TLC Children's Trust 
Ray White recounts the story of a welcoming home for abandoned, abused and vulnerable youngsters
Magnet Magazine Winter 2024
OVER 30 YEARS AGO, A KENYAN widow, unable to afford to feed her children arranged for them to be taken to the nearest large town and dumped on the side of a street. These children had nothing but the clothes on their backs and were forced to survive by begging and stealing. Tragically, the youngest child died, and his body was discarded on the town rubbish dump. The other two children somehow survived and were eventually able to get into a Christian children’s home, where they remained until they were 18 years old.
The oldest, Erick, was determined to help other suffering children, so he returned to the small village where he was born and started taking in any children who had no home. He had no income, so he took any jobs that came along, such as begging for food and climbing into toilet pits to dig out the muck when they got too full.
The conditions were dire. Ninety children were crammed into two small rooms with a few mattresses on the floor. There were no toilets; children had to use a field. There was no water supply, no electricity, no regular income to buy food.
Marilyn and I were members of a church whose pastor had been visiting Kenya for about nine years to preach at several rural churches and to help in various projects. In 2009, she asked me to join her and share the preaching. Marilyn couldn’t go because she’d had major surgery a few months before. One of the places we visited was the place set up by Erick, then aged 20, whom the pastor had known since he was rescued
Marilyn and I did our best to raise money for food for the children. Then Marilyn felt called by God to take on responsibility for the children’s home. After five years, the income was enough to register as a UK charity. We built toilets with washrooms, a nursery room, and beds and mosquito nets for all the children. The children were sent to school with uniforms, school fees and books, and provided with a variety of sport and activities to get involved in.
In 2015, the Kenyan government announced that they would close any home that did not meet their high requirements. Marilyn and her team had to build more washrooms, two new dormitories with staff accommodation, a first aid room/sick bay, an office/counselling room, a dining room and security fencing to keep out both human and animal predators. They installed a water pumping system from the river half a mile away, a storage system to provide a reliable water supply and electricity in the building.
Home of Peace has come a long way since its inception. Despite the challenges of raising funds, it has added two more dormitories with staff accommodation, a laundry, a study room for the children, a second dining room, offices, storeroom and other facilities. The kitchen is equipped with commercial-sized gas cookers and fridges, and the wonderful kitchen team produces over 6,000 meals every month.
The home’s registration must be renewed every three years by government inspectors from the Department of Children’s Services. The management team includes a qualified social worker and a health care manager and works under the overall leadership and guidance of Marilyn, who is in daily contact from England.
Erick is now an ordained minister who works three days a week pastoring a local church and other days as the home’s purchasing officer. All the staff are registered for the government health care and pension scheme.
All the children are referred to Home of Peace by Children’s Services, and their placement is kept under review by the court.
Some of the children, as young as four, were orphaned by AIDS, typhoid, malaria, and other diseases, and their home village was too poor to take on extra hungry mouths. Some were taken from their villages in the bush and dumped in the town of Siaya because there was no one to look after them. Some were removed from their homes by the court because of abuse.
God has called on every bit of training Marilyn and I have had, Marilyn as a children’s counsellor, counselling supervisor and business manager, I as pastor and psychologist.
The need continues. Where do the funds come from?
People can sponsor the work with a monthly donation and others give occasional donations. We also run a ministry called Christian House Sitters that enables Christians to enjoy rent-free holidays. Members pay an annual membership fee of just £25 and this money goes into keeping Home of Peace running.
Home of Peace is a happy Christian home for children in need and provides safety, love and care. We believe that these children have the potential, under God, to make a significant contribution to the future of their country; indeed, we believe some of them will be influential in making a difference to the world.
For more information about Home of Peace go to www.tlc-childrenstrust.org. You are very welcome to ask any questions via the contact form.
To find out more about rent-free holidays and free house sitters, visit www.christian-housesitters.com
Magnet is a resource magazine produced by a team of volunteer editors.
Each issue seeks nurture Christian faith in thoughtful, challenging ways, encouraging, enabling and equipping people of all faith traditions for life.
