Oasis of Hope: Safe spaces in Mathare
In the middle of Mathare North, one of Nairobi’s most crowded neighbourhoods, Oasis of Hope Community Ministry opens its doors every Saturday to children who have a lot to carry for their age. Many have experienced homelessness, hunger, or long days of informal work. At Oasis of Hope they find something different: a hot meal, time to play, and adults who know their names.
Creating a home away from home
Led by Pastor Joash Okelo and a dedicated team of volunteers, Oasis of Hope offers housing support, education, recreation, nutrition and spiritual care to children from three to fifteen years old. The centre gives them a safe place to learn, laugh, and simply be children, even as families around them face food insecurity, unstable incomes and the after-effects of recent floods in Nairobi.
Oasis of Hope is part of a wider vision to support vulnerable children in Kenya, including a children’s village and school in Mbita, western Kenya, where land has been set aside to host orphaned children who would otherwise have nowhere to go.
Bringing social and financial education to Saturday club
In 2024, Oasis of Hope joined the Aflatoun network and began integrating Social and Financial Education into its Saturday programme. Using the AflaTot and AflaToun curricula, facilitators weave simple money and life lessons into games, songs and stories.
Children learn to tell the difference between needs and wants, practise saving small amounts, and discuss how to care for themselves and others. They also explore their rights and responsibilities, how to solve problems peacefully, and how to plan for the future.
Facilitators Judith Moraa Abere and Jemima Michael share that children have become more confident in speaking up, more thoughtful about how they use money, and more willing to help at home and in their community. Parents say they are surprised to hear their children talk about saving, sharing and planning rather than only “spending now”.
Walking alongside children in crisis
Mathare North faces many overlapping challenges: crowded housing, limited access to healthcare and safe play spaces, and frequent shocks such as rising food prices or flooding. For children growing up in this context, the combination of a safe community space and practical skills can be life changing.
During a recent visit by members of Aflatoun’s Supervisory Board, children proudly presented what they had learnt from their Aflatoun activities. Simple savings boxes, group discussions and role-plays showed how quickly they were putting ideas into practice.
Why this partnership matters
For Aflatoun, partnering with Oasis of Hope means standing with a local ministry that knows its community well and is present week after week, even when emergencies hit. For Oasis of Hope, Aflatoun’s curricula offer structured, child-friendly tools that turn big ideas like rights, responsibilities and financial planning into activities children can understand.
Together we are helping children in Mathare North build the confidence, social skills and financial habits they need to shape their own futures.
Thank you, Oasis of Hope Community International, for creating an oasis of safety, learning and hope for children in Nairobi and beyond.