Giving Back

Giving back is part of our values, which is why in 2007 Cathy Mendell and her husband, Arlan Mendell, founded Orphanages of Kenya in 2007 after Arlan visited Kenya as a volunteer.

Kenya has an estimated 2.5 million orphans in Kenya with almost half of them being orphaned due to AIDS. In Kenya, 1,000 people a day die from AIDS. As the AIDS epidemic progresses, the number of parental deaths increases conversely increasing the number of orphans in the country. Many orphans are born with HIV, AIDS, or both, or contract it from their mother's milk. 

When Arlan returned, he could not shake his experience in Kenya. One benefit of creating a solid financial foundation for yourself and your loved ones is that it gives you the privilege to help those who are less fortunate. Arlan and Cathy understood that they might be able to make a small difference by helping kids who have very few opportunities in life, so they founded Orphanages of Kenya. 

In 2007, ten children found refuge in the first and very small orphanage inside of the Githogoral, Kenya slums. Since then, Orphanages of Kenya has grown to care for 55 children and moved to a three-and-a-half acre plot of land on the Kenyan Savannah where fresh air is abundant and healthy food, education, and love are found. As a result, numerous children who had no hope can now gain the skills and resources necessary to thrive. 

If you’d like to hear more about Orphanages of Kenya, click the button below.