Heshima means “dignity” in Swahili. Most children with special needs in Kenya live a life that is undignified and full of broken dreams. We at Heshima believe that God has a special purpose filled with dignity for children with special needs in Kenya. Most of the children do not have the opportunity to receive special education or therapy; physical, occupational or speech. There are a few private institution that provide some service but it is very expensive. The public school system offers nothing.
What ends up happening to these children is that they either stay at home, often locked away due to public shame, or they attend public school without any sort of help. Heshima was started with the vision to meet the needs of these “hidden children.” We provide breakfast and lunch, basic educational instruction, depending on the need of the child, as well as occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy. The program is free, aside from a monthly donation of $2-$4 dollars by each family. We are located in a small slum in Nairobi called Ngando.
Heshima Childrens Center 