As a small charity, our story is a personal one, rooted in determination, shaped by experience, and driven by a belief that every child deserves hope and opportunity.
St Jerome’s began with a simple but powerful aim: to bring hope and change to disadvantaged children in Nakuru, Kenya. What started as a small initiative has grown into a dedicated children’s home and outreach programmes, supporting not only the children who live with us, but also families and school children in the wider community.
From the beginning, we have learned by doing, listening to the needs of the children, working collaboratively with local staff, and adapting as challenges arise. Our journey has not always been straightforward, but it has always been guided by care, resilience, and a belief in the potential of every child.
We’ve helped over 200 children since opening our doors in 2012.
A local children’s home is forced to close, leaving the children without a safe space to live. Our founding Chairperson, Gemma, begins fundraising back in the UK for a new home. Aged 18 at the time, she relied on the generosity of family and friends to spread the word and raise funds for a new children’s home.
The first St Jerome’s Centre opens and enrols the first children. The founding committee has expanded; Gemma, Ben, Becky, Beth and David take on the challenge of juggling visits to Kenya alongside university in the UK.
They establish trusting and respectful relationships with local staff, whom they employ at a fair wage through monthly sponsorship income from supporters in the UK. The local staff provide daily care, pastoral support and security for all children at the centre.
We gain registered charity status with Scottish Charity Regulator OSCR
The St Jerome’s Centre moves location, a bigger building can now accommodate up to 30 children. All children staying at the centre are enrolled in local primary and secondary schools. They have the opportunity to learn and develop amongst their peers.
Staff undergo training and begin working with families to reintegrate children where possible. Some children had resorted to living on the streets prior to enrolling at the centre, staff begin tracing these families alongside providing daily residential care to the children of St Jerome’s.
We begin providing 30-40 lunches for children at the local primary school, some of whom would have gone days without eating a full meal.
We hold our first successful St Jerome’s Charity Ball in Cardiff, Wales. An evening to celebrate the work of the St Jerome’s Centre and raise much needed funds, over £8,000 is raised.
Today, the St Jerome’s Centre is governed by seven UK trustees who employ seven local staff who bring stability, knowledge, and compassion to their work every day. Together, we strive to create a safe, nurturing environment where children can grow, learn, and look toward a brighter future.
To date, we have helped over 200 children. We are currently home to 27 children, a further 30 children are guaranteed a daily school lunch and we have re-integrated 30 children with their families. We celebrate 17 years of teamwork and valued sponsorship to make this possible.
Our story is still being written, by every child who finds a place to belong, every family who receives support, and every person who chooses to support us.
