Supporting Children Affected by a Mother's Incarceration in Kenya

When Kevin and Beatrice's mother went to prison in Kenya, they lost more than her presence in their lives. They lost the security of having a home.

For approximately a year and a half, the brother and sister lived without a stable place to call home. By the time Building Families For Tomorrow learned about them, Kevin was 15 and Beatrice was 13. Both were malnourished and had spent far too long facing circumstances no child should have to navigate alone.

Their experience illustrates a reality BFFT sees repeatedly: when a mother is incarcerated, her children experience the consequences too.

From Homelessness to Safety and Education

BFFT stepped in to provide the stability Kevin and Beatrice desperately needed. They were placed in school, received regular meals, a safe place to live, an education, and the opportunity to focus on being students rather than simply surviving from one day to the next.

With safety and stability came something equally important—the opportunity to imagine a future that once seemed out of reach.

From Surviving to College

Today, both Kevin and Beatrice are in college.

Their journey from homelessness and malnutrition to higher education demonstrates why caring for the children of incarcerated mothers in Kenya is an essential part of Building Families For Tomorrow's whole-family restoration model.

When children receive safety, education, encouragement, and consistent support, the circumstances surrounding a parent's incarceration do not have to determine their future.

At Building Families For Tomorrow, caring for children is also part of our work to break generational cycles of poverty and incarceration. By investing in Kevin and Beatrice when they were at their most vulnerable, BFFT didn't simply provide a safe place to live. We helped give them the stability and educational opportunities they needed to build a different future.

Once struggling simply to survive, Kevin and Beatrice are now pursuing college degrees and preparing to build independent lives of their own. Their journey is what transforming generations looks like.