Children of God Relief Institute - Nyumbani
Nyumbani serves 4,000 HIV survivors and over 1,000 affected orphans and vulnerable children every year
“To provide high-quality comprehensive care and support to HIV infected and affected children, families and communities”
Nyumbani Home
Karen, Dagoretti Road, House #141, Nairobi, Kenya
- Need Assistance?
+254 722201163
Email: admin@nyumbani.or.ke
Children of God Relief Institute (COGRI) - NYUMBANI
The Children of God Relief Institute – Nyumbani is a registered Kenyan Charity run by a voluntary Board of Directors. COGRI’s mission is to provide quality, comprehensive care and support to HIV-infected and affected children, families, and communities in a sustainable manner.
Background
Children of God Relief Institute (COGRI) was founded in 1992 by Father Angelo D’Agostino to help orphaned and abandoned HIV-positive children. It ensures that these children are raised in a safe and loving environment, with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Father D’Agostino, a former US Air Force doctor who joined the Jesuits and focused on psychiatry, learned of the need for specialized facilities for these children through his work with Jesuit charities. This led to the establishment of COGRI’s flagship project, Nyumbani Children’s Home. COGRI has since expanded to run three more projects: Lea Toto Community Outreach Program, Nyumbani Village, and Nyumbani Diagnostic Laboratory.
Our Programs
Nyumbani (Swahili for “home”) is a special home that cares for HIV-positive orphans in Kenya. The home provides care and treatment to HIV-positive children from ages 0-18, and children live at the home until they are healthy and self-reliant. Founded in 1992 by Father Angelo D’Agostino and Sister Mary Owens, Nyumbani Children’s Home provides comprehensive care and support to orphaned and vulnerable children, inspired by Christian compassion. It also houses a respite center that caters to severely malnourished children in need of close monitoring. Nyumbani has nurtured many children, with over 100 alumni graduating from the program. The Home is in Karen, Nairobi, and runs the Nyumbani Diagnostic Laboratory. The home includes six cottages and a respite care center, a medical clinic, a pharmacy, a youth center, a community center, a playground, a library, a computer center, a kitchen farm, a water supply, and a greenhouse. The site also has pig and poultry pens. Read more..
Nyumbani Diagnostic Laboratory (NDL) is a modern, ISO 15189-accredited laboratory Registered by KMLTTB as a Diagnostic and Research laboratory. This lab provides Nyumbani’s scientists and medical staff with high-tech tools to better diagnose and treat Kenya’s HIV/AIDS patients. It was established in 1998 as a sustainability project of Nyumbani Children’s Home and it is open to the general Public. Nyumbani Diagnostic Laboratory is a leader in offering highly accurate diagnoses in the shortest possible turnaround time. This is enabled by some of the best laboratory infrastructure in the country. In 2011, a new State -of –the- Art laboratory was opened which facilitated the transition from manual to automation for most of the services offered. These include but not limited to: Immunology & Haematology Testing, Microbiology & Parasitology, Serology & Endocrinology, Clinical chemistry & Special Chemistry, HIV-Drug Resistance Genotyping, HIV Viral Load & HIV Screening, TB GeneXpert Testing and Histopathology & Cytology. Clients range from; Ministry of Health, Private hospital laboratories, Multi-National Health Non-Governmental Organizations, Research Institutions, General Medical Institutions, Leading Health Care Specialists, Local Clinics, Community Based Health Care Programs, Walk-in Clients and some Insurance Agencies. Read more..
In 1998, Nyumbani realized that it needed to expand its reach to help more HIV-positive children and their families. This led to the creation of the Lea Toto program, a community-based outreach program that provides services to HIV-positive children and their families. Lea Toto provides services to families with HIV positive children in the main informal settlements of Nairobi and its environs. Lea Toto grew from its first location in Kangemi to cover the following informal settlement areas in Nairobi: Kawangware, Kibera, Kariobangi, Dandora, Zimmerman, Dagoretti and Mukuru. Currently, the activity provides quality medical care, nutritional support and counseling services for over 2,200 HIV positive children on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with over and up to 15,000 family members every year. The capacity of target local communities has been enhanced to provide care and support to HIV positive children. Read more..
Following the success of Nyumbani Children’s Home, Father Angelo D’Agostino founded Nyumbani Village, a related project to support orphans and elderly people affected by HIV/AIDS (The left behind generation). It admits children who have been infected or affected by HIV and have lost both parents. The project utilizes elderly caregivers who have lost their biological children to care for the village children in a home setting. Nyumbani Village meets a special need for orphans who lack community support networks without institutionalizing them into traditional orphanages. Under the stewardship of elderly adults, Nyumbani Village provides a family setting for the children and ensures access to health care and education services both inside and outside the village. Nyumbani Village also provides HIV outreach activities, including: testing and HIV care and treatment to the surrounding communities. Nyumbani Village is a self-sustaining agricultural community on 1,000 acres of land donated by the Kitui District County Council, designed to support 1,280 to 1,600 people. Despite Father D’Agostino’s death shortly after the village opened, Nyumbani Village continued to grow and thrive thanks to his leadership and vision. Read more..
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