at a cost of USD60 a month. The black kite is beautiful and you might want to see it when you come.
Mr Ross, I could as well take care of the salary fee, but mind you I have 22 children in high school whom I pay school fees for and one in a Technical Institute in Nairobi. Also I meet the children daily to daily needs like feeding them, medication, clothing etc.
This is James Njaaga Njau and Lucy W Njaaga from Planet Safaris. It is good to receive your caring e-mails. We want to thank you and we believe our God has kept you and your family in good health. We are still working hard at Planet www.planetkenyasafaris.com but still in a different calling. Due to poverty and diseases in our village, we have many orphans mostly left with their grandparents and relatives who are aged and sometimes ailing. We started a children orphanage www.njaagachildhope.or.ke in Nakuru about 30kms away from Nakuru town and currently housing 74 children and 218 more on the waiting list. All of them are orphans and we are catering for their needs like:- medication, school fees, accomodation, clothing, food and their daily to daily requirements. In the orphanage, we have given our 14 acres land where all the food is grown to feed these needy kids, More than 20% of the profit made by Planet Safaris also go to the home, 80 beds and other household. The home is three and a half years old and you understand anything new is bitter and alot of problems to start. We are looking for any help in terms of volunteers, teachers, social workers and doctors or any donation small or large.
Currently, we are having 22 children who are in high school and we are paying their school fees. The other 50 are in primary school though not paying school fees, we are buying them school uniforms, books and other needs. The rest 2 are in Technical Institutes and to train the two is very expensive.
Below please find our problems in my village:-
POVERTY IN MY VILLAGE(SUBUKIA CASE) - SOCIAL, ECONOMICAL AND POLITICAL.
High cases of illiteracy causing poor awareness and knowledge of Ecosocial sorrounding/environment. Due to lack of awareness and exposure, most families are undergoing the vicious circle of poverty, that is poverty is passed from the father/mother to children and grandchildren. With time and poverty circle turns to be like a spider web, closed/nit and sticky. At this level, not even the loving neighbours can break it fully. It is broken in levels and in most cases not very consistent.
As a result of low or no education level, most people cannot get better jobs and thus into farming. With low hectarage and African way/policy in inheritance (the farm must be subdivided into the number of wives and sons). Lack of education and inheritance policy makes people to migrate and this causes high population density which later leads to insecurity and high levels of immorality. Within such perimeters one is bound to find early pregnancies/marriages and early age crime rates. The early marriages/pregnancies have high "divorce" rate. Children born in these circumstances are left with their grandmothers or gurdians and the girl leaves for cheap labour or prostitution which hardly can sustain the child left. In most cases, the girl comes back infected with HIV/Aids and later dies the vicious circle of poverty and suffering continues.
Most of the activities in domestic, food produces within the household is consumed by household members. The production keep declining as a result of poor crop husbandly and very erratic rainfall. This causes high food/nutrition deficit especially in the young age groups like under 5's and below 12 years. This is the active development stage mentally and physically. For a few that go commercial the markets are poor hence poor income that cannot handsomely benefit.
This could be the biggest man made problem, it emirates from the elites and better of economically individual. It is a factor that is meant to frustrate those of good will. It is to some extent inherited from the colonial master who ruled Kenya and were after labour in quantity and quality forgetting the well being of the labourers. However, today it is Neu-colonialism, a brother upon/after a brother in the field at political control. Politicking by politicians with little or no regard to the poor and the dying. People of great good and lover for the poor, the sick and orphaned are looked at as political threats by politicians and thus frustrating in every way possible. However, these barriers are slowly weakening though it might take sometime. The situation demands people of great courage, love and humor inorder to overcome. Frequent visits to the village by those that are better of spending time with the poor, victims of HIV/Aids, orphans, church e.t.c, help in big questions "WHY ALL THESE MISFORTUNES," WHAT NEXT FOR ORPHANS," HOW IS THE FUTURE". "WHO SHOULD COME IN OR BETWEEN," POVERTY IS UNJUST," and many others. At this stage, there was soul searching and in the year 2002, my wife and I went for a burial of a relative then a neighbour and a friend the same year. The victims had been sick for long but little assistance was given to them when they were alive. So much attention is given to deceased and burial ritual than a living soul. The situation/condition touched us and the will to intervene came about. At this point, I conveyed a meeting in search of intervention methods. It was arrived that due to poverty levels, every household to be contributing Ksh50(about USD0.67) a month while I contributed Ksh20,000(USD267) as a starting capital. The fund was meant to assist in paying hospital bills for village members. The group name "TUKURANIE" which means growing/developing/being together. They had a membership with realisation results. Our determination is to realise a great dream of love to the orphans and poor. We have started feeding programme to feed the hungry. There are many orphans, windows and windowers. Orphans are our first priority and we hope to give them love in life and a sense of responsibility. Our hope is that all the barriers that hinder development are overcome and creat a free and fair society whereby oppourtunity and resources are shared equitably.
Recruitment of the orphans has opened even more. There are those amongst us that still take HIV/Aids and death as a taboo. They do not want to come forward and talk about it. To some extent, it is traumatizing especially where we have "closed the door" this means that the whole family has been wiped out and the door is officially closed. Where the door is half opened, we have grandmother taking care, in most cases, she is old and unhealthy, thus depending on well wishers for any support. At this point you find children are malnorished, sick, hungry and not attending schools though of age. We have recruited 300 young girls from my village whom we train in dressmaking and design. These are girls that their parents are unable to take to college and if nothing is done they will end up being cheated by old men with as little as half a dollar for sex and because they are frustrated out of high school and no college they end up opening for the men and by bad luck either they become pregnant or sometimes end up having AIDS and this was the main reason of starting the dressmaking and design project.
Looking forward to your response.
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