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Giving the Elderly a Home 

Kariobangi Cheshire Home was opened by Sr. Victoire Kennedy FMSA to serve a great need.  Kariobangi lies on the outskirts of Nairobi.  Its primary focus is the care of destitute, frail and vulnerable elderly people.

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Sr. Ivanna, Residents and Staff
At this centre, several Franciscan Sisters carry out a ministry of care and concern, ably assisted by several lay co-workers.

Some thirty-five elderly residents receive continuous twenty-four hour care.  A further 300 elderly people, suffering from leprosy, post-polio paralysis and blindness from the adjacent Korogocho slums join weekly with the residents for a hefty meal, relaxation and entertainment.  At the end of the day all receive parcels of food and clothing to take home.

Sr. Ivanna Ennemoser states..."We provide each one with the best diet we can afford to keep them health in mind and body." 

The Home provides a two-pronged care programme:  Those weak and feeble, requiring nursing care reside in the Home.  Those who are capable of carrying out daily personal care become part of the day care programme.
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Sr. Margaret Josephine and friends


If an elderly person becomes sick or dependent, they then come into residential care.  All are given the benefit of medical care during their weekly visits to the centre.  For those with no family to support them, the Cheshire Home offers a model that could be replicated in other areas of need.  The Home, run by the F.M.S.A. depends on funds locally and internationally.

Any interaction with residents and staff members is that of a close-knit family.  This haven for the elderly is their only home, and as a consequence, a family atmosphere of love and support is seen as all-important in the restoration of dignity and concern for those in their declining years. 

                                                                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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