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

“Pamoja Machiuka” provides a caring and loving home for street children in need from the age of three, offering them adequate food, care and medical support.

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

Education is ensured, and the children are supported according to their individual abilities. They deliberately 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. The site features two main houses with sleeping and sanitary facilities, a communal house, a building containing a kitchen, dining room, storage room and laundry area, as well as two houses for staff and office space.

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

The team on site
strong together

Nothing would be possible without our team on site at the Pamoja children’s home!
We are truly grateful to have found such a dedicated and reliable team that we can trust 100%. The children are lovingly cared for, supported and guided every day.

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 and runs the children’s home with great love and empathy, giving the children a true sense of belonging.

Although she has a family of her own with already grown-up children, she lives at Pamoja most of the time so she can 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 steps in whenever Anne is away for appointments or errands. Lucy actively participates in training courses to further develop her educational skills.

Elisabeth is the cook and a valued member 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 prefers 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 over an open fire.

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

History of the children’s home and important milestones

2010: Founding of the association
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 property 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 made to the association by, among others, the Evangelical Children’s Home in Herne.

2017 – Construction begins
The children’s home takes shape! Two round houses for girls and boys and a connecting building with sanitary facilities are being constructed in the traditional Kenyan mud-brick style. A third roundhouse serves as a community house for eating, playing and as a day room. A water purification system is installed for wastewater disposal. The caretaker Wiclif already helped with the construction and lives on the premises to guard the buildings, the property as well as the 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. These children were initially referred by the local chief and church institutions. They are looked after 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 founded, without which operating a children’s home would not be legally possible (Pamoja Machiuka C.B.O. = Community Based Organisation).

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

2022 – Another building is constructed
Another house with four rooms and sanitary facilities is being built. It is intended to house an office, staff rooms and a 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 is dependent on rainwater. This water is collected from the roofs and directed into the cistern via rain gutters.

Meanwhile, 14 children live in the home, and the educational assistant Lucy joins the team.

2023 – Progression
The first children are now 14 and 16 years old and attend a boarding school, where they live during the school year. They come back during the holidays because Pamoja is still their home. We continue to support them and fund their 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 installed 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 teenagers or guests.

Fates, personal 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 had previously been living on the streets and were left to fend for themselves.

The local chief was pleased when he heard 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 already attend boarding school. This is a secondary school in the form of a boarding school, where they live during school time and only return to Pamoja during the holidays.

One has long had the specific desire to become a surgeon and the other wants to become a police officer.

A successful new start: 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 was unable to 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 was able to start 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 and has become a valued employee in the weaving team, and now lives entirely at Sandai.