Children

On 02 June 2010, a woman took notice of a young mother and her approximately 2 months old baby on our beach.  The mother was sitting on the baby, and it looked like she was planning to asphyxiate it.

Our Nice View family is growing… On 13 June 2009, we received once again a phone call from the Youth Welfare Office. A newborn cannot stay with his mother and needs to be picked up. 

On 21 November 2009, we were called to come to the hospital in Msambweni. What we found at the hospital was a malnourished 14-month old girl named Naomi. A mother, entirely desperate or confused, sat at the sick bed with her three little children: Neema around 3 years old, Naomi and a three month old baby. 

In July 2007, a local acquaintance told me about a mentally unstable woman in an advanced state of pregnancy spending everyday in a shopping centre near the tourist centre Diani Beach. My acquaintance asked me for advice, how this woman could be helped. We decided to observe her and to talk her into giving birth to her baby in a hospital. This wasn't easy but most of the shop owners in the shopping centre were prepared to help the young woman. Little Caroline was born on July 10, 2007 and was well cared for by all the helpers.

On Friday, 05 December 2008, I (Gudrun Dürr) accompanied the sick Mwanasha to our general practitioner Dr. Mashanga. In the clinic I received a phone call from the Youth Welfare Office with the request if we could accommodate additional children. They approached us, since recently two difficult cases were assigned to another home in Ukunda.

On Friday, 26.01.07, Gudrun was informed by the Youth Welfare Office in Kwale that a little baby has been found next to a waterhole in the bush near the Tanzanian border, and that has been brought to the hospital in Msambweni. Immediately after she had received the message, Gudrun went to the hospital to meet the baby boy - approximately one year old - with big and sad eyes, and she got the idea that he is suffering from pain. The woman who has found him was with him.

May 2005: Karibu Neema! Karibu means welcome and we dearly welcome little Neema in our Nice View family. Neema was found abandoned approximately 5 days old. The baby was initially brought to the hospital for examination and care.

A little girl, reduced to a skeleton and approximately 3 weeks old, was found in a bush, nearby Diani-Beach (South Coast). In fact her chances to survive were little, since she weighed two kilograms only and had problems in breathing. But she was lucky, a Youth Welfare Officer brought her to us in Nice View and we immediately took her to the hospital for examination. She received drugs and nutritious food. Now, after 1 week of intensive care, we can see her improving significantly. We are confidence and hope she will survive. Since she came nameless to us, we call her now Jolene.

In the afternoon of September 27, 2008 we received an urgent call from the hospital in Msambweni. I (Gudrun Dürr) was asked to have a look at a four-year-old boy in the children's medical unit as soon as possible. Such a request is always linked to the question whether the respective child would find a place to live at Nice View. At once, Paulah, a staff member in the kindergarten, and I went to the hospital and after completing several formalities we were led to Nicolas' bed.

Begin of April 2006, Samuel, his little sister Sherine and his mother were found in the bush, almost starved, and brought to the hospital. After taking care of the children in the hospital for two weeks, Samuel and Sherine came to us. After on week, Sherine's suffering was over, and since also his mother passed away End of May, Samuel is now the only survivor of this little family. According to the physicians and his dental status, Samuel is 3, and perhaps even 5 years old.

Shani came to us on Thursday, 5th of August 2004, and has somewhat settled down in the meantime. He becomes 6 months on 18 August 2004 and needs a lot of attention and love. He is a friendly baby and smiles when you carry him. He definitely did not experience a lot of love and warmth, since his family has a lot of problems. His mother is approximately 16 years old and was raped. The rapist was put in prison, but this did not really help the family. The misery was too big. The father of his mother has eight children and her mother had run away.

After we have found out that the mother of Micky and Juma is still alive, we arranged a meeting with her concerning the birth certificates of her sons. Since the meeting took place at the home of their grandmother, Micky and Juma as well as Mwanajuma and Ibrahim (their mothers were sisters) joined us.

A young woman handed over her baby to a secretary in an office in Kwale, with the request to take care of him for a few minutes, since she wanted to go to the bathroom. She did not come back, after waiting for a long time and looking for the mother, and the secretary brought the small boy, approximately 7 months old to the Youth Welfare Office. From there, he was brought to a nearby children's home that wasn’t able to take care of a baby. So, the baby was somehow kept alive, but became very sick. 

As told by Francis: Four brothers had to accept constant changes of location, due to the fathers work. Francis, the oldest, had suffered most, since he had to always change school. In June 2006, he left school in the 5th class. Martin, who is now 7 years old, never went to school. Ndolo is already 5 years old and has never attended kindergarten.

On Friday, 13 February 2009, two siblings, who are situated in an extreme emergency according to the Youth Welfare Office, were adopted. The girl, Trix is 9 years old, her brother Boni 11.

To date we do not know the exact story of the siblings, there are a number of contradicting stories, and Gudrun and our social worker Cosmas are currently investigating the case. The traces even lead to Western Kenya.

Anna has been with us since November 2001. Her single mother died in a car accident and she later came to live with her grandmother, who got then very ill. We decided to accommodate her. She had a hard time and was very fearful at first, cried a lot and did not speak a word. But she settled down very fast in Nice View. Meanwhile she talks a lot, sings, dances and plays with the other children. Anna feels now at home in Nice View and pleases us. We got fond of her and she has now a special place in our hearts. She has attended the private kindergarten since February 2002.

As told by Francis: Four brothers had to accept constant changes of location, due to the fathers work. Francis, the oldest, had suffered most, since he had to always change school. In June 2006, he left school in the 5th class. Martin, who is now 7 years old, never went to school. Ndolo is already 5 years old and has never attended kindergarten.

On Friday, 13 February 2009, two siblings, who are situated in an extreme emergency according to the Youth Welfare Office, were adopted. The girl, Trix is 9 years old, her brother Boni 11.

To date we do not know the exact story of the siblings, there are a number of contradicting stories, and Gudrun and our social worker Cosmas are currently investigating the case. The traces even lead to Western Kenya.

On 06 July 2008, a Sunday morning, Gudrun received a phone call from the police station in our village Msambweni. A small boy had been brought there by a villager. The villager saw the boy all alone on the main road (between Msambweni & Lunga Lunga) and asked him why he was alone that late at night. The boy told him that he was looking for his aunt who lived in Msambweni. He walked alone all the way from the border of Tanzania to Msambweni (approximately 65 km) and had eaten only mangoes.

It is difficult to say 'No' when children are in need. Therefore, we decided to accommodate four more children on November 26th, 2008. We wanted to avoid the situation of their getting separated and spread over different children's homes. Since it is now getting quite crowded in the children's house, we pushed on with the furnishing of the girl's house, and hope that the first girls can move in January.

Amina lived with her grandmother after her father died. Her mother is in a clinic for mentally disabled people. She never went to school, since her grandmother and her family are very poor and nobody could come up with the required school fees. When Amina came to Nice View, she was very scared and socially inhibited. Now she is a very balanced child and is always cheerful. She feels at home in Nice View. Amina goes since 2001 to a private school. In her spare time she likes to play “Mensch ärgere Dich nicht” or other games and to tingle.

Mwanasha lived after the death of her parents with her grandmother under very poor conditions. She could not go to school, since nobody could pay the fees. When she came to Nice View, she was very intimidated and without vitality, but after a short while she was again in love with life. Now she is a very kind and musical girl. With her friends she has entertained us many evenings with singing and dancing. Since January 2002 she goes to a private school and has improved her marks. She is very diligently at school.