Our story, mission, vision, values, and the people who make Bethesda possible.
Bethesda Child Care Centre is a faith-driven children's care organisation supporting vulnerable children through safe care, education, health support, family strengthening, and long-term development. Founded in 2013, we provide a safe, loving, and nurturing home where children can grow, thrive, and reach their full potential. Children come to Bethesda through different circumstances, and each child is received with dignity, care, and respect. What is remarkable is that despite those beginnings, the joy, laughter, and hope that fill our home today are a testament to what love, stability, and faith can accomplish.
Bethesda provides safe, nurturing, faith-based care for vulnerable children in partnership with families, communities, and relevant child protection authorities. Our work supports children's education, health, nutrition, emotional wellbeing, spiritual growth, and long-term development. Where safe and in the child's best interests, we also support family tracing, reintegration, and aftercare.
Bethesda primarily admits children under five and also receives older children according to their protection needs. Teenagers have been received temporarily on a few occasions when the authorities had no immediate placement. Some children who entered Bethesda as infants have grown into adolescence while in our care. These experiences have strengthened our understanding of the long-term support children need as they grow.
Every child is welcomed and supported without discrimination based on religion, ethnic community, age, disability, health status, or personal circumstances. Care is guided by each child's needs and best interests.
We collaborate with local authorities, healthcare providers, and the community to create sustainable solutions that empower children and transform futures.
Support Our WorkFrom a three-bedroom house to a purpose-built home, a decade of faith, sacrifice, and love.
While working as a social worker, Elizabeth saw that infants and toddlers were often difficult to place because of the intensive care they require. She and her husband, Pastor John, responded to that gap by opening their three-bedroom family home in Mawanga Estate, Nakuru, to two vulnerable children. This became the beginning of Bethesda.
Bethesda is registered as a Charitable Children's Institution under CS No. 000799.
By the close of our first year, six children from diverse backgrounds and circumstances were calling Bethesda home. The family was growing, and so was our faith.
A milestone: Bethesda acquired a 5-acre piece of land in Mirangine, Nyandarua County, the future permanent home for the children and our growing programmes.
Construction of the new, purpose-built children's home commenced on the Mirangine land. Years of prayer, planning, and fundraising were finally taking physical shape.
The Bethesda family moved into the current establishment, a beautiful, purpose-built children's home with capacity for 50 children. A new chapter filled with hope and possibility had begun.
To transform the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children by providing a safe, loving, and nurturing home with holistic support that meets their physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs, empowering them to thrive and build a brighter future in a familial environment.
To be a beacon of hope, providing vulnerable children with nurturing care, education, and health services, empowering them to realize their potential and positively impact their communities.
These nine values are not just words; they are the living principles that shape every decision, every interaction, and every act of care at Bethesda.
We serve with unconditional love and kindness, meeting every child exactly where they are.
We create a true familial environment where every child knows they are loved and belong.
We uphold the highest standards in care, education, and everything we do for our children.
We trust in God's guidance in all that we do, grounding our work in prayer and purpose.
We equip children with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need for a full life.
We walk alongside children as they overcome adversity, building strength for the journey ahead.
We build a supportive network of staff, volunteers, and partners who rally around each child.
We act with honesty and transparency in all our operations, decisions, and relationships.
We pursue self-sufficiency through local resources and long-term planning for lasting impact.
Our long-term vision extends beyond the children's home we have today. We are working towards a self-sustaining community that will one day include a school, vocational training centre, university access programmes, healthcare facilities, and other resources that equip not just the children in our care but the wider community around us. Every donation, every partnership, and every prayer brings this vision one step closer to reality.
Donate NowTwo ordinary people who made an extraordinary decision, to open their home and give their lives to the children of Kenya.
In 2013, Pastor John stepped out in faith and opened the doors of his family home in Mawanga Estate, Nakuru, to two vulnerable children in need. His unwavering belief that every child deserves a loving home has been the driving force behind Bethesda's growth from a single household to a purpose-built centre caring for over 50 children. Pastor John leads the vision, strategy, and day-to-day leadership of Bethesda Child Care Centre.
Elizabeth is the heartbeat of Bethesda. Alongside her husband, she willingly gave up the privacy and comfort of her own home to serve the children in their care. Elizabeth has helped create a nurturing environment where children receive daily care, encouragement, and emotional support. Her hands have cooked thousands of meals, and her arms have held each child through grief and joy alike. Elizabeth oversees the daily nurturing, wellbeing, and holistic care of every child at the centre.
Every supporter, donor, and volunteer helps us write the next chapter for a child who needs hope.
