By Sr. Christine Masivo, CPS
In Kawangware-Riruta, Nairobi, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood are helping children
living on the streets rediscover the possibility of a different future. Through education,
psychological support and rehabilitation, initially referred to as Amani Children’s Family, they offer
vulnerable children an opportunity to regain confidence, develop their abilities and work towards a
more secure and independent life.
“Amani” means peace and is beautifully used to express the mission of the sisters. For a child who
has known insecurity and rejection, peace can begin with something as simple as being welcomed,
listened to, and cared for, as the sisters are doing. Peace grows through education, friendship,
discipline, faith, and the experience of belonging to a community that believes in the child.
This centre was started by the late Sr Damiana from Germany in 1983 as a feeding programme for
the hungry children on the streets and ended up bearing great fruit by empowering the boys and
girls who came to eat and later take a bath before heading back to the streets. Over time Sr Damiana
and the congregation saw the need for educating these children beyond just a feeding programme so
as to address the cause that had brought them to the streets.
This realisation helped to shape the development of the beginning of educating the children from
the streets. They started writing on the ground with sticks and developed gradually after receiving
donations to build classrooms that resulted in a primary school in reality as of 1987. Now it is
referred to as the Precious Blood Children’s Family Rehabilitation Centre & Amani Primary &
Junior Secondary School under one roof, as a demand from the government demands on the
education system that made all the changes fall in place. The sisters reach out and support the
children through programmes that place education, personal development and the restoration of
dignity at their centre.
Life on the streets exposes children to numerous risks including violence, neglect, exploitation,
substance use and interupted education. Family difficulties, poverty and other challenging
circumstances may contribute to a child’s decision or experience of living on the streets. Before they
join the class, they require support to overcome emotional, social and educational barriers.
Here the children are supported through a process of rehabilitation and reintegration. Those
struggling with substance use, like the inhalation of glue, receive assistance intended to help them
address their dependence and prepare for learning. Counselling and psychological support also
provide opportunities for children to discuss their experiences, process difficult emotions and begin
rebuilding trust. After the rehabilitation class, they are helped to progress with their education
depending on where they have stopped or where they are supposed to start from. This approach
recognises that every child has a different story and requires individual attention.
The work extends through the classroom. Through the support of the sisters, social workers and
other members of staff, children are encouraged to develop their talents, acquire practical skills and
take greater responsibility for their lives. Vocational formation, where available and appropriate,
can help prepare them for future opportunities and greater independence.
More than 7000 pupils have benefited through this programme. After their primary & junior
secondary school education, they are supported to enrol in senior secondary school and afterwardsto the colleges and university according to their capacity. Through this, it has enabled many to be
self-reliant and to get back to the society.
Sr Vienda, one of the sisters working here now, testifies to the hard work and determination of the
children. Over the years, she says, “Precious Blood Children’s Family has produced outstanding
individuals: a lawyer, an architect, a pharmacist, and a medical student currently pursuing studies at
the University of Nairobi.”
“I am a beneficiary of this institute and now working as a teacher in the same place that nurtured
me, and I am grateful,” said one of the beneficiaries. He works passionately and thanks God for the
far He has brought him.
The Sisters devote themselves to walking alongside these children with patience and compassion.
They are encouraged to use their talents holistically, and this has resulted in many even getting jobs.
During the extra-curricular activities, the children are involved in acrobatics, music, dance and
drama that they have been able to win up to the national levels. This has encouraged them a lot to
continue to use their talents.
The Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood work is a commitment to accompany vulnerable
children as they take steps towards healing, education and personal growth, combining practical
help with a genuine concern for the dignity and future of each child.
The sisters’ journey, from its origins as a feeding programme to its evolution as an educational
initiative, illustrates how responding to an immediate need can set the stage for a more sustainable
mission. All this is expressed through the experience from the children and what they have
benefited as a whole.
This illustrates possibility in the midst of adversity when there is a good cause, through creating
opportunities for children whose lives have been disrupted and helping them to discover their future
can hold more than the hardship they have known. Thus the sisters continue to nurture hope, one
child at a time.