FOUNDER/DIRECTOR

Sammy went to Kenya for the first time when she was 16 years old and fell in love with the place and the people. During her summer breaks from college, Sammy returned to Kenya to serve the children in Kitale. She was always on the look-out for opportunities to minister to children with disabilities, however, there were no schools for special needs children and most of the families kept their children hidden due to a sense of shame.

It wasn’t long before God made it clear what her calling was: to serve the children with disabilities in Kitale. On March 8, 2012, the Precious Kids Center opened their doors and took in their first child.

God is doing an amazing work through Sammy and her team as they care for and minister to these neglected children.

ANA, ALICE, ANET, CHRISTINE, ALICE N, ATIENO, RUTH, COLETTE, EVA & EGLAY

The house mothers are the cog that keeps the whole machine running! They wash the kids every morning and get them ready for school. They change diapers (three times a day!), give medicine, clean (the house and, of course, the children), hand-feed many of the kids three meals a day, and keep an eye on them at all times… at night they even rotate checking on them. And, if one of the kids is hospitalized, they will stay with them until they are well enough to come home.

PHOEBE, JUDITH, KNIGHT, JOSEPHINE, ROSE, FAITH, CLAIRE, ELIZABETH, & GILBERT

We also started Precious Integrated Primary School so we can provide education in an integrated environment. We currently have Kindergarten- 4th grade and a special education classroom. Each student has individualized goals that they work to complete with a teacher before the term ends. All of our teachers take pride in their work and find joy in teaching such a diverse group of students. They work together to find new ways to present material to the students who are struggling to grasp what they are learning and each one has a real connection with their students.

JACKI, ROSE, CAROL, KATHERINE, ROSEBELLA, & SUSAN

We also have several women that come and work during the day. With over 100 kids, (many of them in diapers) the amount of laundry done at the house daily is staggering. These ladies come and hand wash the laundry, hang it up on the line and put it away when it is dry. They also iron the school uniforms and fold everything into the cupboard so it is ready to go in the morning when dozens of kids need to be washed, clothed and fed before school. If there is time in-between they also help with the kids in the house.

Ben is in charge of keeping the property clean. He sweeps the outside, trims the bushes on the fence, washes the classrooms at the end of the day. He also is ready and willing to do anything asked of him, even if we need an extra pair of hands traveling to the doctors or helping to cook. He has a great heart and all the kids love him too. Every day before he goes home, all the kids gather in the living room and he says a prayer for God to keep them safe through the night until they meet tomorrow.

Benson patrols the grounds at night to keep the kids safe all night.

Joseph and Ben man the gate during the day, making sure no children wander off and no strangers wander on to the property.

Sam and Jeremiah prepare all of the meals for the house kids and school kids. Imagine making lunch for over 200 children…that’s a big job! And these two men do it with a smile.

Julius cares for all of the animals on our property. Ensuring that our cows and chickens are well-tended to.

Anthony is the physical therapist for Precious Kids Center. He rotates through the children who need physical therapy, seeing each child two-to-three times each week. Through the physical therapy they’ve received at the center, we’ve seen several children begin to walk on their own. We’re believing for many more stories like this in our future!

We also have a social worker that provides guidance and counseling to many of the children. She provides them with someone safe to talk to and helps them through any past or present challenges that they are facing. Along with our social worker, we have a therapist that comes to the house twice a week. He provides physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy exercises.