Family Empowerment Center-Machakos, Kenya
Unlocking Every Child’s Future
June 2025 Impact Report
HopeCo’s Vision: Transformed Lives, Flourishing Communities
HopeCo exists to rescue children in East Africa from abuse, hunger, and exploitation. We are dedicated to helping them reach their full potential and become leaders and changemakers in their own nations. And we are passionate about seeing individuals, families, and whole communities transformed forever by the power of Jesus Christ!
Why We’re Here - Our Family Empowerment Center-Machakos (FEC-Machakos) campus is a lifeline to children and families! Located in a remote, impoverished area outside the city of Machakos, job opportunities are few, making it difficult for parents to provide for their families and high school graduates to find work. Because of a prolonged drought limiting the ability to grow produce, the restricted vegetable diet contributes to malnourishment, health problems, and a lack of energy/motivation, resulting in a depressed community, hopelessness, and unhealthy choices. The need to open a ministry location here, coming alongside and helping vulnerable children, was critical…and the need remains to help hundreds more!
What We Do – Through FEC-Machakos, children receive a nutritious meal, and we enroll them in a school near their home – paying the required school fees and providing a school uniform. Everyone enjoys coming to the center to be with other children in a positive, Christ-centered atmosphere, and they get help with their homework. The two child-headed (parentless) households we support come daily for meals and to have a safe place to “hang out,” only returning home to sleep. But there’s more…keep reading!
Who Benefits – Seven-year-old Daisy* is one of the children benefiting from FEC-Machakos. This beautiful, cheerful young girl (along with her siblings) was abandoned by her parents when she was only two years old. With no one to protect and provide for them, it was by the mercy of God that they survived until we rescued them. Daisy and her siblings are safe, well cared for, and getting an education. Our staff also provides trauma-informed counseling, helping them recover from their childhood trauma.
Gladys* had to drop out of school in the 9th grade because life became more difficult for her mom and siblings. Without complaining, Gladys took on laundry and sold ground nuts in the slum market, a dangerous place for any young girl. Thankfully, we were able to get Gladys back in school. She and her mom both cried a lot and were very grateful! Gladys desires to attend university to become a doctor one day.
George* loves to teach the Bible and share the Gospel with his peers. He is a wonderful role model and mentor for the younger children. A middle child with five other siblings, his father passed, leaving the family in the care of the mother, who was unable to provide for her family. This 21-year-old is in his second year at university, pursuing a degree in hospitality management.
HopeCo is committed to helping each child succeed – now and post-high school graduation – encouraging and supporting their dreams of pursuing a degree at university or learning a trade (plumbing, welding, electrician, construction, etc.). through an apprenticeship/internship.
What’s New – A few weeks ago, we opened our fourth Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP)!!! Located at the FEC-Machakos campus, this is our second location in Kenya. As mentioned above, the opportunities for employment in the region are next to none, so when we opened a WEP in this area, it was quickly filled. Eight young women are already learning sewing skills to help them better provide for their young families. The program filled up so quickly, the women are having to share sewing machines until we can purchase six more!
Safe drinking water is a priority, no matter where you live, and especially in this impoverished region where women and often children walk for hours hauling drinking water. Unfortunately, several weeks ago, our well pump stopped working and needed to be replaced. We shared the need with Calvary Church-Valparaiso IN and they completely funded a replacement well pump! We’re doing some additional well rehabbing to our deep water well (nearly 500 meters/over 1,600 feet deep), and soon pure, safe drinking water will be available for all!
What’s Next – Plans and goals include:
• Rescuing and caring for more children through our Family Empowerment Center
• Continuing to provide children with nutritious daily meals
• Ensuring they are enrolled in school and receiving an education
• Keeping Christ at the center of all we do and teaching the children to do the same
• Improving/expanding our facilities, staff, and programs to provide care with excellence
• Purchasing and installing a water purification system
• Purchasing and installing solar power to ensure we have stable electricity at all hours for our programs and security
• Purchasing and installing perimeter fencing for security
• Raising funds to open a medical facility to provide basic medical care to the children and families in the community and hiring a medical professional
• Getting a Vocational Training Program off the ground – working with trade professionals to offer apprenticeships/internships for welding, plumbing, electricity, metal work, and more
• Helping young men and women achieve their vocational/university goals so their futures are hopeful and sustainable
• Working with families to help them start a sustainable project so they can earn a living (raising chickens, etc.) to support their families
For more information about this growing program, visit JoinHopeCo.com/machakos.
