All photography provided by Amy Tolbert
Since 2007, we have led the effort to provide children the tools and confidence they need for a more hopeful future.
We work directly with a Board of Directors to help the ministry make decisions on the well-being of our children and the programs in which would help them and their community live a more prosperous life.
We currently have 80 children (42 children residentially and 38 in our community program). Our youngest is 1 ½ years old and our oldest is 20 years old in university. We care for their spiritual, social, educational, economical and emotional development.
We typically give priority to orphans (and their siblings), street children and the most vulnerable children, including those living with HIV. Children who are between the ages of 1 to 10 years old are considered based on a full study of their familial background in cooperation with the local children’s department.
We use the resilience model and build on the strengths of the children while reducing their vulnerability to the trauma of the difficult life that some of them find themselves in. The resilience model is a holistic model for the strengthening of the most vital areas of a child's life, which includes spiritual, physical, emotional, social, educational and economic. In some cases, entire families of children are left by their parents and hostile relatives chase them from their rightful homes. These children find themselves in separate children homes because most children homes are unable to take them all. One of our goals is to keep these children together, reintegrate them into their communities and help them fight for their rights to their homes and property.
In cases where children can be kept in their communities, we try to open livelihood and savings opportunities for them to help the children have the care that they need. We are dependent on well-wishers for everything, which is why our main goal is to become self-suffucient.
“Morning Star Children has helped so many children. They inspire everyone to care for the children who don’t have the same opportunities and privileges others might take for granted.”
We work hand-in-hand with the local Children’s department and the Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs, to promote the development goals of the Kiambu district and the African Charter on the rights of the child. All children at Morning Star have been informed of their rights and we encourage them to participate in all decisions that affect them.
What We've Achieved in 2018:
- Three students are joining University in September.
- Five students are finishing High School this year.
- Five students are finishing Grade 8 this year.
- Biogas project is finished and working well. The cows are significantly helping our children nutritionally. The kitchen is no longer smokey.
- The greenhouses and garden are doing well. They have provided us with vegetables to eat and sell.
- We worked hand-in-hand with other organizations like The Giving Exchange, to help provide libraries and greenhouses in our local government schools to help alleviate poverty and to help children have a better quality of life.
- We provided vegetables to over 500 children weekly through the vegetable donations given by the airport.
- We raised and sold broiler chicken.
- We were blessed with a new van, which has helped tremendously.