The Safe House: An Enclave of Peace and Hope

Our girls and young women at the Safe House, and their children, have been through so much. They work so hard every single day to overcome the trauma they have seen - working with our counselors and case management team to heal; attending classes at the Girls' Empowerment Project to obtain an education; learning about life skills and human rights; and looking forward to achieving their goals of independence and empowerment. We are so happy that we can provide our girls with the opportunity to have fun and feel safe as well! Just like all girls and boys - our girls in Nairobi deserve the right to grow and thrive in a safe, happy, and warm environment.

Just last week we were thrilled to take our girls and their children on a special field trip to the Nairobi National Park. Many have lived in Kenya as refugees without ever seeing animals or the beauty of the country. The girls were elated to look at the wild animals, including lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalos and they very much enjoyed completing the 2.5km safari walk with the game park guide. Everyone loved spending the day outdoors with their Heshima Family, walking around the game park very freely with their children and friends. A group favorite was feeding the monkeys yellow bananas inside their cages, as they laughed and played in the park. All of the Heshima girls appreciated the nature and wish to visit the game park again. Yvonne, 15 years old said "I always wanted to see animals. In Congo, I hardly saw animals. I am glad I have been able to visit the game park. I enjoyed it and I will never forget this day in my life." It was a special day filled with joy and free of stress! Another trip has been scheduled for later this summer.