Kenya Appeal
Leadership and Talent Centre for Kenya’s Street Youth (Phase 1 of 3)
Help us raise £136,482 to start to build a new residential centre
£87,336 to go
Target: £169,583
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Thank you for supporting this vital project to support vulnerable young people in Kenya.
Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, has around 60,000 homeless children and young people – a number that is, sadly, growing. More than 70% are boys and young men. Reasons for ending up on the streets are numerous, but it can be because of abandonment, domestic violence or extreme poverty at home.
The majority live in informal settlements such as Kibera, Kawangware and Eastlands. For many, their day-to-day survival involves substance abuse as a form of escapism, and scavenging, begging and picking through rubbish to make ends meet. The young people are subject to discrimination and marginalisation, making it difficult for them to integrate back into society. The lack of official identity cards or paperwork makes accessing national statutory services difficult or impossible.
Rescue. Rehabilitation. Restoration.
IN UK and IN Kenya are working closely with Pastor Joshua Malai and the Grace Empowerment Organisation in Kenya to support and empower Nairobi’s street boys and aid their reintegration back to their families and into society. Can you help us on this journey?
Kenya’s street youth are often talented individuals who have missed out on opportunities to complete a basic education. A little goes a long way to fill in the gaps of their education, and to teach them useful vocational skills and encourage entrepreneurship to help them build start-up businesses in various trades.
While we currently support a small ‘halfway house’, the needs far exceed capacity. We are now partnering with Pastor Joshua and Grace Empowerment to construct a new, purpose-built residential Leadership and Talent Centre, harnessing the creative problem-solving that these resourceful young individuals have exhibited just to survive. We want to help them thrive!
This centre will become a place of safety for 25 boys/young men at a time, providing all the practical, emotional and spiritual support they need to overcome addictions, develop their numeracy and literacy skills, learn transferable life skills and a trade they demonstrate an aptitude for, and provide opportunities for counselling, improving communication and social skills. All this in a nurturing environment where they can develop their talents, live in community with peers who understand their situation and enriched by opportunities to pray and share together, learn from the gospel and discern what the Bible has to tell us about leadership.
Can you help us build the Leadership and Talent Centre and transform young lives for good?
project overview
Our impact
Leadership and Talent Centre for Kenya's Street Youth
Building on the success of earlier projects, International Needs UK and International Needs Kenya are embarking on a new three-year project in partnership with Pastor Joshua Mamai, the head of Grace Empowerment Kenya who has done some tremendous work to Rescue, Rehabilitate and Restore Street boys in Nairobi. To date, Pastor Joshua has been able to rescue more than 100 street boys giving them food, counselling from the gospel and help with breaking addictions to drugs and other harmful substances.
The new, permanent Leadership and Training Centre will be built in Ngong town just outside Nairobi city centre. The residential centre will house up to 25 boys at a time, serving as a base for an extended period of rehabilitation to yield better reintegration of the boys back to their families and society, while enhancing the young men's portfolio of social skills, vocational abilities and business acumen.
£136,482
These are the total funds we need to deliver Phase 1 of the LTC
Q1 2024
When we hope to start building
25
The number of street boys who will be accommodated at a time
the difference international needs uk can make
We can support and empower hundreds of street boys
Help street youth to break free from drug addiction
Provide them with adequate safe shelter off the streets
Teach them vocational/leadership skills for developing small businesses
stories
‘My name is Mohammed. I am now 34 years old. I was on the streets for 20 years.
‘I slept at doorways and ate from dustbins. Through those years I started using drugs as an escape from reality. The addiction got so deep that he would often wander off for days and wake up in rubbish disposal sites.
‘Pastor Joshua of Grace Empowerment Programme found me and immediately began counselling and ministering the Gospel to me at the local drop-in centre in Kawangware. He also supported me through a halfway house where he gave me food, clothes and counselling.
‘It was hard to break my addiction but he encouraged me and told me I can be “someone” someday. I am now drug-free with hope for a new life.’
How we spend your money
For every £1 you donate to this appeal, we will allocate 25p of your donation to cover general support and running costs. There is a small chance that we will raise more money than is needed for this appeal. If this happens, we'll spend any additional funds on other International Needs projects – wherever the need is greatest.
donateproject updates
September 25th, 2023
Pastor Joshua to visit the UK to raise awareness of Nairobi street kids
We’re delighted that Pastor Joshua Karani has received his visa, and will therefore be visiting the UK in November and December 2023.
Pastor Joshua – an ordained Baptist minister – will be visiting churches across London and the South East, with plenty of opportunities to hear his passion for the abandoned youth living precariously on the streets of Nairobi, and his vision for the Leadership and Talent Centre which will provide:
- Non-formal education
- Vocational/entrepreneurship and skills training
- Group sports and activities
- Emotional and spiritual counselling and mentorship
- Peer to peer learning
- Meals
Pastor Joshua will be speaking at:
Sunday 19 November 2023
Westerham Evangelical Church, 10:30am
Pastor Joshua will share about his work and why Jesus is the ultimate rescuer. Fellowship lunch follows after the morning service.
Saturday 18 November
Cutting Edge Men’s Ministry, Woodford Green, 12:30-2:30pm
Sunday 19 November
Church of the Good Shepherd, Four Marks, Hampshire, 7pm
An informal cafe-style gathering, including worship, prayer a Q&A with Pastor Joshua and some Kenyan snacks to punctuate the British autumn!
Wednesday 22 November
St Lukes Reigate, coffee at 9:45am and communion at 10:30am
Sunday 26 November
Purley Baptist Church, 9:30 and 11:15am
Pastor Joshua will speak at both services, sharing how the Lord has put Nairobi’s street children on his heart and his experiences of the project to date.
Monday 27 November
Eastwood Baptist Church, Eastwood, Leigh On Sea, 2:30-4:00pm
Women’s Fellowship
Tuesday 28 November
Purley Baptist Church, Purley, 10:30am
CAMEO
Thursday 30 November
Montpelier Church, Biddulph Road, Purley, 6pm
and join online!
Saturday 2 December
Sanderstead Evangelical Church, Croydon, 9am
Breakfast
Saturday 2 December
Graham Kendrick Concert at St Patrick’s Church Wallington, 7pm for 7:30pm
Details and online ticketing here
Sunday 3 December
Godstone Baptist Church, 10:30am
Godstone Baptist is hosting Pastor Joshua during their morning service. He will be talking about providing gospel-centred help to street youths in Kenya.
Sunday 3 December
St Patrick’s, Wallington, 6pm
This evening service will be a relaxed chance to hear Pastor Joshua speak on his experiences and relying on Jesus, with an opportunity for Q&A.
Thursday 7 December
Norreys Church, Wokingham, Berkshire, 7:45pm for 8pm
Pastor Joshua will be participating in the all-church prayer meeting this evening, giving insight into the reality of living on the streets of Nairobi and explaining how best to pray when things appear overwhelming.
More details of the programme will appear here shortly.
In the meantime, if you would like to donate or set up a monthly gift for Street Boys in Kenya please call us on 01883 331332 or email Kim Wright, at membership@ineeds.org.uk
You could also register for sponsorship through our website at www.https://ineeds.org.uk/child-sponsorship
By supporting a whole group, you are helping to ensure that more children are helped with their Educational Development, Physical and Health development, spiritual development and social development.
‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man’
Luke 2.52
Join us as we seek to change the lives of street boys in Kenya and make a lasting impact.
September 25th 2023