Educating Girls, Transforming Lives

In Kenya, education is a privilege many girls will never experience. We're changing that—one scholarship at a time.

The Crisis: "Send Your Girl Child to School"

Jeanne James in Nairobi, 1995
Jeanne James in Nairobi, 1995—when her passion for educating girls was born

In 1995, Jeanne James was living in Nairobi with her family during their missionary year when she saw a television commercial that would change her life: "Send your girl child to school."

The commercial revealed a heartbreaking truth. In Kenya, a former British colony, education is so expensive that extended families must pool their resources to send just ONE child to school. Cultural tradition dictates that the child will be the boy showing the most promise.

Girls are left behind—not because they lack potential, but because their families simply cannot afford to educate them.

For uneducated girls in Kenya, the consequences are devastating. Without family support or economic options, they face exploitation, abuse, and desperate circumstances. In rural areas, they are vulnerable to dangers that protected girls never encounter. In cities like Nairobi, arriving without family networks, they are forced into survival situations that rob them of dignity and future.

Education isn't just opportunity—it's protection. It's safety. It's dignity. It's hope.

The Partnership: Sister Freda's Foundation

In 1996, Dr. Tim James traveled to Kitale, Kenya, with a medical mission team from Saddleback Church. There, he met a remarkable Kenyan woman named Freda Wafula Robinson—known to everyone as "Sister Freda."

Sister Freda's Story

Sister Freda knows poverty firsthand. Born in 1950 to a struggling family, she walked daily to Kitale Primary School, passed her examinations, and was admitted to Nasokol Girls High School. She excelled and qualified for advanced classes—but couldn't continue due to a lack of school fees.

Despite this setback, Freda pursued nursing, earning her diploma and working at Mt. Elgon Private Hospital for 15 years. But she couldn't forget the "countless people suffering" she witnessed—those too poor to reach a hospital or afford medical care.

In 1995, with her British husband Richard Robinson, Sister Freda opened a small clinic to serve the poorest in Kitale. That clinic grew into a full medical center, then a hospital. But Sister Freda's vision didn't stop there.

She knew that health alone wasn't enough. Girls needed education. They needed protection. They needed an opportunity.

Nzoia College of Nursing sign in Kitale
Nzoia College of Nursing—where Children's H.E.L.P. scholarships are transforming lives
1995
Sister Freda Foundation Established
2010
Nzoia College of Nursing Opens
2014
Dr. Ken Gerdes Girls High School Opens

What Sister Freda Built

Today, Sister Freda's Foundation operates on a single campus 15km south of Kitale Town:

  • Sister Freda Medical Centre & Hospital — Full medical care, 24/7
  • Dr. Ken Gerdes Girls High School — One of the best performing private schools in Trans Nzoia County
  • Nzoia College of Nursing — Training diploma-level registered nurses
  • Nursery School & Feeding Program — For vulnerable children ages 3-6
  • HIV/AIDS Testing & Counseling
  • Mobile Clinics — Reaching remote villages, slums, and refugee camps

This is where Children's H.E.L.P. scholarships transform lives. Girls who would never have the chance to attend school are now living in safe boarding facilities, receiving excellent education, and preparing for professional careers.

Education Opens Every Door

The same transformation that educated Meshack Simati is now happening for GIRLS—who face even greater barriers.

The C.HELP Pipeline

When Children's H.E.L.P. provides a scholarship to an orphaned or impoverished girl, we're not just paying school fees. We're providing:

🛡️ Safety & Protection

Safe boarding school environment on Sister Freda's Christian campus, away from exploitation and abuse

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Extended Family Network

Christian community of staff, teachers, and supporters—no girl is alone or abandoned

📚 Excellent Education

High-quality academics at one of Trans Nzoia County's best-performing schools

🎓 Multiple Career Pathways

Graduates pursue:

  • Nursing — Nzoia College of Nursing (right on campus!)
  • Law — University programs in Nairobi
  • Teaching — Education degrees
  • Medicine — Medical school
  • Business — Professional careers

💼 Economic Independence

Professional careers mean these young women support themselves AND their families—breaking the cycle of poverty for the next generation

✝️ Spiritual Foundation

Christ-centered environment teaching self-worth, purpose, and hope

"We're not just educating girls. We're protecting them. We're giving them dignity, independence, and hope. We're showing them they are valued, loved, and have a God-given purpose."

— Jeanne James, Co-Founder, Children's H.E.L.P.

The First Student: Dr. Meshack Simati

Dr. Meshack Simati

Proof of What's Possible

Associate Professor of Political Science
California State University, San Marcos

Before Children's H.E.L.P. officially existed, before Sister Freda's girls' schools opened, there was Meshack Simati—a young man with a high school diploma and a dream.

In 1996, Dr. Tim James met Meshack while staying with missionary Harmon Parker (CNN Hero) in Kitale. Meshack had been accepted to Daystar University in Nairobi but had no way to pay. Dr. Tim prayed about it overnight and woke with his answer: he wrote the first check from his personal account.

That check—combined with Harmon Parker's mentorship—enabled Meshack to attend Daystar University, earn his Ph.D., and become an Associate Professor at Cal State San Marcos.

Meshack proved the concept: Education transforms lives. His story inspired the founding of Children's H.E.L.P. in 1999. Today, the same transformation is happening for dozens of girls through Sister Freda's schools.

View Dr. Simati's Faculty Profile

What happened for one young man in 1996 is now happening for young women who face even greater obstacles. Every girl educated through Children's H.E.L.P. at Sister Freda's schools is a testimony to what's possible when someone believes in their potential and opens the door of opportunity.

The Partner: Harmon Parker, CNN Hero

Harmon Parker, the missionary who introduced Dr. Tim to Meshack, has been recognized worldwide for his transformative work in Kenya.

Harmon Parker receives CNN Hero recognition for his work in Kenya

Change a Life Today

Right now, there are girls in Kenya who have the potential to become nurses, lawyers, teachers, and leaders—but without a Children's H.E.L.P. scholarship, they will never have the chance.

Your gift provides safety, education, dignity, and hope.

Help us sponsor the next generation of young women at Sister Freda's schools in Kitale.

Children's Health, Education & Leadership Project (H.E.L.P.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 33-0847988