Helping the elderly beat loneliness

What is the name of your  group?

We call ourselves The Old Girls of Kibera Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church. We run a home for the elderly. Nine women hatched the idea in 2011 to address loneliness the aged experience when their children grew up and left home.

Tumaini Home is a care giving facility for the aged, and also a place where the youth can learn from the elderly. It was officially launched on December 29, last year. During the launch, a woman who had lived with her sickly mother for more than ten years said her children had told her, “Mummy, we hope you have saved enough for your old age. We observed how you took care of grandma, and we want to be frank by saying that we can’t do what you did.”

 We also noted that when many elderly parents visit their children for medical or other reasons, they quickly request to go back home to go check on their cows and shambas. Their excuse is that we leave the house in the morning to go to work and come back in the night, leaving them lonely. These are some of the reasons why we started Tumaini Home, where the aged can come for day care services.

If you are travelling out of the city and are worried about where to leave your parent, we can accommodate up to ten residents. Currently, we only have one full-time resident.

2. How did you meet?

We brought together ‘old girls’ who used to worship at Kibera SDA Church in the 1980s and 1990s. Our initial meetings were held at the Literature Ministry Seminary (LMS) Guesthouse, and in Kitengela.

3. When did you form the group and how many are you?

We formed our group in 2011, and we are eleven members. We are all directors of the home.

4. How often and where do you meet?

We meet at Tumaini Centre in Nkoroi, Ongata Rongai, every ninth day of the month. When we have urgent issues to address, especially on working days, we meet at the LMS Guesthouse restaurant from 7am to 8am.

5. Do you contribute any money?

We contribute Sh10,000 each on a monthly basis. The amount caters for rent and security, the salaries of the receptionist and administrator, and the general maintenance of the home.

6. Are you involved in any other project or business?

Not at the moment, but we have ideas to develop. Our resolution for 2014 is that by March, we should be able to give loans to members.

7. How has the group benefitted members?

We have strengthened one another through prayers, motivational workshops, team-building excursions, reading motivational books and addressing life’s challenges together. At the moment, we are studying The Purpose Driven Life: Scriptures and Reflections from the 40 Days of Purpose. Two members have made exchange visits to homes for the aged in Britain and Australia to get ideas for Tumaini Home.

8. Any challenges?

Our initial idea was to bring the aged together and create a central place where their families could visit them and share quality time in a good environment, but this seems to be progressing slowly. We also have the challenge of raising the monthly funds. We have funded the home for a year without realising dividends. We charge Sh1,000 to accommodate one person for a day, and Sh40,000 per month for residents.

9. What are your plans for the future?

 Our vision is to have a full house of elderly people who are well care for. We pray that we will acquire our own land and build a centre where we can have room for more activities.