Lighthouse Children's Home - Childhood Matters
What We Do
Our work currently helps families with special needs children in the very poor community of Awasi. Poverty is severe in this area, compounded by unemployment, HIV / Aids, single widow households, lack of clean water, sanitation, toilets and preventable diseases like malaria. These are third world conditions.
We aim to empower local widows and village orphans using Lighthouse as an integrated resource for the local community.
For example, we currently fund the residential school fees for disabled children and provide much needed support for the family including help with their household rent and other basic needs. Without Lighthouse support, the families could not afford to send their children to school, as most families live on less than 1$ a day.
01 Our Long Term Goal
Due to Lighthouse’s fantastic work with the local community, we were delighted to acquire 1½ acres of land in 2011. Since then, our long-term goal is to build a residential home to meet the needs of more vulnerable and needy children. The local community agreed that the concept of this home would be extremely beneficial to the poorest of children and families.
02 Our Mission
The home will aim to be inclusive, loving and stimulating, whilst developing the child's individual potential, identity, and self-worth. At Lighthouse, no child is discriminated against on the basis of their tribal group, religious beliefs, HIV status or disability. Their Human Rights are respected and we advocate actively ensuring that their physical, intellectual, social and emotional needs are met.
03 Our Development Plan
To accomplish our long term goal of completing the children's home, we need your support to purchase the bricks... over 100,000 bricks in total including sand, cement and all the building materials and tools required. With one brick costing only 25 pence, a donation of £20 could purchase 80 bricks for the new home. To get involved or find out more please get in touch or make a one-off donation towards our brick appeal today.
LIGHTHOUSE SUCCESS STORIES
Meet Vincent
Vincent was 13 years old when we first came to the attention of Lighthouse. A local resident asked us to visit Vincent, who was seen within the community as an odd and lonely child. He would not communicate with other children or adults and spent his time digging holes in the dirt. Vincent had never been to school and sadly suffered from severe epileptic fits but received no medical attention due to his family’s financial circumstances.
Through Lighthouse’s outreach programme, we have since funded a medical assessment for this wonderful boy, who was diagnosed as autistic and epileptic. We also sought a special residential school for him to meet his needs and he is now making good progress. He has began to communicate more readily with his peers, he has a close support network around him and his self-help skills have improved. Thanks to kind donations, we have been able to fund his medical condition as well as his continuing schooling needs and provide financial support for his mother, who has three other children, one of whom is also disabled.
Without your donations, Vincent would never have received any medical treatment or attended school. Just look at him now!
Meet Daniel
Daniel was also 13 years old when he was first brought to our attention. He has had no speech or hearing since birth and lived at home in the village with his parents and siblings. His parents sadly did not have the income to help their child both medically and educationally.
At this difficult age, Daniel was becoming increasing withdrawn and frustrated because of his lack of communication, and, like Vincent, he had never attended school.
Lighthouse funded an Educational Psychology assessment for Daniel and he was subsequently placed in Maseno Special School for children with Speech and Language Issues.
Lighthouse are proud to fully fund his schooling, transport, text books and uniform.
Thanks to kind donations from the UK and America, we have been able to equip Daniel with hearing-aids, and he is now able to communicate through sign language. Daniel is now a happy and healthy child.
Continued donations will help Lighthouse plan for Daniel’s future.
We will work with Daniel to help him acquire the skills he needs to support himself and secure employment going forward.
