Fanaka is a children’s home located in Ikinu, Kiambu in Kenya. The home is managed and run by a Catholic nun, Sister Esther Kihara who had a desire and vocation to touch the lives of vulnerable children in Kenya. The home has more than 24children from all walks of life varying in age, the youngest being a few months old with the eldest being 16Most of this kids if not all are orphans or have suffered in the hands of those who are meant to love, care and protect them. In Fanaka they are given the loving home they so much need accompanied with the love they have lacked and desired.
Mapenzi Africa got to visit Fanaka while on a mission visit to Kenya and was humbled and moved by the experience we got while at the home. We were happily welcomed, hugged and kissed by the kids of Fanaka making us feel at home instantly yet being the first time they were meeting. We spend the better part of the day in the home interacting with the kids and learning more about the home. We got to hear each and every child’s story from Sister Esther which was very moving to a point of tearing. Sister Esther knows each child by name, his/her past life and the child’s challenges, but by the end of it all the joy and love of the kids overwhelmed us and our sadness was long forgotten.
We took note of each and every challenge this safe haven was experiencing and took action without any further delay. The home being situated in a poor rural setting and having to really on well wishers for its up keep was running on a string budget and through a miracle. Some challenges needed immediate attention while others were long term. The challenges that we noted were as follows and the actions she took on each problem:
LACK OF ENOUGH BASIC NEEDS
Fanaka being a children home that relies on well wishers who are hard to come-by has a major shortage in basic needs for the children and the caretaker. This included a shortage in food with the proper potions of nutrients needed by these kids, considering some of them where Hiv /Aids positive and had Malnourished.
Clothing was another major problem with all of the kids having to share the cloths they had. Most of this kid neither owned an individual pair of shoe which exposed them to health risks and bodily harm.
Lack of enough beds was another major concern which we observed. Most children had to share beds forcing Sister Esther to give up her own bed for some of the kids to sleep on.
SOLUTION: Mapenzi Africa immediately undertook the responsibility of funding the monthly food budget . Also Mapenzi Africa bought each and every child his or her own pair of shoe which made the children very happy, some of whom were going to own their first pair of shoe for the first time. This was the immediate need Mapenzi Africa was able to address in this matter.
LACK OF ENOUGH SPACE
Fanaka children home rents the premises it is situated in which consists of a normal family home and a small compound. Going by the growing number of children in the home this space is crowded, small and challenging for the home to operate in.
SOLUTION: Mapenzi Africa is in the process of funding raising to assist the home in purchasing a land and building a home that will be tailored to their needs.
LACK OF ENOUGH STAFF
Due to lack of resources and funds the home lack’s enough personnel’s to take run the home forcing Sis. Esther to take the whole weight and balk of running the home by herself. This means she has to do all the chores in the home apart from the few days she gets volunteers.
LACK OF PROPER HEALTH CARE Since the children are abandoned or orphaned and there are no health history taken, No immunization records, no family history. Some kids have obvious health needs specially the ones that have been sexually abused and need restorative surgery.
Although Kenya has clinics for HIV, there is also the need for counseling. In early April of 2012, one of the kids passed away from complications of HIV. Some of the children would not understand what happened to their play mate. Although sister Ester re-assures them, it was not their emotional trauma. Again in July 2012, one of the girls who had been given up by their mother to work as a home helper passed away due to meningitis. Her name was Jane. She had just buried her mom due to complications of HIV. This is why counseling is very much needed.
Mapenzi Africa is collaborating with few doctors and nurses from Kenya in an effort to raise money to get all the children vaccinated including the staff. Mapenzi Africa is also making effort to engage the government in extending the age from 9 months to 18 years so as children can get them for free according to risks involving and making the vaccinations free or affordable.
LACK OF PROPER LEARNING MATERIALS
Kids in Fanaka children who have attained the right age to go to school have been enrolled in the near-by government sponsored schools. The home is supposed to provide each kid with the necessary school materials in order to attend school. It is a challenge that Mapenzi Africa noted and with great concern that most of this kids lack this materials. Some of this materials are Text books, Exersise books, pens, pencils, Proper Uniform e.t.c
LACK OF CLEAN WATER
the home relies on two sources of water, that is water from the a borehole and water harvested from rain. The water got from this two sources is used for drinking and any other functions within the home. Water from the borehole had be *drawn manually without the help of a pump.
