Hands of Care and Hope (HCH) was founded by the Late Sr. Lydia Pardeller, a Franciscan Missionary Sister for Africa (FMSA) in February 2006 with the assistance of a team of Kenyan Christians from the parish of Kariobangi. HCH has over the past years grown from the rehabilitation of twenty children where they were fed and taught basics in literacy to the development of four Non-Formal Education schools with a total capacity of over 900 children as New hope 184, New life 182, St. John Bosco 199 and Madoya 344 children.
In this event, HCH has acquired properties and put in place classrooms in these schools. Besides the schools, HCH has developed two centres namely Huruma Youth Support Centre which is being utilized by the youth for theatre performance, computer training and adult education and tent areas used by elderly women. The other centre is St. Magdaline Support Group Centre which is currently being used by women living with HIV for business skills training as well as business counselling and support and psycho socio-support. The implication of this infrastructure development for HCH remains land tenure of which HCH has exercised sound provisions for property acquisition.
HCH started with a playgroup where about twenty children would be gathered in a small dark room in Korogocho. This moved later to a mud-walled room where children were taken on a one-year rehabilitation where they were fed and taught basic skills in literacy. The children were assessed for fitness or readiness to join neighbourhood public schools, then referred and supported materially there. Most of them were mainstreamed in this manner. It was noted that after joining public schools, the children’s performance went down. HCH decided to set up its own Non-Formal Education (NFE) schools in consultation with parents/guardians during a conference. The implication was that HCH would no longer support children in public schools with uniforms, desks and learning materials. Parents/guardians were required to send children to HCH NFE schools or take over this expense. HCH received funds from the Austrian Embassy to buy books.
