HopeForABetterLife.org was founded to support orphanages and children in need. Currently we have been funding two organizations, one in Romania and another in Kenya:
- Shangilia (Nairobi, Kenya).
Located in Nairobi, Kenya, Shangilia presently houses over 230 former street children. Shangilia (Tumshangilieni ) means Rejoice in Swahili. They had been located in a cramped quarter acre rented plot consisting of a courtyard and a large colorful stage sided by twenty-eight rooms. Cap Anamur, a German NGO, recently purchased a piece of land for Tumshangilieni. They are in need of financial assistance to build a new compound. A normal day at Shangilia begins at 5:00 am when the children rise from their bunk beds to have showers and prepare for breakfast and the day. There are eastern style toilets and showers. A small shed covers two large fuel-efficient wood burning stoves to cook meals that are communally prepared. The rooms surrounding the courtyard are used as classrooms, dormitories, stores, matron’s room, library, clinic, computer room, recording room and offices. Under the leadership of Japheth Njenga, the staff provide the children with food, shelter, clothing, education and basic health care. Every afternoon, the children are coached in performing arts. For more about them, you can visit http://tumshangilieni.org/
This orphanage is very unusual as they train the kids to become performers and dance and sing so that they have a way to earn a living. Japheth Njenga is the director of Shangilia. The Shangilia Foundation, set up to help Shangilia is based in New York.
- Heart 2 Heart International (H2H)
H2H International is a non-profit that supports orphans in Romania (www.h2hint.org). H2H International is committed to serving orphans and abandoned children throughout the country of Romania. H2H International uniquely ministers to Romanian orphans throughout their childhood. Starting at the earliest stage of abandonment, H2H teams care for infants and toddlers abandoned in hospitals throughout Bucharest. As the babies grow into children, H2H is there at several state-operated orphanages, providing tutoring, mentoring, Bible studies, special classes, and one-on-one care and guidance to these children. Teenagers are encouraged to participate in computer classes, music and art lessons, youth groups, and life skills classes. When these orphaned teens reach adulthood, they have the opportunity to participate in the H2H Transition Program. These older orphans become a part of the H2H Family as they progress through the program. We just started providing money to this organization.