WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE, EVERY CHILD IN OUR HOME RECEIVES PROPER NUTRITION, CLEAN CLOTHES, AND A WARM BED.
THESE ARE SIMPLE ESSENTIALS THAT MANY OF THESE CHILDREN HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE COMING TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE.
WHAT WE DO AT PKC
MEDICAL NEEDS
When a child is brought into the Center, we do a full check-up with a pediatrician so that we can start effectively treating any illnesses immediately. If a doctor recommends that a child needs a scan or any additional medical tests, we drive about an hour and a half to the closest hospital where those services are provided to ensure that our children are given the utmost care. We provide all kinds of medical care, ranging from treating colds to administering daily epilepsy medication.
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.
EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES
We also started a school so that 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.
Precious Integrated Primary School caters to children of all ages and abilities. In Kenya, if your child has a disability, it is often difficult to find a school that will accept them so most children just stay home without an education and are seen as unteachable. Our school is working to change that so we allow every child to learn. Because of this our youngest student is three years old and our oldest student is twenty-eight years old.
Precious Integrated Primary School is an integrated setting where children with disabilities learn alongside their peers and are given the individual supports and instruction that allows them to be successful. The children are divided based on ability.
At school, they learn to write, recognize letters and numbers, and read basic words. The students are fed porridge and lunch at school. They learn to be accepting and loving of children who are different from an early age and it is encouraging to come in the class and see one of the typically developing students feeding one of their peers or coloring with them or pairing up to do the work. The students come from the community around where Precious Kids Center is located.
OUR REINTEGRATION PROGRAM
Families who are able to be reunited after the child has stabilized and made progress are sent home with a plan that fits the needs of each unique child and their family dynamics.
Every month, we check in to see health and progress with each family. We also drop off medication, food, diapers, and check on education growth. At PKC, our reintegration program is just getting started!
GET TO KNOW OUR KIDS
Hillary had a tough life growing up. His father passed away when he was only 3 years old leaving him with his mother who was an alcoholic. He decided to run away from home and head to the streets when he was only six years old because his mother would lock him in the house alone all night long. He spent two years on the streets before he met his sponsor who decided to take him to school. After so many years of living life on his own, Hillary had a hard time adjusting to life at boarding school and all of the rules that come with it and was constantly running away. When he was in 6th grade he became a resident at Precious Kids Center during the school holidays. It was a hard road to help Hillary get on track and get used to adjusting from his early years. He is a kind boy, who is very compassionate and helpful with the other kids at the house.
Recently Hillary had the idea of a new project! He had collected some leftover wood and wire from other projects that was lying around and made this four room rabbit cage. His plan is to breed the rabbits and sell them to be able to build up a little savings for when he is finished with high school soon. It has been a privilege to see how Hillary has grown over the last 7 years and we are proud of the responsible young man he is becoming.
MEET HILLARY
When a child is abandoned at a hospital here they are reliant on the mother in the next bed with her own child to care for because the nurses often are too busy to be able to meet all of the needs of a child who is without a caregiver. So I saw this tiny three month old boy with a bilateral cleft lip who looked up at us and smiled. He was given the name Benaiah by the social workers upon his discharge and came to start his new life at Precious Kids Center.
It was a struggle to get him to gain enough weight to be able to have the surgery to correct his lip, but with the help of nutritionist and his pediatrician we were finally able to get him strong enough to have the operation at Cure Hospital in Kijabe. They did a great job and he had no complications while he was healing. He will also need a second operation in a few years when he is a little older to correct his cleft palate. We are so happy to see how much progress he has made and especially grateful for this cute little smirk.
Benaiah means God builds and we are excited to see what God will continue to build through Benaiah’s life. He is developing and learning at his own pace and has overcome so many obstacles. He is now able to crawl and we ask that you please pray with us as we are trusting that he will gain the strength to start walking soon.
MEET BENAIAH