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Welcome to Tumaini Home of Hope Tumaini Home of Hope was born out Joan Smiths determination to help children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Some years ago Joan Smith, an ex-probation officer from Kent, England, retired to the shores of Mombasa, Kenya and while doing voluntary work at a hospital clinic she was asked to help a small girl who was very ill. After giving her hospital treatment she was taken into the care of her uncle. Some months passed and Joan was anxious to find out how the little girl was keeping. She learned to her distress that, because the child had AIDS her uncle had taken her out into the bush and abandoned her, leaving her on her own to die. The seed to help these children was sown, and has spent her retirement tirelessly working to establishing, building, maintaining and improving the orphanage she has founded.
Mothers that abandon their babies often do so because they believe that they are HIV positive or have AIDS and therefore think their baby has no hope. However, not all babies born to mothers with AIDS will contract AIDS. When tested immediately after birth virtually all babies born to mothers who have tested HIV positive will return a positive result. But an HIV positive result in a baby does not mean that it will develop into AIDS. Since Tumaini opened in 2006, two children who when initially admitted to Home tested positive for HIV are now testing negative.' ‘Tumaini’ is a Swahili word for ‘hope’. The Home accepts children (via Kenyan social Services) between the ages of 0-5 who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. It provides a home, lots of loving care, and comfort to these unfortunate young children until they reach adulthood. The standard of the care provided by the staff of the Home is excellent with trained nurses and a cook included on the staff. The building is purpose built and well maintained with plans for expansion also being considered.
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