Meet the Children at the Open Arms Village

We now have 42 children who are in Open Arms International's care in Eldoret, Kenya! Forty of our children live at the Open Arms Village in three homes, with a set of house parents in each home, while our two babies are cared for by our OAI Kenya staff. House parents Peter and Stella Kimeli brought their three biological children Praise, Melody, and Gloria with them to the Village, house parents Joel and Sally have biological children Tim and Caleb, and house parents Paul and Sarah have Caleb, Abigail and Victor.

Each child at the Village is sponsored. Since OAI cares for every need each child has, including shelter, caregivers, food, clothing, education, medical care, etc., our sponsor parents are "Partner Parents." This means that five sponsors team up together to care for an individual child. Most of our children are available for sponsorship. Please fill out a request for sponsorship here or contact Camille Cotton, child sponsorship coordinator, if you would like to sponsor a child: camille@openarmsinternational.com.

Abel

Abel is an 11-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brother Joseph from the OAI feeding program in the Kambi Teso slum of Eldoret, Kenya. He loves sports, excels in his math class at school, and wants to be a pilot when he grows up.





Abigail

Abigail is the 13-year-old daughter of house parents, Paul and Sarah. Her favorite subject in school is science and she loves music. Abigail wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

Beatrice

Beatrice is a 3-year-old girl who was found wandering the streets of Eldoret. She now has a safe and secure home with a loving family at the Open Arms Village.







Belinda

Belinda, or Belle for short, was rescued by Open Arms in August 2009 at just two months old. She lived on the streets from the time she was born, and her mother was addicted to glue, giving Belle glue to sniff as well. God spared this precious baby's life by bringing her to Open Arms.




Caleb

Caleb is the 1-year-old son of house parents Joel and Sally. He and his brother, Tim, now have many new brothers and sisters at the Village!







Caleb

Caleb is an 11-year-old boy, and is the oldest son of house parents Paul and Sarah. He loves music and wants to be a doctor when he grows up. Caleb is excited to have many new brothers and sisters at the Open Arms Village!





Collins

Collins is an 11-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brother, Gad. Collins loves to play soccer (or football) with his new brothers and sisters. He would like to be a teacher when he grows up.






Desmond

Desmond is a 10-year-old boy who was found on the streets of Eldoret by the police and put in prison for a while before he was moved to a rescue center. He now has a home at the Open Arms Village. Desmond loves sports and wants to be a doctor when he grows up.





Diana

Diana is a 2-year-old girl. OAI rescued her at 5 months, when she was found malnourished, weighing only 8 pounds, and was listless and lethargic. She is now a healthy, happy, and vibrant girl who always has a smile on her face.





Esther

Esther is a newborn baby girl who came to Open Arms on August 5, 2009. She is what's known as a taboo baby, a baby born of incest. The custom in her tribe is to kill or abandon taboo babies, but the nurse at the hospital called Open Arms, and she was rescued.





Faith

Faith is a 9-year-old girl who was one of the first to come live at the Village. She came to OAI very shy and reserved, and while she is still a quiet child, she has opened up living at the Village and loves playing with her siblings. Faith dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up.

Gad

Gad is a 7-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brother, Collins. Before coming to the Village, Gad never spoke, but since living there, he has become the most outspoken little boy and is described as a comedian who makes everyone laugh. His dream is to become a teacher so he can teach children how to read and write.

Gloria

Gloria is the 4-year-old daughter of house parents Peter and Stella Kimeli. She and her two biological siblings, Praise and Melody, now have many brothers and sisters at the Village! Gloria is a vibrant young girl who loves music and dance. She started preschool this year at the Village.

Ian

Ian is a 7-year-old boy who came to live at the Village with his brother, Kelvin. Before coming to the Village, Ian never had the opportunity to attend school. Though he started late for his age, Ian is doing well in his class.

Isaac

Isaac is the 14-year-old brother of Naomi and Rhoda. He ran away from an abusive home for the first time in 2003. Over the next four years, social workers, teachers and other community members unsuccessfully tried to intervene and help his family change. When he finally felt he could not survive if he stayed at home, Isaac ran away to the streets. He at one point tried to return home, but found that his family had disappeared from the area. Three years later, his sister, Rhoda, recognized him at an event that she attended with Open Arms. Now, Isaac is reunited with his sisters in a safe home at the Village.


John

John is a 5-year-old boy who came to live at the Village with his sister, Ruth, following the post-election violence in Kenya. He had been living at an internally displaced persons camp before being rescued by OAI. John will start school this year and hopes to be a pilot when he grows up.

Joseph

Joseph is a 12-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brother Abel from the OAI feeding program in the Kambi Teso slum of Eldoret, Kenya. Joseph loves sports, his favorite subject in school is math, and he would like to be a doctor when he grows up.

Kelvin

Kelvin is an 11-year-old boy who came to live at the Village with his brother, Ian. Before coming to the Village, Kelvin was not able to go to school. He loves going to school now, and his favorite subject is English. He would like to be a pilot when he grows up.





Ken

Ken is a 13-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brothers, Zadock and Victor. He loves sports, his favorite subject in school is science, and he would like to be a doctor when he grows up.

Marion

Marion is a 7-year-old girl who came to the Village with her twin sister, Prudence, and younger sister, Mercy. Marion loves living at the Village because life is so much better than before. This is her first time attending school, and she would like to be a nurse when she grows up.




Martin


Martin is a 10-year-old boy who came to the Village in June 2010. He is an orphan who was living with relatives who neglected him and he came to the Village severely malnourished. He is now healthy and loved in his new home.

Mary

Mary is a 4-year-old girl who lost both of her parents to AIDS. She was severely malnourished and in very poor health, but she is flourishing under the love and care of her new parents and brothers and sisters.

Maurine

Maurine is a 7-year-old girl who was orphaned at birth. She is very humble and obedient and enjoys spending time with her new parents. She loves going to school and is happy to be first in her class. Maurine loves music and would like to be a teacher when she grows up.

Melody

Melody is a 7-year-old girl who came to the Village with her parents, Peter and Stella Kimeli, and her siblings, Praise and Gloria. She loves gospel music and dancing. Melody is first in her class, and her favorite subjects are English, science, and math. She would like to be a police-woman when she grows up.

Mercy

Mercy is a 5-year-old girl who came to the Village with older sisters Prudence and Marion. Mercy, whose nickname is Chumba, is just approaching school-going age and is beginning preschool this year. She can't wait for the time when she will have her very own school uniform and leave for school like the rest of the children.

Mercy

Mercy is a 14-year-old girl who came to the Village with her brother Robert. Mercy loves school, and her favorite subjects are English and math. She loves music and art. She says she prays that she will become a police-woman when she grows up.






Naomi

Naomi is a 7-year-old girl who came to the Village with her sister Rhoda. She loves art, her favorite subject in school is English, and when she grows up, she would like to be a nurse.

Phylis

Phylis is a 9-year-old girl who loves living at the Village. She enjoys sports and loves singing. She is doing well in school, and her best subjects are science and math. Phylis would like to be a teacher when she grows up.

Praise

Praise is a 10-year-old boy who came to the Village with his parents, Peter and Stella Kimeli, and siblings Gloria and Melody. Praise now has many brothers and sisters at the Village. He loves music and dance, his favorite school subjects are science and math, and he is first in his class.

Prudence

Prudence is a 7-year-old girl who came to live at the Village with her twin sister, Marion, and younger sister, Mercy. Prudence is a very polite and responsible girl who loves going to school. Before coming to the Village, Prudence did not attend school, but she is excelling in her classes.

Purity

Purity is a 9-year-old girl who came to live at the Village with her sister Winnie and nephew Victor. She likes singing and reading, her favorite school subjects are English and math, and she would like to be a doctor when she grows up.

Rachael

Rachael is a 9-year-old girl who came to the Village from the OAI feeding program in the Kambi Teso slum of Eldoret, Kenya. Previously a shy and scared child, Rachael has been smiling since she arrive and loves her new family. She is an active participant in her classes at school, loves math, and wants to be a doctor when she grows up.




Rhoda

Rhoda is a 10-year-old girl who came to the Village with her sister, Naomi. She loves art, her favorite subject in school is English, and when she grows up, she would like to be a teacher.






Risper

Risper is a 9-year-old girl who came to the Village in April 2010 after living with an abusive uncle. She loves art, her favorite subject in school is English, and she would like to be a doctor when she grows up.

Robert

Robert is an 8-year-old boy who came to the Village with his sister, Mercy. Robert is a gentle boy who says he has never been happier than living at the Village. He does well in school and dreams of becoming a policeman when he grows up.

Ruth

Ruth is a 10-year-old girl who came to the Village with her brother John following the post-election violence in Kenya. She and her brother were living at an internally displaced persons camp before being rescued by OAI. Ruth loves to dance, and her favorite subjects in school is English and Christian Religious Education. She hopes to be a meteorologist when she grows up.

Tim

Tim is the 4-year-old son of house parents Joel and Sally. He and his brother, Caleb, now have many new brothers and sisters at the Village!







Victor

Victor is a 6-year-old boy who came to live at the Village with his aunts Purity (age 8) and Winnie (age 14). Before living at the Village, Victor did not have the opportunity to attend school. He is now in school and loves it! He also enjoys sports.





Victor

Victor is a 7-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brothers, Ken and Zadock. He loves sports and his favorite subject in school is English.











Victor

Victor is the 15-year-old son of house parents, Paul and Sarah. He's great a science, which is his favorite subject in school. Victor loves music and wants to be a teacher when he grows up.

Winnie

Winnie is a 14-year-old girl who came to the Village with her sister, Purity, and her nephew, Victor. She loves music and crafts, her favorite subjects in school are English and math, and when she grows up, she would like to be a teacher.





Zadock

Zadock is a 5-year-old boy who came to the Village with his brothers, Ken and Victor. He loves art and his favorite subject in school is English.