If you still have not watched the acclaimed Black Panther or want to re-watch it because let’s face it, we all want to be Wakandans, here is the perfect opportunity. You will also be raising money for Joy Divine Children’s Home. The charity drive is aimed at raising money to cover the school fees and school shopping expenses for the children in the home.
Joy Divine is a Children’s Home which was started by Pastor Mary Njoki Muroki in the year 2000.This was after she saw so many needy children living hungry and not getting the opportunity to attend school in Huruma, Nairobi. Most of them were rescued from the streets as victims of violence, society or circumstances. The kids range from those in standard 1 all the way to a few currently in University. At the time she ran a hardware shop in a two storey building. So without any money or donor prospects, she took in all the children she could and housed them in the two storey building. She used the proceeds of her business to buy food and utilities for the children. She also approached teachers in her home area to teach pre-primary education and Primary education as well.
Also, the two storey building doubled as her business premises and as a non-formal school where the volunteer teachers would come to work with the children. Additionally, she housed HIV positive widows and their children.
13 years after starting the children home, there was fear that the place where these children had called home would be demolished. In 2013 Outering road was being expanded into a dual carriageway so there was the fear that the 2 storey building would be brought down. So Mary approached her church, Destiny Chapel and asked them to help her out. With the money collected from the church and other well wishers, she was able to rent a 5 bedroom house in Matasia where the home has been until present.
The children’s home runs on the donations of well wishes. In 2016 December using accumulated donations, Mary and her team of volunteers purchased a 5-acre piece of land in Isinya. Here Joy Divine intends to have a home and build a Technical School. Since the school depends 100% on donations, they saw the need to look for more sustainable solutions to run the home. That 5-acre piece of land will also double up as farming land which will hopefully generate enough income to house, feed and school these children.
The school is currently run by Frederick Mwaura, Mary’s son who initially started out just as a volunteer inspired by the work his mother was doing. He started out by assisting in buying food supplies then gradually took on the role as a caretaker. Later he started The Sponsorship System allowing him to take over from his mother who had carried the mantle for a really long time. The sponsorship System involves
- rescuing children from the streets
- securing school placements
- organising feeding programs
- organising medical camps for the children to get medical checkups.
- fundraising and resource mobilisation.
Frederick also organises home visits for donors who may want to see the home. He also champions for Children Rights and Advocacy and deals with media and public relations groups to get their story out there. He also works with a team of 7 who are beneficiaries of the home’s education program.
The idea was mainly from INNOVA Management and staff who wanted to take advantage of the Buzz created by Black Panther. INNOVA is one of the key companies that has supported the Health, Education and accommodation by paying rent of the Joy Divine Children’s Home. It also has a mentorship program through their staff. Female Staff handle the girls and the males the boys. The group also provides the children with school supplies. This fundraiser is among one of the activities the volunteers at the home plan on organizing since the donor funds are not enough to sustain and run the home.
The screening will be held on 10th March at IMAX 20th Century along Mama Ngina road from 3.00 pm. Tickets are going for kshs 1500. So lend a helping hand while watching a great movie. You can carry along your family and enjoy the experience with them. If you have watched it, you could sponsor your friends or other family members who have not been able to watch it yet. Alternatively, you could sponsor some of the children from the home to watch it- it would be an amazing opportunity for them.
The money collected from the Black Panther Movie will be used to cater to the needs of the children in the home. Their most pressing needs at the moment are food, school supplies, and medical care. Every single person who is involved in this charity drive will be contacted later on with details on how the money was spent and how else they can support the home. For now, you can visit the home and hang out with children. They also accept sanitary towels, food, firewood, clothes and any other sort of help anyone would be willing to offer.
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