Sponsor a Child and Change Their World
When you sponsor a child you are giving their entire family the opportunity to escape the bottomless pit called poverty. You will receive a card with your child's photo and will have the opportunity to write and receive letters as well as an open invitation to visit your child in Kenya. For only $40 per month your child will attend school and receive an excellent education, as well as a hot lunch and clean drinking water.
Get the facts about sponsorship Get the facts about Hope for Kenya

Benedict Griffins Okello
Benedict is a total orphan and lives with his 16 year old brother who is in high school. His brother is a day student and cares for him when he goes home. They have no parents and no other guardians to care for them.
Joy School

Calvins Charles
Calvins lives with his uncle. His father has died and his mother is a teacher because his mother cannot care for him and work at the same time. His sister also is a sponsored student at the school. Please consider sponsoring Calvins and ensure he can stay in school.
Joy School
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Clarence Kilwa
Clarence has never know his father who abandoned his mother when she became pregnant with him. The mother survives by growing some food and some friends from the church help her as well. Clarence has missed a lot of school as he has had to help with the crops in order to survive.
Nyatambe High School

Edwin Onyango
Edwin is a day student at Odera Secondary School. He and his sister, Lorna are living in the Dago village with their mother who is HIV positive and their father who is elderly and cannot work. They depend mostly on their older brother who supports his siblings by doing taxi work with a motorcycle.
Odera

Elijah Oloo
Elijah is in 9th grade and has begun his high school career without a sponsor. He lives with his mother and likes reading. He wants to study agriculture.
Nyatambe

Esther Aoko
Esther is one of nine children, four of them attend the Dago School. Her father is one of the men who donated their own land so that the school could be built. Unfortunately, he has recently fallen ill and cannot continue to work.
Dago School

Felix Martin Osure
Felix Osure is a 12 year old boy in the 6th grade. His parents do peasant farming to support them but their harvests are never enough to pay for his fees.
Dago
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Felix O Elisha
Felix is in grade 4. Although both parents are still alive, they are not able to send Felix to school simply because of the cost of a school uniform, school books and a lunch. Sponsorship will make their dream of sending Felix to school possible.
Joy School

Felix Omondi Odiwuor
Felix lives with his father and three siblings. He is the oldest. The dad is a tailor and the mom does odd jobs. Felix only lives with his father and without sponsorship he will not be able to go to high school.
Odera

Fenny Anyango Okeyo
Fenny is a 13 year old student in 6th grade. She is the daughter to one of the women who is involved in the bead group in the Dago community. Fenny is determined to change her own future and make a difference in her community. Please consider sponsoring Fenny today.
Joy School

Frank Okoth Ooko
Frank is a 4th grader and the second born child in his family. His father was killed in a road accident and his mother sells charcoal in the market but cannot afford to pay school fees for her children.
Joy School

Goretty Anyango
Goretty is one of five children, four of which attend the Dago School. The parents grow food, just enough to feed their family, but do not grow enough to sell their food at market.
Dago School
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Griffins Otieno Nyamanga
Griffins is in class one. He has a sister called Sheryl Achieng. Both his parents are dead.
Joy School

Hamiltone Onyango
Hamiltone is six years old and in kindergarten. His mother is a house wife and his father is a day laborer in Nairobi.
Dago School

Ishmael Sheva Otieno
Sheva Ishmael is in class 9. His father is a Pastor who does not get paid and while he does odd jobs on the side he is unable to pay school fees. Sheva is a sweet boy and he has seven siblings.
Odera

Jack Ocheing
The mother of Jack is Vollin and her husband died in 2010. Their house was built by a well wisher when their hut was falling down on them. They are in extreme poverty and they need education to be free.
Joy School
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Jared Otieno
Jared is the son of one of Peter’s neighbors. His mother is HIV positive and very sickly. The family story is very sad as you will hear when you play the video. Please help Jared break the cycle of poverty that he finds himself trapped in.
Joy School
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John Bruno Odede
John is in class 2. When his father died he went to live with his uncle as his mother could no longer care for him.
Joy School

Kevin Omondi
Kevin lives with his grandmother in Awendo county. His father is not around and his mother struggles to find work. Kevin is currently at the Joy School and desperately needs a sponsor.
Joy School
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Lucas Muga
Lucas parents are extremely poor and both of them work at what ever jobs they can find on some of the local farms. Survival not education is their priority. Lucas has 2 siblings.
Odera
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Maryanne Anyango Odemba
Maryanne has missed a lot of school. She is a total orphan who has been living with an aunt since she was year old. She is now 10 years old and only in 1st grade. She would like to be a doctor when she grows up, but she knows she can’t do this without an education.
Joy School
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Millicent Achieng Edesa
Millicent, Eunice, and Lucy are three sisters who live with their mother who sells sandals in Ndhiwa. Their father abandoned the family after he took another wife, and their son who was in Kenyatta University was forced to drop out of school due to school fees. Their mother knows education is the only way out of poverty and wants to see them succeed in life.
Joy

Moses Ochieng
Moses and his family live in a tin shack behind the Joy School. He is in a family of four. The mother was chased out of his home after being married for seven years. They rent a tin shack big enough for only one person. Moses and his family sleep on a mat on the floor. His guardian sells tomatoes by the roadside. She cannot afford education for the children and is requesting help for them so that the poverty cycle doesn’t continue. Thank you!
Naomi Harriet Samba
Naomi is a diligent 9th grade student with dreams of becoming a doctor. Both her parents are refugees from Uganda and live in the slums of Awendo. She lives with her grandmother because her parents cannot afford to care for her.
Odera
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Oscar Carlos
Oscar is one of five children who lives in the Dago community. While both of his parents are alive, they can only provide food for their children that they grow farming because they are seeking employment.
Dago School

Pamela Shirati
Pamela is five years old and in preschool. Her father is a construction worker and her mother collects water for the construction sites.
Dago School
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Rajab Musa
Rajab is the last born and sibling of Shamim and Isa. Both of his parents have died from HIV/AIDS. The aunt, whom he lives with, has two children of her own to care for. There is no money for Rajab’s school fees. Sponsorship is requested to give Rajab an education.
Joy School

Randy Omondi Okiki
Randy lives with both his parents. His father is able to work, but his mother is only able to find work sometimes. He has six siblings.
Joy School

Rizpa Ocheing
The mother of Rizpa is Vollin and her husband died in 2010. Their house was built by a well wisher when their hut was falling down on them. They are in extreme poverty and they need education to be free.
Joy School

Robine Pretty Odede
Robine is in 8th grade and is the older sister to John Bruno. Their mother has died and she lives with her father who does not have a job. Please sponsor Robine so she can go to high school.
Joy School

Rosemary Adhiambo Okoth
Rosemary is a younger sister to our sponsored student Edna. Their mother abandoned them when they were much younger, and their father only uses a handcart to sell small items. Sponsoring Rosemary would give her a chance to continue her education without fear of having to drop out due to lack of fees.
Odera

Scovia Achieng
Scovia was brought to us by a principal in our local secondary school. She scored well on her exit exam from primary school and would like to be a doctor one day. Her father is a fisherman and only brings in an income when he is able to catch fish and her mother tries to earn an income by selling firewood. Please help Scovia earn an education through sponsorship!
Nyatambe

Shadrack Ochien
Shadrack lives with his mother. His father has died a few years ago. He helps his mother at home grow a few crops around the house for food and his mother sometimes can find work hand washing other people’s clothes. She earns less than a dollar a day and it is certainly not enough to pay for Shadrack’s education. Unless someone steps in to sponsor him to board at the Joy School then he will be tied to his poverty. He is a very bright young boy but lives in extreme poverty. He still posses a joyful spark for life but poverty will consume any hope he has for the future. Please join with us to help Shadrack build his future and return to rescue his family. Thank you!

Shem Otieno Odhiambo
Shem is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his brother Samson and mother. Lillian is 24-years-old and her husband died four years ago. She has now been inherited and is the third wife.

Steven Odhiambo
Steven is a desperate situation. His mother is a widow who is both deaf and unable to speak. They live in desperate poverty. His older brother is developmentally disabled and his other brother in this video has been horribly injured in a vehicle accident. His mother does odd jobs for neighbors but does not have the means to send Steven to school. So Steven is trapped at home, serving the needs of the family.
Joy School

Thomas Onyango
Thomas recently lost his sponsor. He has extremely high marks for his age and is hoping to be a doctor. He comes from a family of six children and both his parents are gone. He lives with his relatives and has a strong determination to survive and excel in his education as a way out of his poverty. Please help him complete his journey and run this race with him today!
Nyatambe

Victor Ochieng Makoba
When Victor's mother died his father abandoned him and his brother Silas. His other brother's dropped out of school and are surviving from casual jobs. Victor has just begun a degree at university and lost his sponsor. He needs a sponsor urgently to help in continue his degree!
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Victor Otieno
Victor’s father has died and his mother is the nurse at the Joy School caring for many children.
Joy School

Vincent
Vincent lives with his 90 year old grandmother. Both of his parents have died. It is impossible for them to be able to afford education and Joy school is not far away. If someone could step in and sponsor Vincent then he can still come home to see his grandmother and care for her. Please someone stand with Vincent and give him a future that will surely break this cycle of poverty. Thank you!
Joy School

Whinnie
Whinnie’s mother has seven children and Whinnie is eleven years old. Her mother washes clothes for many many people and even when work is good, she can only make $1 a day to support seven children. Whinnie is caught up in a situation where her mother cannot afford a good education. If she boards at the Joy School then she will be able to grow as a young lady in a safe environment and receive an education that will change her future. Will you partner with Whinnie today and make a lasting change? Thank you!
Joy School

Young Timothy
Young Timothy is a pre-school student who is the last born in a family of four children. His father is a small scale mechanic who does not generate enough income to support his family.
Joy School
How do I begin?
- Use Paypal (our preferred method of payment) by filling in the form below.
- Choose monthly or yearly donations from the drop down menu, entering the name of the child (by clicking "sponsor now" on the bottom tab of their picture) you would like to sponsor, and then clicking on "NEXT".
- You will then be taken to the Paypal website to complete your sponsorship. A PayPal account is required for recurring payments, but not for one time donations. Just click the link under the login button that says, "No PayPal account? Pay using your credit or debit card" and fill out the form.
- Paypal will show Hope for Kenya that this is a “child sponsor” donation and provide us with your address so we can send you pictures and letters from your child.
91% of the funds we receive go to caring for your child and go directly to Kenya. 9% is allocated to administration costs such as bank fees, supplies, and the costs related to sharing this work with others. We provide every new sponsor and donor the option to cover these administrative fees if should choose to. All your donations are tax deductible. If you have any questions please email us using the “contact” page.
Start Sponsoring Today!
Get the facts about sponsorship
Will I be the only person sponsoring the child I’m helping?
Yes. The child you’re helping has just one sponsor: you. That’s why your prayers, letters, and support mean so much to your sponsored child. Even if you choose to sponsor a child as a family or a group (for example, a youth group or a Sunday school class), the child you help will still be relating to your family or group as his or her only sponsor. No other group or individual will also sponsor the child you help.
How long should my child sponsorship last?
Hope for Kenya’s child sponsorship offers you the opportunity to stay with a child for a number of years, usually through the school year in which the child reaches the age of 18 to 22. While we hope that you will be able to continue in your support of your sponsored child until he or she completes High School or College, we recognize that sponsors’ circumstances sometimes change. You may discontinue your sponsorship at any time. We ask that you notify us if you are unable to continue your sponsorship.
Please understand that a sponsored child’s circumstances may change, too. We will inform you as quickly as possible if any such circumstance affects the child you sponsor, and we’ll transfer your support to another child in need of your help.
Hope for Kenya focuses on the full development of the child. Because of that, our goal is to release children from poverty, not merely sustain them through it.
Will I always be sponsoring the same child?
We work in real communities, with real families in, oftentimes, difficult situations. We strive to provide a safe environment for children to learn, grow and play, but sometimes situations change and children have to leave our programs – for example, because the family has moved to a new home in another community. If your child leaves our sponsorship program, your sponsorship will be moved to a new child, so that you can continue helping children in need. Your new sponsorship signifies an important part of our ongoing work and is a sign that we’re reaching even more children, families and communities in need with our sustainable programs. You’ll also have the opportunity to send a goodbye letter to your previously sponsored child. Saying goodbye can be hard, but a letter can help bring a sense of closure to your relationship and let your child know that your care doesn’t end with the program. We’ll make every effort to deliver your letter. We sincerely hope you’ll see this move as an opportunity to say hello and be a friend and champion to your new child. If you would prefer to sponsor a child other than the one we have chosen for you, you can email us at changinglives@hopeforkenya.org. The child we had assigned will become eligible for sponsorship by someone else as generous and kind-hearted as you
How can I send letters to my child?
Developing the relationship between a sponsor and a child is of utmost importance to Hope for Kenya. We greatly encourage you to write letters to your student and send photos of you and your family. You can email letters and pictures to changinglives@hopeforkenya.org. We will print those letters and photos for your student and bring them to Kenya on our next trip. If you'd like to send something handwritten to your student, please send it to Hope for Kenya, PO Box 300, Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846.
It is important for sponsors to note that in Kenya, it is culturally acceptable to ask for gifts from other people. While that is understandable, it is contrary to our goals in Kenya to create a generation of people dependant on the charity of westerners to survive. Longterm success in Kenya can only be achieved when Kenyans have the tools needed to provide for themselves and their society. For these reasons, we have instructed the students not to ask for specific gifts from their sponsors. Be assured that all of your sponsored student's basic needs are being met, and at a standard that far exceeds expectations for that area. We will constantly work to provide MORE items and opportunities to the students as Hope for Kenya grows.
Get the facts about Hope for Kenya
In Kenya
Peter Midodo and his wife Rachel created the Joy Schools International in 2004, to which they give nearly all their time. Their mission is to provide the poorest children of Kenya all they need to get a good education, including clean water, food, clothes, protection, and shelter. Hope For Kenya has expanded to helping a variety of schools, including secondary schools, college students, and students with disabilities.
In the US
A team of volunteers created Hope for Kenya in 2006, whose mission is to support missions work in rural Kenya started by Peter and Rachel Midodo and the surrounding schools they are involved with. Read more about Hope for Kenya, and how it all started...
Hope for Kenya focus on 3 essential ways to support the children and the work in Kenya:
Bi-annual visits on the ground
In February and June/July of every year, a group of sponsors, donors, and volunteers visits the schools in Kenya for 10-14 days. The goals are multiple:
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Help current projects in person: construction, renovation, training, etc.
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Connect with the children and the staff. Nothing is as powerful as meeting the children and teachers, talking to them, and, when possible, teaching some classes.
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See the reality, on the ground, with no filter. See what has been done, what still needs to be fixed or built. Measure the impact of the mission.
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Witness that the money is being spent effectively and appropriately. See that projects are happening the way they should. Understand what needs to be done next.
Project-based fundraising
Projects like building a classroom, a water well, or a dormitory is how Hope for Kenya has been raising most of its money since 2006. It remains an essential part of what the organization does.
The student sponsorship program
Since 2014, it is possible to sponsor a child directly. The team interviews children in need and posts short videos or stories on the website, describing briefly the situation of a child needing a sponsor. Sponsors can then choose a child to support in the long run, establishing a personal relationship, exchanging mail and photos. Sponsors are strongly encouraged to join a trip, and meet the student(s) they have chosen to support.
Where is the money going?
Your donation goes to the ministry work that is happening in Kenya, 9% goes towards operations and PayPal/bank payment and transfer fees.
Still have questions?
Contact us via email: changinglives@hopeforkenya.org.