The Pamoja children’s home
together for Kenya’s children e.V.

“Pamoja Machiuka” provides a caring, loving home for street children in need and at risk from the age of three – with sufficient food, care, and medical support.

The children come from the surrounding region, as it is important to us to maintain contact with any remaining relatives and to ensure that the children grow up as “Kenyan” as possible.

Education is guaranteed, and the children are supported according to their individual abilities. They consciously attend one of the nearby village schools to remain part of the local community.

The property and buildings belong to the association and currently provide space for up to 25 children – in two main houses with sleeping and sanitary areas, a common house, a house with kitchen, dining room, storage room, and laundry, as well as two houses for staff and an office.

The children are cared for by the “home mother”, trained as a teacher, and another educational assistant. They are supported by a cook who also helps with childcare, as well as a caretaker/watchman who oversees the grounds, maintains the property, and handles minor repairs.

The team on site
strong together

Nothing would work without our team on site at the Pamoja children’s home!
We are very happy to have found such a dedicated and reliable team that we can trust 100%. The children are cared for, supervised, and supported with love.

Anne has been our home mother, head of the children’s home, and lead educational staff member since 2018 – from the very beginning. She is a trained teacher. With great love and educational empathy, she runs the home and gives the children a true sense of belonging.

Although she has her own family with already grown-up children, she lives at Pamoja most of the time to fully dedicate herself to the children in the home.

Lucy, our educational assistant, has been part of the team since mid-2022. She supports Anne and stands in for her when Anne is out for appointments or errands. She actively participates in training courses to further develop her educational skills.

Elisabeth is the cook and has been part of the team from the very beginning. With much love and cheerfulness, she ensures that the children receive balanced, traditional Kenyan meals. She cooks in a very traditional way and still enjoys cooking over a charcoal fire – even though there is a modern kitchen with a gas stove. Some dishes need to simmer for hours, and they simply turn out better on the wood fire.

Wiclif is the caretaker and watchman and has been part of Pamoja since 2018. He helped with the construction and has been guarding the premises ever since. His duties include ensuring that no uninvited guests enter and that everything remains safe. In addition, he takes care of repairs and maintenance – and in a very creative way, he crafts and builds beautiful items from found materials. He has also established a small vegetable garden and made various pieces of furniture.

Our story and important milestones

2010: Association founded
The purpose of the association was to support a children’s home in Isiolo. This home was closed in 2014.
The search for a new location began.

2016: Land purchase
A plot of land in Nyeri was found and purchased for the purpose of the children’s home. It covers 0.8 hectares and is located 4 km from the Sandai guest farm. The funds for this came from donations, including contributions made available to the association by the Evangelical Children’s Home in Herne.

2017 – construction begins
The children’s home takes shape! In the traditional Kenyan clay building style, two round houses for girls and boys, as well as a connecting building with sanitary facilities, are constructed. A third round house serves as a common house for dining, playing, and as a day room. A water treatment system is installed for wastewater disposal. Caretaker Wiclif already helped with the construction and lives on the premises to guard the buildings, grounds, and building materials from the very beginning. He also establishes a garden early on, where vegetables and fruits can grow.

2018: Construction completed
In April, the buildings were finished, and the first children moved in. They were initially referred by the local chief and church organizations. They are cared for by the home mother/head of the children’s home, Anne, who is a trained teacher, the cook Elisabeth, and the caretaker Wiclif. In Kenya, an association was established, without which operating a children’s home would not be legally possible (Pamoja Machiuka C.B.O. = Community Based Organisation).

2019 – Updates
The cottage from the Herne children’s home is built – as well as a new kitchen with a storage room and laundry. Another girl from a children’s home on the coast joins. She completes informal training in Sandai’s weaving workshop.

2022 – Another building is constructed
Another house with four rooms and sanitary facilities is built. It is intended to house an office, staff rooms, and space for the oldest children or guests. A large cistern with a capacity of up to 100 m³ is constructed to ensure water supply over a long period, as the home relies on rainwater. This water is collected from the roofs and directed into the cistern via gutters.
Meanwhile, 14 children live in the home, and the educational assistant Lucy joins the team.

2023 – Continuation
The first children are now 14 and 16 years old and attend a boarding school, where they live during the school term. During the holidays, they return because Pamoja is still their home. We continue to support them and fund this secondary education.

2024 – Security & growth
Contact is established with the Nyeri social services, and the children’s home is inspected by the Kenyan authorities. To improve safety, emergency exits are created in the sleeping areas. The social services send three more children.
Another building is added, providing living space for the caretaker and an additional room for older youth or guests.

Fates, stories, and achievements
Introduction of some children and their journeys

From the streets to a safe home: children find hope at the Pamoja children’s home

We were able to provide a home for children who previously lived on the streets and were left to fend for themselves.

The local chief was pleased when he learned about the Pamoja children’s home and refers children there. Here, they are safe and can be children again, playing and enjoying themselves!

Talent and ambition: Pamoja girl becomes a top handball player

A girl who has been living at Pamoja since 2019 has developed into an outstanding handball player and is among the best in her school team.

New paths for the future: two boys from Pamoja pursue their dreams at boarding school

The two oldest boys are already attending a boarding school. This is a secondary school in boarding format, where they live during the school term and return to Pamoja only during the holidays.

One has long had the clear ambition to become a surgeon, and the other wants to become a police officer.

New beginnings with success: how a girl in Sandai found her own identity and became a talented weaver

A girl was referred to us from a children’s home on the coast. She has a twin sister, alongside whom she could not develop well. On her own, she blossomed and was able to develop her own identity.

When she came to us, she was already 16 years old and could begin informal training in weaving at the Sandai guest farm. This training lasts two years.

She completed the training very successfully with great diligence, skill, and creativity, became a valued member of the weaving team, and now lives entirely at Sandai.