More Than a Children's Home: My Day in Mombasa, Kenya
As we stood outside the gates in Mombasa, Kenya, we had no idea what to expect. There were three of us volunteering for the day at a children's home, confused, thinking we had the wrong address. Then, before the gates had even finished opening, six children came sprinting toward us. Before I could say hello, two little girls, Mwanasiti and Monica, wrapped their arms around my waist while another reached for my hand. They didn't know my name, where I came from, or how long I would stay. They were simply excited that someone had come to spend time with them.
As I spent the day with them, I learned that many of these children had experienced things no child ever should. Some had been abandoned. Others had lost parents. But at Child of Mercy, they weren't defined by what they had lost. They had a safe place to sleep, people who believed in them, and the chance to go to school and dream about futures that once seemed impossible. There are 25 children ranging from the ages of 3 to 19 in the home. Child of Mercy is committed to giving every child the opportunity to receive an education. Every child attends Sunday school, and through donations and sponsorships, some are even able to go on to get a greater education. The staff invests in each child's future and continues to assist many of them even after they leave the home as they pursue higher education and begin their careers.
One of the things we got to do was walk the kids to Sunday school. On our walk through the 105-degree Kenyan heat, they showed us the energy and joy that kids are supposed to have. One of the little boys, Meshack, seemed to be on a mission. He was clearly looking for something, so I asked him, "What are we looking for?" He smiled but didn't answer. I let it go, still curious. Then all of a sudden he found it. A little bunch of flowers growing from a vine on the dirt road. He ran over, picked them and then handed them to me with the biggest smile on his face. After that, every kid wanted to find flowers and give them to someone in our group.
Throughout the walk, each of us had two kids alternating between holding our hands and racing each other down the road to show us how fast they are. Some of the children wanted to sit on our shoulders. After one of my friends gave a child a ride on his shoulder, every other child eagerly wanted one too. At one point, even some of the kids insisted on carrying our water bottles to make the walk easier for us. They wanted to give us flowers, carry our water, and make us smile. They wanted us to be happy.
Child of Mercy is more than a place for children to live. But a community in which they are encouraged to learn, grow, and dream about their futures. Because of Child of Mercy, these children have food on their plates, a bed to sleep in, an education, and, most importantly, a community that loves and believes in them. I was shown that making a difference doesn't always have to come through large scale change. In seeing the smiles on these kids' faces, in seeing the languages and education they were able to get, I realised that little change can drastically change someone's life. And that sometimes, it starts with a group of people who choose to invest in a child's future every single day.
By the end of the day, it no longer felt like we were visitors. We had shared meals of potatoes and rice, danced, played games, laughed, and spent hours understanding each other, often still hand in hand. I came to the children's home in Kenya thinking I might have something to give them. But instead, they were the ones who spent the entire day giving to us. They showed that generosity has nothing to do with what you have. And that sometimes generosity looks like a handful of wildflowers picked from the side of a dirt road.
When I returned home to Colorado, I couldn't stop thinking about those children. Even though they live thousands of miles away, their kindness, resilience, and joy stayed with me. Their story reminded me that making a difference doesn't depend on where you live. From Colorado, we still have the ability to support communities around the world, raise awareness, and remind children like those at Child of Mercy that they are not forgotten.
The children at Child of Mercy don't need pity. They need opportunity. They need people who believe that every child deserves safety, an education, and the chance to dream about tomorrow. I was lucky enough to meet them. Most people never will. But every person who learns about Child of Mercy, shares their story, or supports their mission helps create more opportunities for children like Meshack, Mwanasiti, Monica, and the many others I was fortunate enough to meet.
If their story moved you the way it moved me, I encourage you to learn more about Child of Mercy and consider supporting their mission. Every donation, no matter the size, helps provide children with food, education, a safe place to call home, and the opportunity to build a brighter future.
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