This is the story of Moses Ndung’u, Founder & Executive Director of Children’s Garden Home.
At the tender age of six, Moses would wake up everyday in the slum to the usual boring life of idleness and begging. He wondered why he could not attend school like his more fortunate age-mates. This was a difficult question for his young mind, one that he would find answers much later. Once, curiosity nudged him to go innocently to a school to find out what went on there. In tatters and without shoes, little Moses was soon surrounded by the other kids, who mopped him with all kinds of unkind remarks. Before, he was never aware of his financial status. From then on, Moses made a decision to work hard to uplift himself and his colleagues who were unable to attend school. That was when the seed for Children’s Garden was sown.
Moses is only too familiar with the challenges faced by children from the slums and street. They have been abused, mistreated and exploited as child labour. These children come from broken homes, single parents and some from alcoholic parents who have no regular source of income and even if they had, their children’s education was not a priority, thus denying these kids their basic right to education. Poverty makes enforcement of child laws impossible in such situations.
In 2001, Moses was profoundly touched by the plight of orphans and the growing number of street children. He left his Matatu business and started the School project and later a Home where he lived with the rescued children in his own house together with his wife Sylvia as the Mother and a teacher. May 2001 marked the beginning of a long journey when Moses committed to living his vision to transform and uplift destitute children in the slums.
Started with 5 children, today Children’s Garden Home has 250 children under its protection-and-care, most of whom have been admitted and rescued from the surrounding slums of Kibera, Kawangware and Kangemi.
Known fondly by the children as Daddy, Moses, together with his lovely wife, Sylvia, delight at seeing their children grow from seedlings into mighty oak trees, day by day.