Tumaini Children's Center

About us

Tumaini in Kiswahili means hope. The Tumaini Project is dedicated to empowering and serving street children in Eldoret, Kenya, and ultimately giving them hope. Street children roam the streets all day in search of food, money, and friendship. Some are orphaned, but most come from families who are the poorest of the poor, unable to provide for their children. Living on the street inhibits their growth and development and puts them at risk to a myriad of infectious diseases. Substance abuse is nearly ubiquitous among street children and most have been harassed or abused by community members or the police. However, we have found that most street children are not inherently delinquents or criminals, and are ultimately in need of care and support. These children are living without positive role models and relationships, missing their opportunity for education, vulnerable to violence and disease, and without access to health care or other social services. They are fundamentally denied their rights as children by the demands of living a life of survival on the streets.