John E. Halgrim Orphanage (JEHO)
Embakasi District, Nairobi, Kenya (46 + Children)
Meet Executive DirectorS Miriam & Peter
Through the leadership of Pastors Miriam & Peter Njuguna, the children of JEHO are learning of their God-given talents and the necessary life skills to build a better future for themselves. Their mission is to rescue abandoned and vulnerable children and provide them a strong Christian foundation along with emotional, educational, physical, medical, and social support needed so that they may enjoy life just like any other child.
They are in the process of building their team of support including Social Workers, Psychologist and Tutors for the children. Many children arrive with little or no schooling and are years behind their peers.
John E. Halgrim Orphanage
The final wish of a 15-year-old Ft. Myers, FL, teenager suffering from an inoperable brain tumor was to build an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. News of his wish reached Help the Least of These, a nonprofit founded in 2008 and funding was raised to honor the wish of John E. Halgrim.
Today, JEHO operates in partnership with Glory of Christ Church. It is located in the Embakasi District of Nairobi. This inner-city home serves 46-50 children ranging from infant to 18 years of age. Children are brought to JEHO from hospitals or government agencies or have been found discarded and abandoned on the streets. The home provides a health assessment, fresh clothing, meals and a bed in dormitory style accommodations. Children attend the local school.
Thanks to generous donations from sponsors - major renovations have been implemented since 2020, moving this home from barely surviving to thriving. The home was 10 years, and most of the areas were in need of major rebuilding or refurbishment—beginning at the front door and extending to the roof.
Renovations included - providing sinks, running water in showers, water tanks with filters and solar hot water, rooftop kitchen and dining areas, electrical repairs, balcony repairs, tile on entire second floor replacing old concrete floors and fresh paint in the living quarters and new mattresses. In addition first aid kits, fire extinguishers, computers for education and assistance with organizing children's files.
How You Can Help
With your monthly support, HOHI can continue to transition this home from barely surviving to thriving. Monthly sponsors enable the children to have access to the critical support they need including dental, optical and medical care and for the older children, access to high school. In addition they have the opportunity to attend our weekly caregiver training and trauma care training. We do believe in doing more than rescue, but bringing restoration and equipping the children to fulfill their dreams.
our blogs about JEHO
Need Met! — JEHO Balcony Repairs to Keep Children Safe
In the heart of the bustling inner city, where the rhythm of life is both vibrant and challenging, one home stands out as a beacon of safety and security for abused, abandoned, and orphaned children. The John E. Halgrim Orphanage (JEHO) in Nairobi, Kenya recently took a bold step to enhance the safety measures within…
Eye treatment for 5 Children at JEHO – Need Met!
We extend our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering support in enhancing the eye health of the children at the John E. Halgrim Orphanage (JEHO) in Nairobi, Kenya. The impact of your generosity is already evident, with five children now equipped with the eye medicine/prescription glasses they need to see their bright futures that lie ahead…
Dental Care for 8 JEHO Children – Need Met!
We received word from Miriam, the director of the John E. Halgrim Orphanage (JEHO) in Nairobi, Kenya, that eight children who desperately needed dental work have all received it! We thank God for the blessings He bestowed upon these wonderful children. We would also like to extend the deepest of gratitude to our JEHO home…
JEHO Renovations Phase 1 Complete
A lot can happen in 45 days! And it did at the John E. Halgrim Orphanage in Kenya. Alice Skaff, HOHI founder, first met JEHO directors Miriam and Peter in 2018, stopping by to visit the orphanage home on her way to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and raise money for HOHI. Since that time, HOHI has…
Technology Brings Education, Medical and Trauma-Informed Care to Orphanages
Today, providing technology packages to the orphanages that we partner with so their children can participate in online learning is one of our most important initiatives at Haven of Hope.
Thank You From Africa
Thank you from Africa, you’ve been the hero for “the least of these” because of your donations to the Emergency Rescue Fund!
our JEHO gallery
About the Republic of Kenya
Kenya is in East Africa on the Indian Ocean coast and bordered by Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Nairobi is its largest city and its capital. Embakasi is a division of Nairobi, with mostly lower middle-income citizens. Like many other African metro cities, Nairobi is a study in contrasts, modern skyscrapers looking out over sprawling shantytowns of refugees fleeing civil wars in neighboring countries.
Kenya's geographic landscape encompasses savannahs, lake lands, valleys, mountain highlands and lots of wildlife. From Nairobi safaris visit the Maasai Mara Reserve, known for its annual wildebeest migrations, and Amboseli National Park, offering views of Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro.
With a population just under 54 million, approximately 3.6 million are orphaned or vulnerable children under the age of 18—47% are orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS, 15% are double orphans (lost both parents) and 85% are single orphans. 700 children are orphaned every day and 1/3 of these are orphaned due to HIV / AIDS.
Kenya ranks as the eighth poorest country in the world – and the sixth poorest in Africa. Over 25% of the population live on less than $1 per day and 12-15% of households in Kenya are headed by an orphan sibling. In some regions, over 25% of orphans are acutely malnourished in spite of the fact that Kenyan’s economy is largely driven by agriculture.
As a Kenyan orphan or vulnerable child, challenges are many—physical abuse, defilement, sexual exploitation, child labor, early marriages—all have been traumatized. Their future is unpredictable—no or limited access to proper health care, education, shelter and nutrition—and often disinherited by their next of kin.