In 2010, Tree of Lives received a generous gift in partnering with Nazareth Hospital to open the Joy Children’s Village. This orphanage provides unconditional love and quality support to HIV+/AIDS orphans and vulnerable Kenyan children. It is a true Christian family environment, a safe haven of medical care, education and housing. The Joy Children’s Village is designed to create a true family for these abandoned children. The “mamas” have been trained to develop an atmosphere of love, support, and accountability for 7 to 10 children each. Each family lives in a private apartment, sets goals specific to their family, manages a family budget, and anything else you would assume of a typical American family…even homework around the kitchen table while mom cooks the evening meal. This model intentionally avoids some of the pitfalls of an institutional model, creating an environment of true love and the human touch one can only draw from being in a caring home.
Tree of Lives supports the Holy Family Center, a stand-alone HIV/AIDS clinic on the grounds of Nazareth Hospital and over the years has also helped add many programs to serve the sick and poverty-stricken citizens of Kenya.
Susan LaSante has traveled with Tree of Lives several times, helping in many ways, including working to improve the educational opportunities for the children, comforting and visiting those in Nazareth Hospital as well as visiting some of the nearly 4000 people with HIV or AIDS that are being supported by the Holy Family clinic.
Tree of Lives is a mission program based out of the First Presbyterian Church, in Norfolk, VA. For more information, click here.
Slum Child Foundation
Saint Matthew’s also supports, in conjunction with Tree of Lives, Slum Child Foundation, an organization that works to improve the lives in the Korogocho slum in Nairobi. Kenya. You can find out more about them here.