Mama Mercy and her Children's Home in the Slums

Yesterday, I went for my first visit to a children's home in one of the slums of town. It was amazing! Well, heartbreaking and encouraging all at the same time. There are about 200 kids living in this sort of house. One room I went into, about the size of my living and dining room area had wall to wall bunk beds and slept 60 girls. Mostly 3-4 per bed, depending on the size of the kid.  Mama Mercy has been running the place for 18 years. She has a huge heart and an open door policy for any child that needs a place to go.  I saw her room with a bed for her, 2 bunk beds, and a baby crib all packed in very tight with barely any room to walk. She sleeps with the babies in her room as well as several of the other girls. The boy's room was similar, just a sea of bunk beds and off to the side an opening to the sky where I am sure the rain leaked in. The space is small and there are lots of kids. But, it is the place they all call home.

It seems that the kids are helping out somehow.  I saw some of the older ones cooking two big pots of food on a huge firepit.  Some kids gather wood for the fire to cook the massive amount of food needed to feed all of these kids, and others were carrying around some of the infants.  The kids are anywhere from 6 months old to 20 years old.  One of the older boys who I met, grew up there, went to school, learned a trade to be a hairdresser and now comes back to help the home. Amazing! One little girl, Faith (pictured left), was found in a dumpster as an infant and is now running around playing like all of the other little kids. Some of the kids who have gone off to school come back to the home on holidays because this is the only thing they know as home.

The home has cows, goats and pigs behind a wall of metal sheeting across the dirt street. The cows produce enough milk for the kids in the home. They use the goat's milk for the babies since the goat's milk is richer. And I think she raises the pigs to sell for money. The little toddlers running around didn't have diapers on. I am guessing they can't afford them. The older boys collect and sort trash from the neighborhood and make money from any recycling items they collect. When I heard that the kids can make money this way, I started saving my recycling at home and give Shiro a trash bag full each week to take when she goes.

When I was there the meal of the day was served. Oogali (like mashed potatoes but made from corn meal) and beans. Shiro said she thought that was their only meal of the day and she had noticed before that several of the kids would eat their food really slow and would still be munching on it a few hours later, of course with no utensils, just hands, to make it last longer.

Mama Mercy feels that education is very important for the kids. If you don't educate them she said, then they just repeat the cycle of poverty. If you can get them to school then they can get out of the slums and make a better life for themselves. One problem though is paying the school fees, getting uniforms, black shoes, socks, and school supplies required for the kids that can go to school. The kids are not allowed into school unless they are wearing a uniform. I was super impressed with Mama Mercy's dependence on the Lord. She does with what they have and prays for God to provide the rest. Someone donated uniforms, but she doesn't have shoes to send the kids to school. She is depending on God to provide.

There are a handful of the kids who have HIV and need to take the anti-viral medicines each day. But, evidently you have to take the medicines with food, so they have to wait until a meal before taking them.  Shiro also mentioned that the community around the home is supportive of what they are doing. Evidently, several neighbors come to help wash clothes by hand. And I met Pastor Joseph, a man helping with the home, while I was there as well.

Someone donated desks, but there is no room to put the desks, so they are piled up in a corner. Another group came and built the bottom floor of a building foundation, but the roof didn't get finished. It is Mama Mercy's (pictured right) prayer that the roof can be completed and another level built on top of that so they can have space for more bunk rooms, a kitchen, and a school room. The foundation is strong, like the one you can see of a neighboring building that goes up 4-5 stories. There is potential to add several levels and expand the home. I pray this can happen sooner than later. For now, the open concrete slab is the place where the kids eat all of their meals on the ground and play during the day.

I forgot to mention this, but I went with a group of students from a local private high school. We met at the school and piled into a mini-bus and made the 20 minute drive into the Mathere slum area in Nairobi. Working at the home was part of their "community service" hours needed for a school requirement. But, it has obviously made a deeper impact on the students because they are getting others involved as well. For example, one of the student's father is a doctor at Nairobi Hospital and he brought a team to the home to conduct a medical clinic. Praise God!

Anyways...I could go on for a while...but, I did find a website about the home if you want to learn more. http://www.gsamaritanchildren.or.ke/  I am going to start praying for these kids and all of the adults, including Mama Mercy and Pastor Joseph.  I would like to go back and help in some way.

Anna