HEKIMA PLACE INC

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15206 United States

Mission Statement

Hekima Place is a safe, loving and faith-based home for orphaned vulnerable girls in Kenya. We support excellence in education and empowerment for their futures.

About This Cause

Our vision is to promote the contribution of educated Kenyan children for the good of Kenya and the world. At Hekima Place, each day we live out our belief that: - Every human being deserves compassion, care, and respect - Children have the right to be protected, loved, and valued - Girls around the world have the potential to create stable, prosperous, and just societies - Through education to empower their futures, young children in Kenya will make positive contributions to their families, communities, and society as a whole At Hekima Place we meet each of our children where they are and provide them with the love, support and education they need to grow into independent, empowered adults who can create positive change in their communities and in the world. Our Home - The girls who come to Hekima Place have experienced profound hardships, traumas, or losses in their young lives. We welcome girls of all ages and backgrounds. Some of our girls have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, while others were forced into household servitude or ended up on the street. Some children come to us from impoverished informal settlements (slums) in urban areas. In these environments, abuse, neglect, and malnutrition are all too common, especially for children who have lost one or both parents. Other girls have come from rural villages and traditional pastoralist communities, where families often teeter on the brink of extreme poverty and life-threatening illness. In the most traditional communities, girls rarely graduate from eighth grade, and female genital mutilation (FGM) is still commonly practiced. For children to succeed academically and develop emotionally, they must first feel safe, loved, and valued. Our girls are given the love and care they need to grow into curious, confident young women. Our philosophy of consistency and patience, along with high but reasonable expectations, is allowing our girls to thrive–whatever their background or family circumstances. Our School - As of 2013, Kenya is still among the ten countries with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. According to the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (www.ungei.org), 46.5% of girls in Kenya get married and have children before reaching the age of 18. The literacy rate of girls lags behind boys, and even though the primary school population is evenly divided, girls comprise only 46% of secondary students and 38% of college students. These girls grow up at a disadvantage economically, politically, and socially, often for the rest of their lives. Even when girls are able to graduate from primary and secondary school, they continue to face daunting challenges. The unemployment rate in Kenya hovers around 40%, with the informal and unregulated sector representing an enormous percentage of the overall economy. The youth unemployment rate is estimated to be even higher, around 65%, one of the highest in the world. Without an advanced degree or certificate, underprivileged girls in Kenya have little chance of breaking the cycle of poverty. As we prepare our girls to become future citizens and leaders, we must give them the best education possible. High-caliber schools in our region of Kenya are urgently needed, not only for the girls of Hekima Place but also for children from nearby rural villages and towns. Providing education for Kenyan girls is especially critical, as research has shown that when young girls and women are educated, they are able to care better for their children and lead their communities and families out of poverty. Opened in 2020, Hekima Hills Learning Centre serves the orphaned and vulnerable girls living at Hekima Place along with children from the community from pre-kindergarten through Grade 6. Our school is uniquely positioned in the community by providing a faith-based education to over 220 children centered on love. We provide the children with the resources and tools they need to succeed where each student receives a full set of books for their own use, and access to a cutting-edge computer lab, science lab, and life skills centre. Our core values include joy, discipline, creativity, faith, trust, and a love of learning and our curriculum empowers the children to grow into successful and self-sustained individuals. How We Are Unique - Hekima Place was designed to provide an intimate, family-like environment: our campus is made up of small cottages; evening meals are communal; and we travel as a family to school, church, and other outings. Dedicated, full-time Kenyan housemothers (“mums”) care for and provide guidance for the younger girls, and older girls have chores in their own cottages and around the campus, including helping to care for their younger sisters. Meanwhile, visitors from around the world come to share their time, energy, and love, often becoming friends and mentors to the girls for years to come. Our school was built on love and a positive learning environment. Where other schools in Kenya are overcrowded and not conducive to learning, our classrooms are designed for only 30 students which allows for more one on one learning! We believe every child is deserving of love, dignity, and care. We are committed to giving the children who live and learn with us the opportunity to thrive and to grow into happy, productive adults. We invest in the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of every child, at whatever point in their lives they reach us.

HEKIMA PLACE INC
5607 Baum Blvd
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206
United States
Phone 4127458400
Twitter @hekimaplace
Unique Identifier 203153378