Esther Home Kenya

Project Description

The goal of this house is to provide a safe and healthy environment with God's love, including support such as counseling. In this way, the project aims to positively change the lives of these vulnerable teenage mothers and their children, enabling them to make a valuable contribution to their community later on.

What does the day look like:

From Monday to Friday, the day starts early: the children wake up at 6 AM, have breakfast together, and get ready for school. The older children help the younger children with getting ready and breakfast. During the school day, the children have lunch at school and return home around 4:30 PM. There, they help with chores, such as cooking or doing the dishes. Dinner is eaten together at 7 PM, followed by homework. The day ends with prayer at 9 PM, after which everyone goes to bed.

On weekends, the rhythm is a little different. On Saturday, the children get up at 7:30 AM, have breakfast, and the older children help with household chores, such as laundry and cleaning. In the afternoon, there is time for homework and games. Sunday also begins at 7:30 AM, followed by breakfast and preparation to go to church at 9:00 AM. All children participate in Sunday school activities. After church, around 12:00 PM, there is time to play and prepare for the upcoming week.

Project information:

The project in Kenya is called Esther Home and is run by Youth Apart, a ministry founded by Daniel and Marlies Hoogteijling. Esther Home provides care for young teenage mothers and their children. Many of these girls become pregnant through rape or from a vulnerable home situation and are often rejected by their families out of shame. This leaves them alone or forces them to have an abortion. Esther Home offers them a safe place, guides them in preparation for childbirth, and ensures that they can resume their education as soon as their babies no longer need breastfeeding. When reunification with the family is possible, counseling is also provided to ensure the return is safe and responsible. Meanwhile, the baby is cared for within Esther Home, so that both mother and child receive the support they need.

Thanks to support, the children receive daily food, school and learning materials, housing, and medical care. This gives them a strong foundation and a hopeful future outlook, so they can achieve their dreams.