Hope Flows: Bringing Safe Drinking Water to Korogocho's Mama Elizabeth Children's Home

Amidst the challenging conditions of the Korogocho slums, Anthony Munga, the owner of Mama Elizabeth Children's Home, has been a beacon of hope for over three years. His unwavering commitment to the children living in the home has touched the lives of many. Today, we share the remarkable journey of Mama Elizabeth Children's Home and the recent partnership with Glasses of Love that is changing lives for the better.

A Journey Fueled by Love

Anthony Munga has been running a feeding program for the past three years at Mama Elizabeth Children's Home. In a community with limited opportunities, this program has been a lifeline for over 400 children, 60  of whom live at Mama Elizabeth Children's Home. The home has provided the children with essential nutrition and support for their primary education. The dedicated volunteers who assist in this endeavour are paid a stipend of 1000 Kenyan Shillings.

Mama Elizabeth Children's Home's story takes a heartbreaking turn in 2016 when Anthony's adoptive mother, Mama Elizabeth, was diagnosed with cancer. Tragically, someone advised her against seeking medical attention, leading to a delay in her treatment until 2018, when she finally became too ill and had to be hospitalised. Her selflessness and reluctance to burden her children with her illness were both touching and heart-wrenching.

Before her passing, Mama Elizabeth shared her story in an interview with Lynn Ngugi, revealing her struggle to raise funds while battling breast cancer. This interview shed light on their mission, raising funds to feed over 400 children daily in the Korogocho slums. This support sustained them, particularly during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Burden and a Blessing

Mama Elizabeth's illness also took a toll on the income-generating businesses Anthony had started, with him covering her medical bills. This sacrifice cost him a valuable opportunity to work in Afghanistan, which could have been a game-changer for their financial stability. Furthermore, the house where the children resided was falling apart, and the responsibility of the home fell squarely on Anthony's shoulders. Back then, Mama Elizabeth's mission was to provide support to women who had suffered from Gender-Based Violence while informally feeding the children in need. The home's location, surrounded by 13 changaa (illicit brews) dens, constantly threatened their safety.

Anthony shared, "I have seen God's blessings, and putting a smile on other people's faces gives me so much joy. I am grateful to Maji Zima and Glasses of Love for their generous donations."

A Vision of Education and Empowerment

Despite his hardships, Anthony has managed to educate many underprivileged children, and he dreams of educating 1000 in total. His own experience of being rejected by his family has fueled his dedication to helping others. He provides sanitary towels to girls in the vicinity to ensure they stay in school while offering counseling on the importance of abstinence. Living in the slums of Korogocho, Mama Elizabeth Children's Home constantly faces challenges, with health and safety concerns always looming. That's where Maji Zima stepped in

Maji Zima's Collaboration: A Turning Point

In collaboration with Maji Zima, Glasses of Love offered a long-term solution that would be transformative for Mama Elizabeth Children's Home. Their goal was to provide clean, safe drinking water to run alongside the feeding program, ensuring the health and well-being of the children and staff.

The project at Mama Elizabeth Children's Home was done In two phases. Glasses of Love sponsored water pump repairs contributed to school fees, and spent quality time with the children, providing mentorship and support. In the second phase, Maji Zima installed the MS-MZ water filter at the home. They raised the water filter stand to protect it from potential damage, fixed the water filter, and trained one of the volunteers on maintenance.