Life Beads Kenya

Minalyn is an energised ball of faith. A local resident of Naivasha, she founded the Life Beads Kenya charity (LBK) in 2006. She takes in prostitutes, the homeless, disabled and street children. She trains them in a variety of skills, she counsels them, she feeds them and she pays each a wage. Most of the women are single mothers. Most are HIV+. Many of the boys and young men have never had a home. All had little to look forward to each day. Minalyn offers them a safe zone and provides sustainable vocational training and employment.

SOSK’s partnership with Minalyn and LBK began in 2009 on a chance visit to the Nicklin home. Astounded by the poverty, oppression and far-reaching fingers of corruption and male-domination, it was impossible to walk away from the most friendly, warm and accepting women and children of Naivasha. A friendship with the people of Naivasha began.

Church on the River

On journeying to Africa, a visitor will hear the saying 'TIA' meaning ‘this is Africa’. Go with the flow, be it forwards or backwards and don’t expect anything to go according to schedule! That’s how I came to meet Pastor Michael.
During a visit in 2013, I was driving Minalyn and a friend (Pastor Michael) out to visit an orphanage. As would happen (TIA) the gear box split, leaving us stranded miles from anywhere. We couldn’t leave the vehicle as it would have been stripped to the chassis within minutes!!! During our several hour wait, I got to know Pastor Michael. I discovered he was a Kenyan ‘Pied Piper’. He and his wife had their own 2 children yet were always ‘adopting’ others who were less fortunate, raising them, educating them and guiding them into employment. Pastor Michael operates a church in the slums of Naivasha. Named ‘Church On The River’, he welcomes everyone. As a trained counsellor, he spends 2 days each week helping the torn and twisted youths and adults of the slums. Glaringly evident in our discussion was his genuine empathy and concern for the hopelessness of so many.

We discovered that we had much in common. I had been grappling with the reality that many babies and infants were abused and that providing food and resources to a pre-primary school was terrific but did not protect the majority of children. My dream was to provide a school and sanctuary within the slums. A place for parents to leave their children safely and cheaply while they worked. A place where they could receive a nutritious meal, learn good hygiene, and join class once old enough. The big question was ‘HOW’ on earth could I manage this from Australia......
Then the gear box died! Pastor Michael had the church and compound in the slums. He knew the people, was respected by them and cared. He just didn’t have the resources to do anything about it!
That was it ..... a partnership was born! TIA!