Garba Tulla Children’s Home Report

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

National Council of Churches of Kenya
2009-2010 Report

The Garba Tulla Children’s Home is one of two children’s homes sponsored by the National Council of Churches of Kenya, a longtime partner of Global Ministries. Established in 1970, it is located in the northeast area of Nairobi, in the Garba Tulla Division of the Isiolo District. After the region experienced a severe drought in the 1960s and the effects of a war left many children orphaned and destitute, the Garba Tulla Home was established to respond to the needs of the children who have difficulty coping with the harsh climate and the nomadic tendencies of the population in this semi-arid area of Kenya. In total, the Home has been able to support more than 1,500 children over the years in times of extreme difficulty. Children are served without regard to their religion, race, or gender; the only guiding principle has been to raise disciplined and self-reliant citizens.

In 2010, the Garba Tulla Home had about 45 children. In the past year, they were able to reintegrate most children into their original homes or into the homes of other family members. Over 80 percent of the children were reintegrated. They were unable to find good situations for the remaining 20 percent.

The biggest challenge for Garba Tulla Children’s Home is that funding is very sporadic. Because revenue varies from month to month, it is difficult to maintain a staff and the facility and to provide consistent services. The National Council of Churches of Kenya’s other children’s home, Kalokol Children’s Home in Turkana, has more consistent funding so they have been able to provide better care for children.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya is moving away from the model of Children’s Homes as the primary support for children. This shift has helped fuel the reintegration of children into their homes or homes of other family members. The Council does continue to provide support for children – both those who have been moved back into family situations and for children in families on the brink. They provide for basic needs like bedding, clothing, food, and medical care. They also assist with school fees and expenses such as uniforms. In addition, they provide guidance and counseling sessions for children and rally community support for the children.

The Council has learned that local support and community ownership is critical for the process of child reintegration to be successful.