A little history:

In the early 1990’s, many problems faced the average Kenyan. In particular were those affecting children. Many lived on the streets of Nairobi, the Capital of Kenya. Even small babies could be seen crawling along the pavements.

For American missionaries Larry and Linda Rupp, then working in the southern part of Kenya among the Maasai people, it was always a shock to see the children as they traveled to and from their home in North Carolina. Linda worked as a nurse and Larry taught construction skills. They felt a growing need to help. Linda explained they had seen even more hardship for families in rural areas, and began to share a vision to set up a home for children.

They researched a number of potential sites before finding a five-acre parcel just outside Kajiado with great views, even that of Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day. The government owned the land, which was already designated for such a facility, and assigned the deed to them for the project.  Larry worked with supporters from the US and UK to raise funds, and invested a great deal personally. Larry appointed the Maasai Rural Training Center where he had been working to design and build the home, which commenced in 1996 and was completed a year later. The Vice President of Kenya officially dedicated Kajiado Children’s Home in September 1997 as a non-governmental agency to provide loving care and access to education and medical care to vulnerable children. KCH focused on children who had no one to provide for their basic needs. Children that otherwise may not survive. The home provided loving care in a safe environment along with access to education and medical care.

Local Kenyans were employed to run the home and a local board of management was set up to oversee the staff and to ensure money was used strictly to benefit the children. A US based board of directors, providing financial support, was developed to oversee the financial decisions made by the staff.

Hundreds of children have grown up in the home over the past twenty-plus years. Over 70 of them have graduated college. Through the help of sponsors and donors, KCH has made a significant impact on these children, as they have become productive citizens, breaking the chain of poverty and disease in their lives. Many of these alumni return to the home to help mentor the younger children. Two alumni sit on the local board of management. Today, KCH supports over 80 children from nursery through high school. The nursery and kindergarten are on site and benefit both local village children and the children of KCH. A primary school on the KCH campus will be completed by 2024 to give the children the opportunity to build a better tomorrow for themselves and their future families.

Please join us in supporting KCH through Hope For Kajiado. We can only do this with people like you on our team.©