Saturday, 15^th March 2014, Strathmore students of the Deutschklub (German Club) visited the Star of Hope Children’s Home in Juja. We were accompanied by our patron Mrs. Berita Kimanthi. Despite the heavy rains and the bad morning weather, we were not held back from our mission of carrying out community service- to help with the chores, mentor and make friends with children from this home.

The Star of Hope Children’s Home was founded in 1998 by the Agnes-Froehlich-Verein, under the umbrella of the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood. The orphanage is a home to hundreds of children of ages ranging from one – seventeen years. The home aims at providing a hearty home for the children, ensuring recovery from their complex experiences, promoting educational enhancement and developing stable, capable and independent individuals.

 

Among the activities offered in this home include, counselling and individual guidance, spiritual guidance, social and moral skills in workshops and seminars, and fostering independence through incorporation in responsibilities and leisure activities.

 

After a warm welcome to the Star of Hope home, we quickly embarked on the chores such as cleaning the chapel, chopping firewood, selecting beans and pigeon peas to be cooked during the coming week. The most interesting task of the day however, preparing quails for dinner. Those who volunteered to carry out this task admitted that it took a while-and lots of courage- to master the art of converting a live-quail into one that was ready to be cooked. The show of bravery by the members assigned this task was absolutely incredible.

 

In the afternoon, we organized the group into teams and played a football game with the children as a way of interacting with them. We were also privileged to be given a tour-by the children around their vast farm which houses various agricultural projects that provide food for the home.

 

The day would have been incomplete without entertainment from the cheerful children: a poem, song and a dance. We reciprocated by singing two German songs which the children were glad to learn.

As always, it was difficult to say goodbye to the children. Some had made good friends that they could not hold back tears while biding us farewell. When time to depart came, we hoped that we would get the chance to visit them again soon.

 

To the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the entire Strathmore fraternity, we say: HERZLICHEN DANK!