The Salesians, Sister Marilena and the Sisters of Mathare Valley

During one of his travels to Kenya, Valter Baldaccini met the Sisters of Mathare. These Sisters, together with the Salesians, live and volunteer their work in the Mathare Valley, one of the most dangerous, populous, and poor slums  in Nairobi.  We have always been in touch with Sister Marilena and her Sisters, and through the Valter Baldaccini Foundation, we send a little help every year for their invaluable daily work in support of women and children.

Sister Marilena wrote to thank us and tell us about the harsh reality of Mathare. 

“Here are photographs of the last group of children who entered the Salesian Father’s school. For the past three years the Salesians here in Mathare have welcomed groups of children who risk ending up on the street, or who are already on the road, but for whom there is still hope to help them change.

Seventeen students were welcomed last year, and just last week we managed to offer hospitality to ten others. This is the first year all the children are in a Center where there is a lot of space to play and rehabilitation, because many of them have been sniffing glue for a long time.  In general, they are able to enter school in their second year. All these children come from really disadvantaged families so we take care of everything: form the processing of all types of paperwork (certificates, identity cards, and documents), to the cost of clothes, soap, shoes, tuition, and all the materials needed for going to school. 

Most of these children do not have a father and our job also includes trying to empower the mothers. These women are struggling to find work, even small jobs for a day, and we also take care of them so they don’t risk losing the possibility of redemption for their children.

Fortunately there are plenty of positive stories: a mother who had problems with alcoholism agreed to enter a detox facility. The director of this organization helped us by only charging a small fee. Now this mother has started a new life. She left the slum and is running a small business. Two other young mothers have gone to this rehabilitation center and are on their way to “healing”. This is a gift not only for them, but for their children! Mary, a mother we helped in the past, has chosen to stay with us. She has helped us for so many years,  she seems like a sister. She has a heart that knows how to welcome all those who suffer and has chosen to take care of three children in addition to her own six. These are children of women who live on the streets.  She has not only given them a roof and a sense of security, but a heart and the warmth of a family”.

You can support the children of Mathare with a donation.
Thanks to your help they will have the chance to leave the street life, go to school and build the future that all children have the right to live! DONATE NOW.