Empowering Families: Support Our Outreach Program

Progress Report: Empowering Families Through Outreach

Over the past financial year, our Outreach Program has continued to provide consistent, life-changing support to children and families who are rebuilding their lives after trauma. We are currently supporting 76 children through this program, walking alongside them and their caregivers as they transition toward safety, stability, and independence. Each child’s journey is different, but all are grounded in the same goal: to ensure they are safe, supported, and given the opportunity to heal.

A key focus of our work is maintaining regular, meaningful connection with every child in the program. Our team conducts weekly check-ins with 26 children, fortnightly visits with 13 children, and monthly follow-ups with 36 children, ensuring that no child slips through the cracks. These visits allow us to monitor wellbeing, provide emotional support, and respond quickly if circumstances change. In addition, 2 children are currently in our Step Down phase, a significant milestone that reflects progress toward independence while still receiving light-touch support.

Education continues to be one of the most powerful tools in breaking cycles of vulnerability. Currently, 37 children in Outreach are being supported with their education, representing an investment of approximately KSE639,000 this year. This support helps cover essential school costs and ensures children can remain engaged in learning—giving them not only knowledge, but also structure, confidence, and hope for the future.

None of this work happens in isolation. It is made possible through the generosity of our donor community, whose support allows us to respond with consistency, care, and long-term commitment. Together, we are not only meeting immediate needs—we are helping children and families build safer, stronger futures. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

What is the Outreach Program?

Rafiki Mwema is a refuge for Kenyan girls and boys.

Our girls, who are survivors of sexual violence, live with us for protection and care while their cases go through the courts. Due to cultural attitudes that place the blame on the victim, it’s not safe for them to remain living in their villages and communities where they are at risk of further harm.

How does it work for boys?

Our boys come to us after surviving the horrors of living alone on the streets. These boys have been beaten, abused and used as sexual objects by both men and women. Their trust has been violated over and over, and they are some of the most complex and damaged children we have met.

While living with us, our children receive expert therapeutic care to help them recover from their trauma.

A safe, loving family

We believe that the best place for children is within a safe,  nurturing and loving family environment.

When it’s safe to do so, we find our children safe, loving homes to return to within their immediate family, or with a relative or guardian. It’s only when no safe home in the community can be found that our children remain living with us.

Our mission

Our outreach program is critical to ensuring our children’s safety and wellbeing until adulthood. Our team achieves this by:

• Regularly visiting our girls who have returned home
• Reconnecting our boys with their families
• Advocating for our children’s right to loving care and safety

A Rafiki child is for life

We support our children until they are 18 by visiting them at their homes every week, fortnight or month.

It’s a huge task but critical to their health, wellbeing and safety.

We repair broken minds and hearts by reconnecting families and supporting them as they learn to build healthy relationships.

Family connection

Our outreach team does all they can to trace family members when our boys express a wish to reconnect. Once we find them, our team assesses how safe it is for our boys to have contact. We then work hard to rebuild relationships, starting with visits or telephone calls. Developing a healthy connection with their families contributes to the healing process for our boys. It helps them repair their sense of belonging and identity, and begin to trust again.

Links:

• Rafiki Mwema Outreach Program