Our History

John and Barbara (Babby) Schwarz

Background
African slums are not child-friendly. Playing hide and seek with disease, malnutrition, crime and drug abuse, young children are robbed of the joys of childhood. Such a hopeless existence continues into adulthood where “slum” residents are either unemployed or are employed as casual laborers earning less than (U.S.) 80 cents per day. A cup of clean water or a good education is out of the question for Kenyans who live from hand to mouth.

Kenya Children’s Fund, founded in 1987, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian organization that seeks to transform the lives of Kenya’s impoverished children by providing life’s basic necessities, principally education, nutrition, and medical care. Kenya Children’s Fund’s biggest project is in Kinyago-Dandora, one of the poorest areas of Nairobi, Kenya.

History of KCF
John and Barbara (Babby) Schwarz started KCF in 1987 as a nursery and feeding program after a visit to the slum villages of Kinyago and Dandora.

The Kinyago-Dandora School (KDS) was completed in 1990 after Kenya Children's Fund was given land on which to build a new, expanded school facility. The following year saw the opening of a health care clinic at the school and Jane Njuguna was hired to oversee the program. Then, beginning in 1992, a primary grade was added each year. The dining hall started being used in 1994 for Sunday church services conducted by Pastor David Ochieng. In 1995, a loan-based micro-enterprise economic development program was started for residents of the village.

Ginger Palm became president of Kenya Children's Fund in 2001. In November 2004, the first class of students to be educated through the primary school completed their secondary education at various secondary schools throughout Kenya. The school fees were provided through the KCF sponsorship program. Today Kenya Children’s Fund is a fully accredited primary and secondary school, housing grades nursery through senior. Kenya Children’s Fund will host a commencement ceremony to honor the first graduating class of the Kinyago Dandora Schools in February of 2010. Additionally KCF is preparing and supporting 25 KDS graduates in University and College.