Our Story
Who We Are.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Our founder, Nina Chung, arrived in Kenya in 2004 on a 2-year volunteer position with VSO, a UK-based NGO which places professionals in developing countries as consultants to local community projects. She soon met a grandmother whose daughters had abandoned their children to her care. This is unfortunately a common phenomenon in Kenya. Single mothers with no options and living in vulnerable conditions, return home to bear their children and often leave them in the care of the grandmother as they return to their single lives hoping for a solution to their poverty.
This grandmother’s only income was from cleaning houses on an informal basis. She was not making ends meet and the kids were not in school. Nina first got involved by helping two of the boys with kindergarten fees. Later, when the grandmother was about to be thrown out of their home for lack of money to pay to the rent. Nina stepped in and sponsored the family as a whole. In 2008, she began managing the sponsorship of the children as a children’s home.
Other children were dropped off by other parents and eventually there were 14 children. NIna’s support got all the children into school, got them healthy with regular daily meals and medical care and began the process of breaking the cycle of poverty for this generation. Nina knew she could not sustain this personally over the long-term. She took steps towards establishing a charitable organization to help provide ongoing support for these and other families like them.
CANADA
Base of administrative work for all of ELIMU, where the founding board members volunteer their time and expertise. We’re proud to report no overhead expenses due to administration.
KENYA
Officially registered with the Kenyan Registrar of Companies since 2013, and the founding members of ELIMU working together since 2008.
USA
Proud to be an official 501C3 registered charitable organization. This is the center for all office administration, book keeping, fundraising, and communications with volunteers offering their time and expertise.
