What is KWO?
Kenya Widows and Orphans Ministries is a non-profit orphan’s care ministry based in Midland, Texas. What began as an evangelistic work of the Golf Course Road Church of Christ, grew into a network of churches with a heart for the lost and the hurting.
Those churches only needed funding and some guidance to transform into a Kenyan-led orphan’s care system that is sustainable and relevant to the local area.
With 16 full-care homes and 22 feeding stations, KWO funds the care of 2,735 orphans and widows throughout rural Kenya.
How KWO Is Different
Because of the way KWO was started, God provided a template for a sustainable ministry. Our Kenyan leaders are men and women that we have long-term relationships with who have proven themselves trustworthy over many years.
The churches these leaders have planted provide the land for the facilities and spiritual support for the home as well as some financial support for the project. Care for the orphans (KWO Kids) is provided by local widows (Caring Mothers) who are in need so we serve both groups well.
All day-to-day decisions are made by our Kenyan leaders. No Americans live in Kenya to lead this work.
As more of our KWO Kids grow up, we are committed to mentoring them to become our leaders of tomorrow.
Caring For Orphans
The main thrust of our work is the funding of children’s homes attached to local churches. At these homes, every KWO Kid gets a clean, safe place to live, food, healthcare and a free education.
Most importantly they also find a loving family and a Christ-centered upbringing.
Some Kenyan orphans have a relative like a grandparent or aunt that they can live with, they just need some support.
At our Feeding Stations, we provide two meals a day for all of these KWO Kids so that their families and the local church can concentrate on providing for their education and other needs.
Empowering Widows
Widows in rural Kenya can be very vulnerable. Many widows find it almost impossible to make enough money to care for their kids. To support these women, KWO offers them a monthly stipend in exchange for helping us to care for the orphans.
Each Caring Mother lives on-site at the children’s home or feeding station at no cost. Both the widows and their kids receive the same benefits as all our KWO Kids, including food, healthcare and a free education.
Breaking The Cycle of Poverty
We believe the best way to break the cycle of poverty in the developing world is to ensure every child gets a quality education. All KWO Kids in our children’s homes receive a free education through high school.
We have also established a Vocational Training Center to teach life skills that are relevant in the job market in Kenya, giving them the chance to provide for themselves. Every KWO Kid who ages out of our system is eligible to attend.