 Kwaumani kama kwaumani kwaumani kwaumani na 11uhawa, yama niha dubo kwaumani na Kwaumani kwaumani Ngeisa, ngeisa Kwaumani, kwaumani. Ngeisha Is venue defos niha. Kwaumani sianomoft variants Anu ibunia wa kwaumani Yama kwaumani Nt andu yaladini Fountain of Hope Center So where is it located? Okay, so Fountain of Hope Center is at Limuru, Kabuku I think our biggest landmark is St. Paul's University, the main campus So that is where we are located So we are just about 500 meters from the road And you get to the center So apart from running the foundation Who is Joanne? What does Joanne do? What interests Joanne? Who is Joanne as a woman? Basically Joanne is a very independent woman And this is because of course raised by a single mother So Joanne is also a mother She has three children And then she has seventeen plus other children That she's been taking care of I'd say these are my God-given children And they love them very much Joanne is also a farmer And also a jack of very many trades You farm with all this beauty I mean your hand gets so soft Yeah, I call myself a posh farmer Do you farm, farm, amma you delegate the farming? Let me tell you Sometimes you find me in boats And inside that farm You have to be hands on Because you need something perfect And you want to encourage your workers So it's good that you join in with them And you show them you know what It's good to get dirty Because out of that that something good is going to come out of it And there's a reason why I'm actually farming For my children Your children plus the seventeen class children They are all my children They cut across all of them Okay, wow this is so interesting So what do you farm? Well, in my farm we have potatoes We do minji, you call them peas We also do french beans For export But basically I major on potatoes So when did you decide to get into farming Amma why did you decide to get into farming Not like wuzaweaves Amma reata, amma why farming So for the farming Let me say it has always been a habit of mine Even when I was a very small child I'll take like small beans Some maize Palitun tapatam changa, I go plant So I like the way I see this thing coming up And I'm like One day one time I'd love to have such a big farming Because there's so many people who are hungry I'd always be the fan to watch stuff like Al Jazeera And still as a child I'm watching Al Jazeera instead of our normal news So I'd be like I'd want to feed nations This is where it began Naio pashon ya kids Ya kuchkua kids from the streets Kwa adapt, where did that come from Okay, so my mum has been Let me say a professional trainer For quite a long time And in her career We've had the opportunity to go Towards different kind of slums in Kenya So I remember when I was small There's one particular slum she really used to go to That is kuhinda slums in Karan So she used to spend a lot of time Especially the weekends We just give food as a family And it used to be so nice and so fun And it was also an eye opener As to not everybody is equal in life We have the haves and the haves not So as the haves What can you do about it So I'd say that When it comes to charity it began with my mother And what she exposed us to That's really nice How did the children's homes start Like when you decided This is what I want to do with my life This is my purpose in life How did it start, when did it start How many kids did you start with That's quite a story So my children's homes basically began With let me say it's my life testimony And at some point in life All this wealth just came to a stop And we became bankrupt And we went to the lowest Of the lowest A couple of times I tried approaching family And the doors were just closed And I really wanted to finish my education But no one was willing At this time I was joining campus And my brother was still in high school Of course the bankruptcy came As a graduation It was not just abrupt but it was a graduation So you moved from private schools Public schools and then everything just went haywire You came to a point And you were like Since when did this start In a public school You look at the paintings in school And you're like This is how toilets are painted Back at my former school That's how bad it was But I thank God for everything that happened In our lives because Despite the challenges we passed as a family I think it was more of God taking me Through a journey where I needed to start Something and not just go somewhere And just visit and give something Then that's it I'm a provider I solve problems Not just managing but solving problems So yes we're taking food to these people But as you take food today Are you still going to take tomorrow What can you do different That you can actually help them So that they can also come up And be able to help themselves So basically that is where it all started So for the home Let me say I went I got the opportunity to go outside And I worked for a while So when I was there that's when I called my mum And I'm like you know what mum We need to get these children in our own home So I told her to go rent a place So this is where we began We began at Ndeia, a three bedroom house And the kids the number grew so big That we had both big boys And big girls in the same house Got a little into trouble with the ministry of health Of course so they told us We need to build a dormitory outside And because the landlord was not accommodating We had to move by the end of the year To somewhere bigger Which had no idea where But we work and live by faith For that home And let me tell you on my knees Or rather on my knees because I know the only one praying God delivered And as you speak we are in a very big home It's very comfortable Very convenient It's child friendly, it's a nine bedroom house And let me tell you To tell you how much you are paying rent Of course it's up for sale Let me say that because You are looking towards buying this home Like I said I'm a solution provider You see if you and I ever run into trouble We always have somewhere to call home But for these children when they run into trouble When they don't make it in life Where do they go to? So they need a place of their own Where they can actually own it So that is Fountain of Hope Center And how many kids did you start with? Initially I started with nine street boys So during that time of course with my mum Sometimes we'd even hit the streets We'd go to baze, you know baze right? Like here Grogon So we'd go do some little cooking with them We'd talk with them We'd just sit there and whoever is ready We'd go home So that particularly needs to take them to our place And then we'd educate them Just nearby schools around And in choosing the children to adapt Like what's the process Is there like a procedure Kid who needs help You take them, you talk to them And you take them to your home So initially that was how it was Go to the streets If a child is ready they want to come home with you Of course they will come home with you But right now because of There's a lot of child traffic And a lot of things happening that are not so good The government has made some measures So that homes are not Let me say minting money Out of children because of course And we've even had very many homes being closed And that is what you can see right now currently The situation in the streets The street children are so many So basically what happens is that now they come through the police The chief And the children's office Every county has a children's office So for us they come through the children's office And then From the magistrate court through the children's office And then she delegates them to us So our children's office Officer is Madam Mary So we are under her currently So we are also legally registered As a CCI in Limoro So I'm really curious These kids have been through a lot In their lives Sleeping out in the cold Not having food So there's a way that their mind functions They're not so receptive And welcoming to strangers So after you adapt this kids Is there a form of education You offer to them to change To something else And most of them are using Gam or other drugs So after adopting the kids What else happens in the children's home Amani are placed too For them to feel secure Is there any education that happens So at Fountain of Hope center We have the five fold faces We shelter, feed, educate Rehabilitate and then we reintegrate So basically you can see We're bridging up between the community And us as the center Because you see in as much as this child Is at this home They don't belong to you Even if they're calling you mam Or uncle They belong to someone And especially for the younger ones When they get to 18, that's when it hits you And hits them, who am I Who is my family So we try our best to find Even if it's just one relative Who is accommodative We process between that family and this child Sometimes you find maybe It's a woman, she got married to a man This man does not want these children So we come in and we let me say Put out the fire and we try Find a mutual balance where this child Can get what they need And also we can take this child away from the streets And clean our society So let me say Put this on record For these children they're not actually receptive Or they're not hardened They want to say hello to you But every time they come near you You're like utanibia You know you start acting in a very funny way Okay some are hostile yes But it's because they've been there for so long They've not had any love They've been suffering rejection time and time and again And I'm like every time you look at this child Just think about this child like It could be your child Today you might not be there God forbid And you know you'd want your child to be taken up by someone And be happy maybe your brothers or your sisters If you find that most of them they're like This is an extra mouth I need to feed No I can't do that Let someone else do it This is how these kids are ending up at a home And were still maybe even in the streets So before you even judge this child Think about it What would actually make this child Live the comfort of a home Food, a warm bed To go and live in the streets What is that that is lacking back at home That is the question It is someone's child A woman who gave birth Brought this child to this world What happened back at home So that is where the problem is And that is what we need to solve Okay and are there like rogue children Like the ones that are brought in But one at Kaku Kuru di kwa streets Like do you experience such things? Of if you have a lot of them So many of them Like I'd say one case I had He came in a bicycle And then he's also deaf I think he became deaf later on in life Because he could communicate He could write So I think the deafness came later on Because he could understand him So he would do like this Of course he's been chased by dogs As he's doing it He met a lot of things along the path So when this child came to us He was coming from Tanzania to Kenya To look for a job I don't even think he was Maybe even 15-16 years old But he was coming from Tanzania All the way to Kenya to look for a job And he's not the only case There are so many other cases Of children who opt to live home For one thing or another To find a place to work And some of them will find a place to work Of course but of course that is not what you call Tidely but okay And some of them just land on the streets Because even we who have done Degrees our graduation Some of us still sitting with those degrees back at home That work is not very easy to find So these children They come in we take them up As they are it doesn't matter Which level you stopped in school We take you back to school if you're willing Okay and If you wanted to go to campus San Asana we do college Because of course campus fees are very high So we do what we can As a home We need to either stay Or if they wish to live they can also live So we don't like lock them up It is not a kerigiti Kerigiti they actually locked up exactly So this is a home Where by want this child to know we want to love you So if you can trust us and break that Wall Then we're able to accommodate you And make your life better Okay so is there like an age bracket Of the kids that you take Like do you take Two years to eighteen How about you just take any child Okay so for fountain of hope center We normally prefer three years And older But let me say the recent I have He's ten months old And he was thrown and found when he was two hours So the mother gave birth The baby was Was found two hours later So that's when you receive this child So he's the youngest I've ever had in that home But normally take from three years So you know you told me That you reunite The kids with the parents Or the relatives So like for example that That small baby that you have Probably you'll never know the mother Of this kid So will you take care of this kid Pakakwem zem pelike shule Haji taftie But what will happen So faith of course when you When you put up yourself there as a mother Yes mother also Yes So this child officially Is now fountain of hope center And he's officially my son And our son of that home And we're very proud of him So yes even if he's 18, 20 or 50 He'll always be the son of that home And that will never change And even as you speak currently We'll even look towards adapting him officially So he'll bear my name Of course He's a very sweet child That's really nice And what about education Do you pay for them school fees Mama is there a school that has partnered With you guys to offer education to these kids How do you finance your organization Okay So for the school basically Like I said we do what we can So we just take them to the local schools Around the area And let me especially say I'm really gracious to St. Paul's That has really helped us a lot St. Paul's primary And also their campus A lot of the students come in They actually come from their school To St. Paul's primary And they go they pay school fees there Are you serious? Yes exactly these are students you're talking about Not grownups These are students like that Homa actually stood because of these students I give them gratitude Like if I'm to be asked We take everything ever since we moved Into Kabukko So these children of course go to the local schools And for the bigger ones We prefer them in boarding school Because you know day school also It's such a hassle once in a while But yeah we do what we can And whoever can come in on board and help Please feel free So what we do is that We normally tell people whatever you can Whatever little Just pay direct to the school So what's the oldest kid In your home Wow the oldest I have he's 20 20 years I think going to 21 years Yes and you realize that When a child has been on the streets for so long There's so many things that they have lacked And for them it's a process And you find even this child probably he's 17 But he wants to go back to school Maybe he stopped when he was in class 6 Houta mambi it's already too late for you If he's willing take him to school So we just begin the journey with them And you make sure that you finish with them Some of them they say no I don't want school And they're young and you're like Okay so can you do a vocational training And they're like yeah that is better So we do like short courses for them Babaring, mechanics, training Hair dressing and beauty Such like things Specially the young mothers who fail They can't go back to school Now that they've given birth Maybe they have two babies And after the course Like do they in Afkanga point Want to decide Right now I've been educated With the foundation I'm ready to start my life outside So do you let them go and start their life outside If they're ready We will Normally we will gauge You see this is a child that you've struggled so much To make sure they've come back to the right way Of how life should be lived This is a person who has been doing drugs Maybe they were even in prostitution So you don't want to have a situation whereby They claim and say they're ready Because always say if you're ready You'll be out of this home with 6 months rent So that you don't go out there And then you start calling oh I'm stuck in rent And then when you start saying I'm stuck Then it means you'll have to find plan B Of how to get your rent So if you're a prostitute what does that mean You go back to that street So what it is that we make sure that We can totally 100% see That you're actually ready to go out So even as For the government after their 18 years old They're supposed to exit because it's an exit strategy But even as we do the exit for them We are always keen to make sure That they are okay So for some we let them go early But for some we sort of delay Up until we can see that they're ready So we just don't send them out there Because a relapse is very easy We don't want a relapse If they relapse then it's very difficult So you told me that you farm And through your farming you're able to feed And finance the kids So is there any economic gain On your side Amo you're just doing this Because this is what you're called to do Okay So faith I'll answer that question Which is a very interesting question because A lot of my friends have had issues with that So basically I farm of course And let me tell you farmers are the richest people Especially those in agri business They are very rich people But let me say this couple of years I've also not been so good because We had the political interference Then we had the funny reigns And then after that we had this difficult drought And then we had corona So this couple of years had been a bit of an issue But farmers have good money Because you see out of one acre Maybe for potatos you can get maybe minimum 50 bags 50 bags you sell at 3000 bop, one bag You have 150,000 Your capital is about 80 That is really good money that can actually help you do something Compared to a person who is in 8 to 5 And he's been paid maybe 50,000, 20,000 So you actually get good money out of it And then also if you plan Your money wisely Then it's very easy for you to manage yourself And everything else that you want to do Plus of course like I said I'm a jack of many trades So I also invest So for those who say bitcoin is really bad This is in the culprits of bitcoins Yeah we can say Okay for me it has worked Because personally I'd say I was in this program Called MMM It really worked for me And I didn't have to do the referrals and everything So I always call them the hit and runs Even these pyramid schemes I call them hit and runs You just gauge how long has it been there Okay Is it viable, is it giving you good profits So you do it if you come here Toroka, just make sure you remove your money That's it Play twice So you say that kumekwa na challenges Because of the economy, corona What other challenges have you experienced In your journey Wow okay let me say Family Friends has been a challenge for me Because you see you expect this would be The number one people behind your back But they're not there No those people you expect them to hold your hand They're not there so I can count very few Of the family that is actually We know they are with us Even if St Paul's students are not able to come At least these families somewhere They were not there that time But I can say now things are improving I thank God for that Also let me say finances Finances have been a very good big challenge Because you find that You know as much as they say free education It's not really free We have the tuition fees We have sometimes you have to buy the books We have the exam fee that you have to pay for You see you don't have one child You have like 17 plus children That you have to pay for tuition Maybe kilamta mitsha 50, 50, 50, 50 And also aside from that We also have challenges with Now like the farm I have to like it's quite far Because of course our fathers Naja to jachi o mashamba skrizy Mashamba haziko So you find that you have to lease land Leasing is also a very expensive affair You find even this in Waneka Up to 20,000 You know term is even 50 Even 60,000 just leasing alone You have not planted anything yet So challenges are very many But you just try to overcome How you can Of course kuna challenges more But kuna the growth that you have experienced Can you explain to us What growth have you experienced From the time you began tell now What are the positive things Let me say there have been a lot of positive things Let me give gratitude of course To my bigger sons and my bigger daughters Who have come back of course To say thank you mam For taking care of us And they've released with me Even times when I've decided Hey you know what I'm quitting this I can't do this anymore They've been there holding my hand And also aside from that For that Fountain of Hope center Everywhere I go speak Because I believe I'm doing the right thing Sometimes I go to offices And I just talk with one person Maybe I was even going to talk something very different And they're like oh so you said you have a home And they get more interested The next thing you know they have come With whatever they come in I remember a scenario where I had taken a box to Naiva It was during the Christmas day So you need to put whatever The cool if it's toys or anything Normally you'd not buy toys in a home You think about food first So I just went to them and they put the box And the next thing in January You can imagine a whole truck just came to our home Bearing all sorts of food You know And I was so overwhelmed Because I was thinking oh my god it's January And you know it's crazy before you think about Food, school fees and all these things And then there's a truck load of food That really gave me a very big boost Also along this line It has helped me meet so many people I've gotten really good networks Also in my farming I came to get to a French beans export It's because of someone coming home Seeing these children Seeing how they are kept Loving how they are all smiling Speaking in English by the way My children speaking English And they are coming from the streets I'm like yeah these people actually know English And even if they don't know They can actually learn So someone is moved and they are like What can I do for you And I'm like you know what I'm a farmer So you meet your networks So I have really grown in that area Also as a mother it has taught me a lot Because my kids are young The youngest is now six years Sorry the oldest is now six years So having dealt with teenagers Of course now I know how to Deal with my own So it has given me experience Also as a mother And I think my greatest growth would be Spiritually Because if there is one thing I have learnt To a rehabilitation center Yes you can call all the professional counselors You will call, you will do all that But let me tell you if you don't deal with the spirit The principality that is holding this child It's very difficult to break these things Because breaking drug addiction is not easy And that is why people easily relapse So for me even if we go physical We also deal with it spiritually From the day that child steps into that home We deal with it spiritually because we teach them how to pray We teach them that you know what you don't need man It is God that you need We teach them that yes it's an addiction You feel you can't but you can Because God can enable you to do it So yes spiritually I think I've really grown And I've learnt how to fight things They say the battle is not mine it is God You know how to stand in To ask God to come into your situation That's inspiring So what's the future like for you What do you want The future to look like for your foundation And for your kids What are you anticipating Well My future is really really big I mean I have this I envision this very big home Let me say I admire Thomas Bernados home And Nakina SOS village These are the kind of homes I look up to These are people who take their kids to Jonathan Klug You know all these nice nice big schools And you're like I want my own To have that kind of an opportunity These are people who have like a swimming pool there Your children couple of kids And they are swimming pool You know like you're making calculations So I'm hoping they can have this really big home Where I can also give the mothers Young mothers an opportunity instead of aborting Just come and let your child be adopted Be a couple who does not have children I want to have a home That has a college inside A university A primary school and a high school This is the vision that I have for Kenya And not just Kenya alone Even in Uganda Like have a proper home where children are kept The way they should be kept Because people will always throw away children One reason or another Depression is really by the way And when depression hits sometimes you find The mother is just At a kama meza om toran am takaji Depression is really bad Or maybe the parents are not there So where will these children go to Can someone actually offer them something Can someone offer them a home where they can eat As much as it sounds ambitious But I'd want them also to eat Sausage See kus mama palikwa hotel And they're like what are they eating And you just know you're staring You'd want to give them something better So I'd want to give them a home They can call their own That is what you're looking forward to And I made a vow to God and I told God God if you give me this home I will give you thanks My own home until You give me a children's home So that is the goal Getting a home for these children You're so selfless So as we part I want you to talk to the kids out there Or the community, the society And tell them what is in your heart And what you would want the kids to know So faith as we part Let me say Children will always be there But the children are the future of tomorrow But they're not going to be the future of tomorrow If you're not making things right right now And by making things right Is doing what you can where you are So that single mother that you see there Who is struggling do something about it Because what you do today Might protect this child's future tomorrow And you can actually make Whatever let me say steps You make towards this particular home It can actually help this child tomorrow Because maybe they'll be That zeal to want They're like Uncle Flanian Even giving them that Book or even that pencil It goes along to make sure this child thinks Someone who still cares And can actually study and make something good Out of myself Even for the children who are out there It doesn't matter what your parent is doing Back at home or what your guardian is doing Stay strong Because there's a God who actually listens To something that you don't have it at that particular time It's a struggle but they say Nothing happens under the sun That has never happened before And by then you're not the first one There's so many who are first through that That terrain but they have come through So either way you're going to come through And if you're looking for someone to motivate you And encourage you and you can't find one Don't worry motivate yourself first When you do that then everything else will come But remember God above everything So that is what I tell them The parents out there we need to go back To the society where our children It was the responsibility of the community Not just you alone Right now say isikitu kifani kakumututu He could care less We have so many missing children Nobody cares We need to start caring We need to find our humanity Because if you don't protect the future now That is it We don't even have a present Thank you so much John We need more people like you in the world Who are selfless And who love and who are not about Building themselves but also their community Thank you so much My prayer for you is that you grow And that your foundation grows So that was Joanne I mean I'm just speechless Mi atasina ma nanosai Her story is so inspiring What she does to the society is so inspiring So that was Joanne for us And we want to encourage you And help, help and love, love people So right about now We're going to take a break But we'll be right back