Our Story
When Kenya Partners founder, Diane Hamrick, and two friends from High Point, NC, went on an exploratory mission trip to Kenya in 2006 for their local church, their first stop was Nakuru. They were deeply moved by the suffering they saw there, caused by the lack of adequate and affordable medical care.
As they left Kenya, they committed to raising funds to build a small clinic. They returned the following year with a team of medical professionals and volunteers to help develop the services available at the clinic.
Diane and her fellow-travelers also realized that an opportunity for education was the only way out of poverty for the orphans and vulnerable children they saw everywhere. Kenya Partners also started working on building a school for grades K-12 and two preschools.
Today, that little clinic (although still small by American standards!) has accredited hospital status and offers 24/7 healthcare, a new maternity wing, and a broad range of proactive medical services.
Squatters Hill Preschool is located next to a slum by the same name. Mercy Kids Preschool is located in a rural area near the clinic. There is also a small preschool in a temporary building on the grounds of the Betty Roberts Education Centre.
Children in all three preschools enjoy a daily lunch, and the staff members at Squatters Hill also feed other children in the community.
Kenya Partners is now feeding over 1000 children every day.
The Betty Roberts Education Centre (the K-12 facility) opened in 2009 in the village of Lanet. It offers a superior education in a loving environment to children from all over Kenya. Approximately 550 children, both boarders and day students, now attend the school.
Of these, about half of the students cover their own costs, attracted by the school's well-credentialed staff, small classes, diversity, and focus on technology. The other half are orphans or needy children whose fees are covered by sponsorship and donations.
Established in 2006, originally as a church mission initiative, Kenya Partners became an independent charitable organization in 2009, after attaining its 501(c)(3) non-profit status.
Based in Nakuru, Kenya Partners is a registered non-governmental organization and is dedicated to combating extreme poverty through sustainable educational opportunities and access to comprehensive healthcare.
Kenya Partners is 100% volunteer-driven. The only salaries paid are to those who are employed in its programs in Kenya.
All volunteers pay their own expenses when they travel to Kenya to serve in the programs.
It takes a lot to bring a nation out of poverty, but we’re making a difference!
100% of your charitable donation will go toward funding the programs
that help people lead better, more productive lives.