Real Hope Safe House & Drop-In Centre
The Real Hope Safe House and Drop-In Centre was established to bring hope and protection to vulnerable children and youth living in the Kawangware Slums.
The Problem
Kawangware Slum, located just outside of Nairobi, is a densely populated area where residents live under the grip of extreme poverty, making daily life a constant struggle. For children and youth, the situation is especially dire. Many grow up in unstable or abusive households, with little access to basic needs, education, or emotional support. As a result, some turn to street work as a way to escape their difficult home lives.
Girls are often forced into the sex trade, while many boys join gangs in search of the acceptance they lack at home. What begins as a way to cope or survive quickly becomes a trap. Life on the streets is dangerous and unpredictable, yet with few alternatives, these children find themselves caught in a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break.
The Program
The Real Hope Safe House and Drop-In Centre, known as Bella Ciao, gives children and youth a safe place to learn, play, and grow, far from the dangers of the streets. It serves as a drop-in centre for 130 children and a safe house for 40 who need temporary shelter. The children receive meals, mentorship, counselling, hygiene care, and access to education through sponsorship. Real Hope also works to reintegrate children with their families when it is safe to do so or places them with caring foster families, and provides legal aid to support children through protection and justice processes.
Since late 2021, Real Hope has also been sharing space at the Bella Ciao compound with Joyful Hearts, a program that provides life-changing care for children with cerebral palsy.
How Your Gift Helps!
Your gift helps provide safety, stability, and hope for children who have experienced trauma, abuse, and life on the streets. It ensures they receive daily care, meals, counselling, and education, while also supporting efforts to reunite them with their families or place them in loving foster homes.
100% Of Your Donation
will be used to improve the lives of children in Kenya, thanks to some generous donors who pay all our overhead.
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About Us
International Needs Canada is a charitable organization with a global network of 34 partner countries. Our approach to development relies on the empowerment of indigenous leaders to bring about change in their local communities. We focus primarily on the empowerment of vulnerable children through education, health and wellness, character development, and skills training.
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Contact Us
International Needs Canada
Toll-free: 1-888-702-9805
Office: 1-905-389-1118
Email: info@internationalneeds.ca
Address: 230-1119 Fennell Ave E.,
Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8T 1S2
Charity Number: #12994 3072 RR0001