Ngima with one of the orphans being supported by Tabitha Orphans Project of Kenya (TOPK)

Driven by her love for orphans, one woman in Nyeri has devoted her life and resources to ensure that orphans in the area have a better life in the society.

Forty-Four year old Jane Ngima Muriuki has an elaborate plan which she formulated over a twenty- year period on how to help needy children left behind by their parents either by accident, divorce or due to the HIV/ Aids scourge.

After years of planning and soul searching Ngima has been able to educate about 500 destitute children countrywide through her non-governmental organization named Tabitha Orphans Project of Kenya (TOPK).

Tabitha Orphans Project of Kenya was registered as a community based organization on 22 January 2007. Ngima who is the pioneer of the organization said she derived its name from a bible verse that documents Tabitha Dorcas’ work of caring for children.

The caretaker remembers with nostalgia, being a teacher at Heshima Secondary School in Nairobi, when in 1989 her colleagues started urging her to take up the challenge of caring for the orphaned. In those days many children had lost their parents due to HIV /Aids and after careful thought Ngima decided to take up the challenges.

Ngima, a mother of three sons, is also a counselor and has one main goal in life; which is to provide opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children to live
quality lives that will unable them to be productive members of society.

“Everyday my life is all about taking care of children, when I sleep and wake up my mind is always on orphans. Taking care of these children makes up my life ... I just want a better life for them.” explains Ngima.

She has been concentrating on children of secondary school going ages all over the country. She has managed to convince several of them who had already been employed as house helps to return to school and take advantage of the free secondary school education. Today, many are scattered in about 15 day secondary schools all over the country.

Ngima targets the girls mostly. She says that 60% of the 500 students she has managed to put through school are girls and about 10 of them are HIV positive.

“The children who are HIV positive are very delicate cases especially since they are adolescents and they fear fighting the stigma and most of them end up dropping out of school. It’s a big challenge to us.” notes Ngima.

Some of the objectives of TOPK include providing formal and informal education to poor children, ensuring access to good health for all children and ensure that all children have access to basic needs.

The organization has also been able to organize capacity building training for the individuals and groups working with the orphans and to establish support programs for youth, women and other care givers.

Ngima adds, “We also want to lobby for legislative reforms and initiatives and undertake advocacy work in all the areas addressing child right issues. Another issue is to provide a forum for members to share experiences and promote collaborative and networking efforts in order to provide quality service in response to challenges experienced in caring for the vulnerable children.”

Asked where she gets funds for the schools fees, she says it is through fund-raising activities and negotiating with school principals and district education officers who give them government bursary kitties.

Her husband Joe Muriuki has also been very supportive of the project in terms of
advices and resources.

“I also get a lot of support from well wishers, and this enables me to meet the administrative costs. I have a Short Text Messages (SMS) programme which is an advocacy programme. Some students have also been funded by the Constituency Development Funds, Local Authority Transfer Fund and bursary funds kitties.” added Ngima.

This year, she is targeting to get into partnership with the World Initiative
for Orphans, an international organization based in Netherlands.

She has a group of volunteers who helps about 40 of her students who are scattered in Nairobi, Nyeri Nanyuki, Thika, Kajiado and Kiambu offices.

After the students have closed school during holidays, the organization has counseling groups who advise them on various issues of life and sexuality. The caretakers also have meetings monthly where they are taught on the advocacy work which includes fighting for the rights of the children under the child rights programme.

She says she is proud of her work since she has been able to help about 10 orphans gain admission in colleges and some have even finished their courses.

She says her work is a big challenge because of insufficient resources but at all times God has come through for her. She hopes that the recent introduction of free secondary education will reduce the challenge since fewer funds will be needed and students will only require basic needs.