Strengthening families through SILC
In 2022, it gave us great joy to be able to return to work in Kenya after exactly ten years absence. In reality, our heart never left Kenya and we were grateful that God once again opened the door for us to serve 330 children who we love and in a place that is an incredibly important part of Stand by Me’s DNA.
Our experience in Kenya has opened our eyes to the devastation in families that often leaves children abandoned and alone. Extreme poverty continues to destroy lives, high levels of unemployment, food insecurity and inadequate living conditions make daily life a challenge. Sadly, families trapped in poverty sometimes turn to drugs or alcohol.
These great needs meant that previously our work was focused on opening family-style homes for children abandoned due to poverty and substance addiction. But today, our vision for care has evolved to focus on supporting and strengthening families to be places where children can belong and thrive. We want to ensure that every child can grow up in a nurturing family while receiving the opportunity of an education at the Stand by Me school.
Whether in their biological family, in foster care or in a Stand by Me children’s home, our goal is for children to grow up experiencing belonging, stability and love. Therefore, we are investing in family and community strengthening programmes, including parenting workshops and counselling. We are employing social workers and community empowerment officers to equip parents and caregivers, enabling them to provide the safe and nurturing environments our children need to flourish.
A key part of strengthening families in Kenya is the Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) initiative that builds financial resilience and promotes self-sufficiency, helping families move from dependence to dignity.
Through SILC, small groups of parents and caregivers are supported to build savings, access small loans and learn financial management skills, helping them meet daily needs, grow their own small businesses and create lasting stability for their children.
One of the first to join our SILC programme in Kenya is Sharon who has two daughters, 14-year-old Lovias and 11-year-old Lovian. The family lived in a single room house and used a curtain to divide it into four areas. They shared access to an outside toilet between six families who lived on the same compound.
Sharon would earn money through styling hair, washing clothes and selling clothes. But she still struggled to make improvements to their circumstances. Stand by Me had already welcomed Lovias and Lovian to our school where they were flourishing, exploring their talents in swimming, dancing, music, sports and gymnastics. With Stand by Me’s support providing uniforms, daily food, healthcare and education, life was starting to look more hopeful.
“Stand by Me has been a great help to me particularly helping me with school fees and guiding my children. They also get food at school and they love them. Stand by Me has helped us a lot, especially for me as a woman. They have helped me by praying for me, and when I was struggling financially. When I’m discouraged, they give me hope.” - Sharon
When Sharon first joined the SILC programme it was tough. She felt that she didn’t have any money to invest. But she persevered, encouraged by Winnie, Community Empowerment Officer, and, little by little, Sharon began to understand how the group would benefit her. She made use of all that the group offered, paying into the group and taking loans from the group when needed.
Sharon’s dream was to move out of their rented house and own a home. Thanks to her diligent saving and the help of the group, Sharon has achieved her dream, purchasing a small plot of land and building a home. The family now has a place to call their own and Sharon has begun small scale farming to supplement her income, contributing to greater economic stability for the family.
“Before Stand by Me came, my life was very hard. I had decided to give up. Right now, my life is much better. I am now a woman who can feed her children, I can buy my children clothes and cater for the needs of my family through SILC groups. They have given me hope to live.”- Sharon
By empowering families through SILC, Stand by Me are helping to prevent family breakdown, reduce dependency and enable parents to provide loving homes for their children, ensuring that every family we serve is equipped not just to survive but to thrive.
With a newfound sense of hope, Sharon can see a better future for her children and believes that Lovian will achieve her dream of becoming a “flying doctor” and Lovias her dream of becoming a pilot! Through the Open Arms Academy and the SILC programme, families like Sharon, Lovias and Lovian are becoming stronger, more resilient and full of renewed hope.