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RNCH Webuye, Kenya - Meet the robins currently living in this home.

Community Information

Kenya is a country ravaged by drought, poverty and disease. 20% of Kenyans are HIV-positive and hundreds of children are orphaned daily as a result. There are currently around 550,000 HIV/Aids orphans.

Webuye is a bustling village located in mid-west Kenya on the east coast of Africa. The town has a pulp and paper mill and a water purification station, which provide most of the work for locals. Having access to water is a major blessing to the orphanage, helping to keep at bay the ravages of drought and famine that many Kenyans suffer.

The main languages spoken in the area are Swahili and English. The predominant religion is Islam and the culture is riddled with the occult and witchcraft, which promotes extreme superstition.

A typical home is constructed with cement floor, hand-made mud-brick walls and corrugated iron roof. Furniture and utensils are extremely basic. The average diet consists of maize and beans and they mostly use coal to cook with. They don’t have refrigerators.

Common health problems include HIV/Aids, malnutrition, malaria and skin and eye conditions.

About the home

RNCH Webuye began with three robins and officially opened on 3 May 2004 with a special ceremony attended by local dignitaries and members of Agape Christian Church. View pictures from the official opening.

As things move slowly in Kenya, they were delighted to finally receive their legal certificate to support the children late 2005. This means that RNCH Webuye is now officially registered with the Kenyan government to receive overseas funds.

“I wish you could have seen the children’s faces and heard them squeal with joy! They squealed with the very thought that someone was actually going to take care of them.” Jackson Ongeri – the children’s reaction on the day of the official opening.

House parents Leah and Jotham Simiyu were selected, following a formal interview process, for their compassion and ability to care for the children. They are members of Jackson’s church and are very humble people, with the children’s livelihood being their sole ministry.

The home is very modestly furnished with the essentials and although based in Webuye, it is accepting some of Kenya’s neediest children from further afield than its immediate area.


Kenya Orphanage Committee

The orphanage committee comprises three pastors from Deliverance Church, their wives and lawyer Roselyne Ekirapa Aburili LLB (Hons) NRB. DIP Law (KSL) NRB. Roselyne is an active church member and was elected President of the orphanage committee for her legal and orphanage expertise.

Until Robin’s Nest was established, members of Pastor Jackson and Grace Ongeri’s church were travelling regularly to outer villages to care for children. They were finding that the distance hindered regular care and greatly reduced the children’s chance of survival.

Having a home closer to medical care, food, water and other necessities means that children who come into their care now have a far greater chance of living a reasonably normal and healthy life.

“We thank God so much now that this dream has come true. It’s exciting to see how the once desperate and desolate children are now happy and enjoying themselves.” Grace and Jackson Ongeri, co-founders of RNCH Webuye and Field Partners, 10 May 2004


RNCH Agra, India- Meet the robins currently living in this home.

Community Information

India is a country ravaged by poverty and disease, where 400 million people live below the poverty line and a baby is born every minute.

Agra is a large, chaotic yet exciting city located in central northern India with a population of more than 1.4 million. Being the home of the Taj Mahal and other architectural attractions, its major industry is tourism. The main languages spoken in the area are Hindi, Urdu and English.

The main religion in Agra is Hindu, then there is Muslim, Jain and Buddhism. Witchcraft and human sacrifice is still practiced today among some of those religions. Christians are in the minority in the city and violently opposed by other religions.

For the fortunate ones, a typical home is constructed of cement and corrugated iron or tiled roof. Furniture and utensils are simple. Raw sewage lines the cobbled or dirt roads where cows and other animals roam freely. Religious tension is strong, especially against Christians. Occult practices are rife, promoting extreme superstition.

The average diet consists of rice, curry dishes, dahl and vegetables. Common health problems in Agra include malnutrition and stomach conditions such as gastroenteritis due to poor hygienic environments and practice, and inability to afford medical care.

About the home

RNCH India was officially opened on 11 September 2005 with three orphaned children. It now cares for nine children, however the need is so much greater. This is why we are trying to raise funds to invest in a purpose-built facility a little out of town where there is room to grow.

The home environment is a high-poverty, densely populated area of the city. Raw sewage borders the main walkways. Cows, dogs and other animals roam freely, as does the traffic. The heat is oppressive and draining in the summer and keeps you, your clothing, bedding and well, most things, constantly damp.

Pastor Harry Singh has been battling against the religious hatred towards his family, school, church and fellow Christians for many years, but continues tirelessly in his work to provide for young children in poverty and teaching women sewing skills to provide for themselves and their families. Read testimonials about Harry’s work.

Robin’s Nest is currently located in a large renovated room above Harry’s modest three-room concrete house. By day, the beds are pushed aside for the school classes where Harry runs his slums school project. Harry and Premvati often pay for the children to attend school in cases where their family is in dire poverty.

Of the new purpose-built facility, Robin reports “We are in the process of building a protective 12 foot stone wall around the orphanage to be. Just recently, an orphanage in northern India was attacked by Hindus and one of the children was stoned to death. I'm so thankful we have the money to build this wall. It will cost $3,800 and as soon as they finish building it we will begin to build the orphanage. It is so exciting! The initial building will be $6,500 but we’ll need funds after that to furnish it with refrigerator, stoves, bunk beds, etc.”

Harry’s son Joseph is managing the administration and financial affairs for the home, putting a lot into this labour of love. “Praise God for the servant Heart of Joseph and the hours he's putting into administration and organisation for Robin’s Nest. He does this after work of his own free will. Pray that God blesses him and his family richly.” Robin Byrnes



Agra India Orphanage Committee

Harry heads up the RNCH committee. It comprises seven people with complementary skills (pastors, parents, teacher, social worker, lawyer) who volunteer their time and services to ensure the home operates in a sound manner.





RNCH Buragawn, Jhansi - Meet the robins currently living in this home.

Community information
Jhansi is a five-hour train trip south of Agra. The state of the people in this village is very sad. They are very poor and most of the children walk around in rags. The village practices strict Hindu religion and their mother tongue is Hindi. The country village is surrounded by fields and it’s common to see women balancing on their heads silver water containers or large bundles of straw and sticks for fires. Other common sights are the occasional roaming cow, goats, chickens, barking dogs and crowing rosters. The village people share with the robins a very large, deep well for community bathing and drinking directly outside of the orphanage. There is a lovely little church next to the home as well.

About the home
Thanks to generous sponsors, we were able to open the Buragawn, Jhansi home in December 2006. The children come from poverty-affected, neighbouring rural villages and most are orphaned. Pastor Emmanuel Lyall and his wife Ajue care for the children in a make-shift, rented facility. View the building.

The children receive free education, which they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to obtain, and three meals a day. They have a bed to sleep on, a roof over their heads and loving care.

The school is held in the building that they live in. It’s like a big community hall but has a few rooms plus a kitchen and toilet. It's conveniently located beside the village well. The village children get their education free along with the robins.

Pastor Emmanuel has a vision to start up a sewing school for girls to get them out of the cycle of poverty imposed by the caste system. This will give them skills, a career and a future to live independently as productive citizens.

He also wants to develop sustainability by growing fruit and vegetables and having cows, chickens, goats and to market the sewing from the school.

There are also numerous ministry opportunities working in the deprived villages adjacent to Buragawn in partnership with Pastor Emmanuel.