What Does a Children’s Charity in Kenya Actually Do? A Look Inside GDPK’s Programs
“Children’s charity” is a phrase people use often, but it can mean very different things depending on the organization. Does it mean an orphanage? A school-building fund? A one-time relief effort after a crisis?
At Global Development Project Kenya (GDP Kenya), it means something specific: sustained, relationship-based programs that give children, youth, and families in Kenya the safety, education, and community support they need to thrive — not for a season, but for the long term.
Here’s a real look inside what that work actually looks like.
It Starts With Safety
For many of the children GDP Kenya serves, the first and most urgent need is safety. Our St. Rita campus provides safe housing and education for girls who are survivors of gender-based violence, early forced marriage, and trafficking. This isn’t emergency shelter in the temporary sense — it’s a stable, long-term environment where girls can heal, attend school, and rebuild a sense of security that many have never had.
Today, the St. Rita campus is East Africa’s first trauma-informed residential school for girls, which opened in Nyahururu, Kenya in March 2025. More than 40 girls are currently in care, with on-site health care as part of their day-to-day support — and over 2,000 girls are on the active waiting list, a number that reflects just how urgent this need is across the region. Girls who move through St. Rita don’t age out into nothing: the program leads directly into GDP Kenya’s Women’s Empowerment movement, which reaches 5,500 women annually through quarterly summits, trauma training, and ongoing mentorship.
It Continues Through Leadership Development
Safety alone isn’t enough — children and youth also need somewhere to grow. GDP Kenya’s leadership centers, including the GDP Multiplex Center in Mombasa (built on the same site where our founders began this work in 1991), give young people a place to develop skills, build confidence, and connect with mentors who show up consistently over years, not just for a single event.
This is also where our quarterly Youth Empowerment Summits fit in, which brings hundreds of young people together across Kenya to learn leadership skills, build cross-cultural friendships, and take home tools they can use in their own communities.
It Reaches the Whole Family
Children don’t grow up in isolation, which is why GDP Kenya’s work extends to the women and families around them. Our women’s empowerment programs and Women’s Conferences build community and economic opportunity for mothers and caregivers, because a child’s stability is deeply tied to the stability of the household they come home to.
It Includes the Basics Too
Clean water, safe facilities, and reliable resources are foundational to everything else. GDP Kenya’s clean water initiatives ensure that the communities we work in have access to one of the most basic building blocks of health and stability.
Why “Sustained” Matters
A lot of what makes a children’s charity effective isn’t visible in a single photo or donation receipt, it is the years of consistency behind it. GDP Kenya’s work in Kenya began in 1991, and many of the leadership centers established in that first decade are still active today. That kind of longevity is rare, and it’s part of why we believe relationships, not just resources, are at the center of real, lasting change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What programs does GDP Kenya run for children? GDP Kenya’s core programs for children and youth include the St. Rita campus (safe housing and education for girls), leadership development centers across Kenya, quarterly Youth Empowerment Summits, and clean water initiatives that support the communities children live in.
Is GDP Kenya only focused on children, or does it help families too? Both. While much of our work centers on children and youth, GDP Kenya also runs women’s empowerment programs and Women’s Conferences, recognizing that a child’s wellbeing is closely tied to the stability of their family and community.
How is GDP Kenya different from an orphanage? GDP Kenya isn’t an orphanage. Our programs are designed around long-term community development, leadership, and family support rather than residential care alone — though the St. Rita campus does provide safe housing specifically for girls who need it.
How long has GDP Kenya been working in Kenya? Our work began in 1991 in Mombasa and has continued for over three decades. We formally registered as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2023 to support the growth of that same long-running work.
How can I get involved with GDP Kenya’s programs for children? You can support our programs through a donation, sponsor a specific initiative, or get involved directly through a mission trip to Kenya. Visit gdpkenya.org to learn more.
