WHEN CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME: Young catholic adults stand with children at Gathaithi ovc.

Young catholic adults of Kiambu Deanery, Visited Gathaithi orphans and vulnerable childrens centre on Saturday, 8th August for their charity event.

As Kenya journeys towards family-based care for children under the children’s act 2022, these young adults turned to service and companionship to support children living in institutional care.

For them, charity was not simply about arriving at Gathaithi Children’s Home with bags of donations.

They immersed themselves into service and spent their weekend, a resting day creating moments of joy.

Gathaithi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Centre was founded in 2006.

According to Lift the Children’s website, the center is a project designed for children who lost their parents to or were made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

It is a community-based organization founded by a religious order, one of the first groups to respond to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children at Gathaithi and its environs.

According to the social worker in charge, the center, which is located in Githunguri subcounty in Kiambu county, is situated on 1.5 acres of land donated by Gathaithi Primary School.

Mrs. Githinji who is the former headmistress of Gathaithi Primary School realized that low class attendance rates in her school were due to high levels of poverty.

Her truant pupils lacked basic needs such as food, healthcare, protection and shelter.

High dropout rates led to children seeking jobs as manual laborers and inevitably ended up on the streets.

Mrs. Githinji consulted with village elders, government officials and church elders.

Her findings were that many of the children were orphaned and were left under the care of ailing grandparents due to HIV/AIDS hence establishment of the home.

The YCA group arrived at the children’s home at 10:00 a.m., turning the compound into a hive of activity as members teamed up to serve in different ways.

For the men, the day began with physically demanding tasks. They split firewood, trimmed the edges of the fence and flowers, slashed the compound and ferried water for cleaning and cooking.

They also gave the boys a fresh look by shaving their hair.

The ladies were in charge of the home’s indoor spaces. We did the laundry, mopped the dormitories and dining area, prepared lunch and crowned the girls with fancy braids.

But the day was not all about chores.

The lighter yet most crucial section of the visit came. We played games, danced to music and shared laughter.

https://youtu.be/GBsRGlNW8zo?si=xCr2EE4Cb2Bj8H9c: WHEN CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME: Young catholic adults stand with children at Gathaithi ovc.

There was no distinctive boundary between the child and the young adult. We were one big family.

The group presented donations to the home’s administrators as part of their effort to support the children’s daily needs.

For many of the members, the visit was motivated by something deeper than simply fulfilling an activity on the church calendar.

For Lizz Njathi, giving to those in need is an opportunity to cultivate important virtues.
“Supporting the needy teaches virtue like giving and strengthens my compassion. It is also an opportunity to tap into blessings.” She mentioned.

For Clemence Ruhi, the motivation was simple; a passion for giving back to the community.

Glory Kananu described the experience as satisfying precisely because it was done without expecting anything in return. She said she loves children and finds fulfilment in being able to serve them.

According to Betty Okebe, participating in charity was about ticking off something meaningful from her personal bucket list.“It is a Christian value for me, that is what the Bible tells us to do and I also love children,” she said.

Other members brought different motivations to the event. Diana simply saw the opportunity and showed up to be part of it, while Brian Wainaina described the initiative as a noble cause.

As an official of the association, Brian said his participation was also about fulfilling his responsibility as the treasurer to the group and ensuring that its mission of service was lived out beyond words.

Charity is simply something Jamo loves doing and participating is him living his best life.

The activities at Gathaithi were anchored in the Christian call to serve others.

During the day’s homily, Father Alfred challenged the young people to approach love and service without constantly calculating what they would gain in return.

He preached the importance of being docile, taking others to Jesus and recognizing one’s potency to change lives.

He also reminded the congregation of the importance of remaining grounded in faith and community. “Fasten your safety belt in church,” he proclaimed.

The catholic priest urged the young people to guard their hearts. He emphasized that what happens within a person’s heart and mind ultimately shapes their actions.

This day’s message was simple; love becomes most powerful when it moves from words to action and charity covers a multitude of sin.