Taveta Children’s Assistance:

Giving hope to vulnerable children through nutrition, education, and empowerment.

Identifying the Problem

The problems affecting the children of Taveta were many, and we understood quickly that much of their suffering resulted from adult problems such as poverty, unemployment, parent abandonment, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, illiteracy, and the commercial sex trade. As part of our goal to help the most vulnerable children in Taveta, we also needed to help the adults in their lives.

Taveta Children Assistance (TCA) began in 2008 and later registered in 2009 by the Kenya Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development. The Director, Pastor Samson Kiriinya is also the pastor of the Taveta Christian Assembly.

The idea to form TCA arose from the needs of the community, most of them widows, single mothers, those with HIV, and the elderly. In the wake of the HIV pandemic, many grandparents are left to care for orphaned children, often vulnerable themselves, and struggle physically and financially to raise young children. It was evident to us that their various needs were also just as desperate.

TCA began feeding programs for the children every weekend and food ration distributions for the guardians to carry home.

Nutrition

Every Saturday and Sunday nutritious meals are prepared for over 100 vulnerable children and orphans from poor households. Food rations are distributed to the children’s guardians to carry home for use on weekdays.

Education

Children from poor families as well as orphans are supported with school fees, school, uniforms, and school supplies. Guardians who are unable to send their children to school are financially supported to do so. These types of educational needs are enormous.

Empowerment

TCA works to empower parents and guardians to achieve economic stability in order to meet their children’s basic needs. TCA employs several strategies to equip vulnerable parents to give them support, training, and the opportunity to provide for their children so that their children are able to live and thrive in their homes.

TCA works to also empower each individual child served through several initiatives through mentorship, music and dance programs, career and college planning, leadership opportunities, and bible studies. Volunteer counselors and Christian missionaries are encouraged to volunteer with this ministry as well as teaching the Bible and Christian outreach. Through all of our projects, we are continually encouraging the young people we serve to give back to their families, peers, and communities.

Breakdown of Ongoing Needs:

$2/day

provides food for a child in need.

$130 one-time gift dairy goat.

Provides the family sustainable income. We use only high milk yielding goat breeds to provide families with nutritious milk supply.

$35/month

School fees

This includes all uniforms, books, and school supplies.

$350 one-time gift sewing machine

With training and mentoring, parents can support their families by making school uniforms and other clothing.

$100/month

Critical Family Relief

Provides essential food and basic needs to our most critical families.

$150 one-time gift farming assistance

Increases a family’s food security and improves family income with the goal of financial independence.

Dairy Goat Project

To empower the poor households where the children come from, resources are sought to buy dairy goats which are donated to the families. The goats have high milk yields for use by the children. When the goats reproduce, the families also sell them at high prices and they can use the funds to buy food for the children as well as buy school learning materials for the children.

Guidance, Counseling and Home Visitations

TCA provides psychosocial support to children and their guardians especially those from abusive households. Our experienced volunteers also teach them life skills.

Family Economic Empowerment

TCA empowers guardians by encouraging them to begin income-generating activities through farming and animal rearing to enable them become economically stable.

Youth Singing & Dance Groups

The initial purpose was to engage the youth in high-interest activities to reduce chances of delinquent behavior. With the encouragement and direction of our music instructor, youth are composing their own songs and choreographing dances that touch on the various challenges facing the young people of their community. Not only does this provide a creative outlet for them to express themselves, but many have discovered exceptional talent in themselves that can continue help them in their future.