Key Updates | August 6, 2020
"I was in a very bad state in the year 2018 due to drug abuse. I involved myself in chewing miraa [a stimulant green shrub found in East Africa] and peddling marijuana and nobody could stop me,’’ confessed “John” during one of the counseling sessions with Esther.
As most of you know, we work with vulnerable children. At face value, these children appear vulnerable simply because of the desperate poverty backgrounds that they come from. The majority are either total orphans, single parent situations or simply, have parents who are extremely poor. However, beyond poverty, or is it maybe because of poverty, some of our teens exhibit behaviors that are detrimental to their pathway to success. Perhaps these behavioral challenges are universal. However, in our case, they are exacerbated by poverty. Some of the challenges range from anxiety and depression, psychosocial and emotional issues, substance abuse, unhealthy sexual relationships, suicidal thoughts and/or cases, low self-esteem, and child abuse, among others.
At Tumaini, we are blessed to have Esther on our staff. Esther heads the Counseling Department and helps children navigate through some of these challenges daily. A social worker and counselor by training, Esther is also a mother and a pastor’s wife. She brings a wealth of professional Christian wisdom to her work every day and we are profoundly grateful to her. She recently shared her approach in working with the children: “First, I am humbled for this noble assignment of interacting with these beautiful souls to mold their destinies through God's grace. What has helped me the most is the realization that every individual is unique and has the potential of finding solutions within themselves if well guided. Secondly, I try to separate the mistake from the person who commits it, therefore avoiding branding them by their mistakes and always being optimistic that a positive change can happen to them."
We have not been successful in rehabilitating every child who has succumbed to some of the challenges identified. However, we have witnessed some amazing rehabilitation cases of children who had been caught up in deep challenges of life and are now on their way to becoming responsible people in their families, churches, and society. "Thank you Tumaini for helping me to come back to my senses through counseling," said “John” who had dropped out of school and gotten into taking and selling drugs. He is now fully reformed and back in trade school and doing very well. Another one, a teenage mother, had this say: “I am grateful to Esther and Tumaini fraternity at large…. Esther has helped me retract my way back. The counseling sessions have helped me very much especially on how to cope with life alongside my baby.” The girl thought all was lost when she became a teen mother, but Esther helped her to get a second chance at life.
When children who are already vulnerable fall into any of the challenges stated, it becomes double jeopardy and they see no hope. Our calling is to bring hope to these dark situations and troubled students and provide these children with new opportunities. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. Please keep Esther and the entire field staff in your prayers as they faithfully serve these vulnerable children.
Always grateful to you for your amazing partnership.
Thank you for all you do,
Stanley Mutunga
President/CEO
To make a donation, , visit https://tumaini.givingfuel.com/general-giving or click the donate button above.
COVID-19 UPDATE: As of Wednesday August 5th, 2020:
The pandemic unfortunately continues to spike across the country
23,873 total confirmed cases (increased by 5,738 a new record in 7 days)
391 deaths (an increase of nearly 100 deaths in 7 days)
44 Counties affected
We continue to thank God for His protection. All the children and the families that we support remain safe. Our staff is all doing well and continuing to serve.