Against All Odds

Joyce, John, Joan & Janie: Children Affected by Incarceration in Kenya

When Joyce was just twelve years old, she carried a burden no child should ever have to bear.

After their mother went to prison in Kenya, Joyce and her younger siblings, twins John and Joan, were sent to live with an uncle. Influenced by the belief that the children had "blood on their heads" because of their mother's imprisonment, he refused to care for them and later admitted that he was simply waiting for them to die.

By the time the children came to Building Families For Tomorrow, seven-year-old John and Joan looked no older than four. All three children were severely malnourished, suffering from parasites, and desperately in need of safety and care.

Finding Safety, Education, and Hope

At first, even eating regular meals made the children sick because their bodies were unaccustomed to having enough food. Slowly, with nutritious meals, medical care, a safe home, and the support of the BFFT family, they began to heal.

John and Joan started school for the first time, joining children much younger than themselves. Joyce entered Class 5, behind other students her age. But knowing her younger brother and sister were finally safe allowed Joyce to focus on her own education and begin imagining a different future.

A few years later, their youngest sister, Janie, joined them. She had been living inside prison with their mother until, at age four, she reached the age when she could no longer remain there.

For the first time in years, the four siblings were together in a safe and stable home.

From Survival to a Different Future

Today, all four siblings remain together and are building futures no one could have imagined when they first came to BFFT.

Joyce is now in college studying fashion and design. John and Joan are thriving in high school, and Janie is growing up with the safety, education, and stability every child deserves.

Their journey illustrates why Building Families For Tomorrow's work extends beyond women leaving prison. When a mother is incarcerated, her children are affected too. Without support, the consequences of incarceration and poverty can shape a child's education, health, safety, and future.

By caring for children while their mothers are incarcerated and supporting families through reunification and restoration, BFFT works to prevent those circumstances from defining the next generation.

What once seemed destined to end in tragedy has become a story of family restoration. Joyce, John, Joan, and Janie's future is no longer defined by fear, rejection, or their mother's incarceration, but by safety, education, opportunity, and the joy of being together again.