Imani Children's Home

The InterContinental Nairobi Front Office Team is showing that InterContinental Nairobi cares about the community it is operating in.

About the Imani Children's Home:

In Nairobi, Kenya it is estimated that there are over 60,000 children living on the streets. Most of these children go to the streets to escape poverty or battering at home or perhaps they were orphaned due to the AIDS. Once on the street and with the introduction of freedom from responsibility and addictive substances such as glue and marijuana, children become forgotten members of society and lose hope for a brighter future.

Imani Rehabilitation Agency was established to cater for the needs of such children. More than anything else the founder, FaithWanjiru a devoted Christian, wanted to provide these children with love and hope for the future.

Since her youth, MsWanjiru saw the plight of orphans and street children and had the dream of starting a home for them. In 1992, she officially started Imani Rehabilitation Agency.

Imani was started with only 15 children from the streets of Nairobi. The Founder was a clothing designer by profession and had a prosperous boutique at Kariobangi Market Nairobi. She used the little money she received to purchase a plot of land in Kayole, a suburb in Nairobi and constructed a building that could accommodate a number of children.

Over the years and with the support of well wishers, the project has expanded to cater for the needs of 350 children while having two locations in Kayole: Kayole A and Kayole B.

Imani's goal is to rehabilitate street children and children living under difficult circumstances. Imani does this through the provision of basic needs, food, clothing and shelter), education, counseling and training in various vocational training (cake baking, dressmaking and childcare). Most importantly Imani provides the children with love.

Within Imani the children are put into a family unit in which there is a mixture of older and younger children. In this way the children develop by having older role models and younger children for whom they are responsible. Such a situation makes their childhood development well rounded.

Chores play a large role for the children of Imani and it is by doing such chores that the children learn responsibility. Washing clothes cleaning the home preparing food and splitting firewood are a few chores given to the children. However in order to build personality of the children Imani emphasizes the need for other activities such as games, singing, attending festivals around the city and drama.

Many children came to Imani with under developed immune systems due to poor diet, exposure to unsanitary living conditions and other factors. Though the introduction of balanced diets and exceptional detail to personal hygiene, Imani has improved the health of the children. For those who do get sick from the common illnesses, Imani has a nurse and a small clinic to cater for the needs of the children. Other cases are taken to clinics and hospitals around Nairobi.

By allowing the children a chance to get know Jesus Christ and his teachings, the children have a firm foundation on which to build their lives. Every Sunday the children attend a church service at a local church. On daily basis the children attend evening prayer services in Imani where they sing, pray and learn from the Bible.

Source: http://www.imanikids.org

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