About St Monica

About us

St. Monica Children Home was founded in 2002 with support from the neighbouring Christian community. The home was completed in 2003 and opened its doors to the first ten girls, since then it has been a place of solace for the orphaned girl child within the community of Githurai and other slums in Nairobi City.

In April 2010, the management of St. Monica Children home was taken over by a long time support group called Sisters Arise Project (SAP). St. Monica Children Home now has a new premise along Mirema Drive, Roysambu Area in Nairobi. It is currently home to 34 girls of age group ranging between 8-18 years. The girls are brought to us by their relatives, church leaders and community development groups. However before admittance the government child officer investigates to ensure the child lacks guardianship and only then do we get the responsibility to provide and mentor a child. All the girls are total orphans or from disadvantaged homes.

At St. Monica’s we also help the girls who have experienced trauma rebuild themselves and regain their self-confidence. By providing them with the sense of comfort, security and fraternity, we set the foundation for their personal development. In addition, through providing the girls with a quality formal education and teaching them vital life skills, we ensure that the girls are well equipped to survive in the world.

Our mission and vision

St. Monica’s mission is to identify and develop each child’s unique and special gifts and to teach, train and transform the children through education and mentorship. It is the vision of the home to see the girls grow into virtuous, principled ladies with a love for knowledge and well prepared to serve their society.

We invite you to share our vision and to help empower these girls fulfil their dreams and aspirations.

Our objectives

Our objectives are three fold:

• Provide orphaned girls with a home
• Educate and rebuild orphaned girls
• Ensure the girls are well equipped to become successful women 

Our goals

Our goals for the next 5 years are divided into short and long term goals:

• Our short term goal is to give a home for the girls and provide for their daily needs & educate the girls.
• Our long term goal is to expand the home by building a permanent home for the girls as well as  construct a school for orphaned girls.

 Our Management Team

Supporting the girls are the staff of the home. They attend to the day to day needs of the girls providing support, encouragement, mentorship and advice. They inspire values and discipline in the girls all while administering the home and protecting the interests of the family.

The Director of the home is Perpetua Wanjiru Gatome and she manages the day to day activities of the home. She is supported by an Education Director based in the United States, Raquel Turner. Raquel supports the home through an organisation based in the United States called Mothers Fighting for Others. The organisation is charged with the responsibility of fundraising for education and ensuring the girls receive a quality education. Perpetua is supported by a team of four based at the home. The structure of our management team is summarised below:

Our board

We have an impressive board of directors drawn from different professions and include lawyers, business persons/entrepreneurs, marketers, religious leaders and other professionals. The board meets quarterly or as required and ensures the management of the home is accountable and is working towards meeting the objectives and goals of the home. The board members are listed below:

Mrs. Naomi Maina (Chairlady)
Mrs. Naomi Maina has been a long time supporter of St. Monica Children’s Home advising on various legal matters. She is a practicing lawyer and opened a firm called Maina & Advocates. Mrs. Maina is also a member of the Law Society of Kenya. She does Consultancy in legal matters for various companies. She is a graduate of the University of Nairobi (Bachelor of Law) and was admitted to the bar in 1991. She is currently undertaking an MA in Communications. She is a member of the Board of Governors (BOG) at Pangani Girls and Witima Secondary School. 

Mr. James Gathara (Vice Chairperson)
Mr. Gathara is the Chairman as well as Chief Executive Officer of Plan and Place Insurance Company.  He is a graduate of the University of Nairobi (Bcom, Hons – Insurance Option) and holds a Diploma from The Chartered Insurance Institute, London (ACII). He has extensive experience in Insurance having worked in the Insurance Industry for over 25 years.
Mr. Gathara has been involved in the design, placement and management of many corporate insurance programmes for organizations in both private and public sectors of the Kenyan economy. In the Year 2000, he served as the Chairman of the Association of Insurance Brokers of Kenya (AIBK).Mr Gathara is also a Member of the Kenya Institute of Directors having gone through relevant training by the centre for Corporate Governance and a BOG Member of Kanjuri High School. He has been a long time supporter of the home.

Mrs. Perpetua Gatome (Director and Treasurer)
Mrs Gatome has been a supporter of St. Monica’s Children’s home since its inception and is currently the Director in charge of management of the home. She is also the founder of Sisters Arise Project which toke over management of the home in 2010. Mrs. Gatome is a teacher by profession with over 18 years experience. On retiring from teaching, she ventured into business and is the Managing Director of Luckysellers Enterprise. Mrs. Gatome has always supported various Children’s home and served as Chairlady of the management board for Bethlehem community home 1984-2002.

Mrs. Rachel Muriithi (Secretary)
Rachel Muriithi is a member of the board and sits in the marketing committee of the board which is in charge of coordinating the marketing activities undertaken by the home. Mrs. Muriithi is a graduate from Kenyatta University Kenya (Home economics) and Baylor University Texas-USA (MBA and MSIS). She worked with Hillcrest Schools for 2 years before she went to study for her Masters. She is currently with Kenya shell Limited where she has been working from 2004. Mrs. Muriithi is also a member of the Marketing and Fundraising committee at St. Johns Ambulance in Kenya.

Mr. James Gatome(Board Member)
Mr Gatome is the Patron of the home and has also been a long time supporter of St. Monica’s Children’s Home. He is a graduate of the University of Nairobi 1968 (Engineering Survey). In 1980, Mr. Gatome did the land law exam upon which he became a private licensed land surveyor. He has been a practicing surveyor for the past 35 years and he formed a company Gatome & Associates. Mr. Gatome has also been a consultant on various land issues in the country. He was a Board of Governors (BOG) Ngandu Girls and Nyeri High School and Giakaibei High School. He was also the Chairman BOG of Naro-Moru Girls Secondary School.

Mr. Josphat Githui (Board Member)
Mr. Githui is a business man and a long time supporter of the home. He also sits on the Board. Mr. Githui is a graduate from the University of Nairobi (BSC Physics) and also studied Legal Metrology in India.. He worked with Weights and Measures 1974-1977. He worked with Kenya Shell Limited as a senior manager in marketing and operations 1977-2002 upon which he retired and ventured into business. Mr. Githui is Chairman of the BOG for Giakaibei High School.