Counselling & Encouragement to the poorest of the poor
The Jamii Bora Tumaini programme provides counselling and encouragement to the poorest of the poor and has concentrated on the street beggars in Nairobi since 1999. The Tumaini programme also targets landless plantation workers since 2001 and the handicapped since early 2002.
15 social workers are actively encouraging, counselling the most desperate among the poor, the street beggars. The social workers convince the beggars that it is possible to get out of even the worst kind of poverty. The Jamii Bora social workers know what they are talking about, because all of them were once street beggars themselves. Even the Manager of the programme was once a beggar in the streets. That is probably one of the secrets behind the formidable success rate of the Tumaini programme. 3 social workers are working with the plantation workers and 2 with the handicapped.
The method of work is the same as with the street beggars. The social workers working with the plantation workers were all plantation workers themselves and the social workers working with the handicapped are all handicapped themselves. – Our social workers are extremely effective in spreading the Good News that it is possible to get out of even the worst kind of poverty and misery.
The Tumaini programme
- Gives even the most desperate a new dignity and self esteem;
- Strengthens the people's own capacity and helps them see and understand their own potential to help themselves get out of their misery;
- Is unique in many aspects - never before in Kenya have beggars been organised in effective self-help groups to get themselves out of poverty;
- Helps street children in a sustainable way by helping their mothers out of the streets. Each mother that gets out of the streets is able to take care of her own 4-6 children for many years, thus with the same money that you can help one child for one year it is possible to assist 5 children for 10-15 years.
A Home and Education for orphans and street children
More than 90 Orphans and street children without guardians have been given a home and education in our Jamii Bora home in Kitengela and 16 others are supported with education in Elburgon, Nakuru and Kadjiado. These are street children without parents and children of deceased members and they don’t have any relatives who can take over the responsibilities of their deceased parents. 54 children are currently in primary school, 15 are in Secondary school. Our children are doing very well in school and several are at the top of their class.
28 older children have gone through vocational training. 15 of the older street boys – now young adults – were accepted as staff trainees in Jamii Bora and have graduated to full staff members.
Tumaini Loans
Tumaini loans main target are the street beggars and families to make a decent living , they fist register and are given training and counseling that it is possible. after training they can start saving and eventually qualify for our loans program.
Types of loans.
- Tumaini Loans Starts From Kes.1000 upto 5000/- interest is 0.14% P.a. x2 off the applicants savings.
Our - Stories
From a drunkard to a mobiliser.
“I used to be so bad and fought at the smallest provocation,” says Janefiver Nafuna who claims she has been locked in almost every police station West of Nairobi.
Widow soldiers on
Jane Akoth 45, is a widow after losing her husband four years ago. She lives with her children aged between 9 and 28 years in Kaudha village in Gem.