The ACF Story
Every story has a beginning. This is ours…
ACF STORY
The African Child Foundation is a non-profit organization run by volunteers to support Fr. Henry Simaro and his ACF children in Athi River, Kenya. People of all ages, faiths and backgrounds support the foundation. Many have visited Kenya and provided a hands-on connection by feeding and educating the children.
Since 2006, the foundation has clothed, fed, given safe shelter and provided a quality education to over 900 orphans and vulnerable children. Many have relocated and about 400 children remain in Fr. Henry’s care.
Fanaka I School (Swahili for God’s providence) educates preschool children through the 5th grade. Children at Fanaka Schools 2 & 3 grades Preschool through 2nd grade also receive a quality education. All the children are fed two healthy meals a day.
Our middle school, Mt. Olive Academy is a highly competitive boarding school for girls, grades 4 through 8.
A number of our girls are sponsored in surrounding Secondary Schools and some have gone on to receive degrees in college
Father Henry’s Story
The Director and Founder of African Child Foundation in Kenya, Africa, Father Henry Simaro knows the daily struggle of hopelessness and despair. He was born and raised in Kenya by single mother and rescued at age of 17 by the Kiltegan Fathers who offered him an education, safe lodging and a sound spiritual foundation. Fr. Henry Simaro went on to graduate school at the University of Southern California. These experiences of God’s unconditional love called Fr. Henry Simaro to religious life and a life-long mission to care for orphaned children and women in poverty.
As Director of Communications for the Kenyan Bishop’s Conference on prevention on HIV/AIDs, he could no longer ignore the helpless and homeless children he encountered on a daily basis. Through prayer he had a life changing experience and started an outreach program. He secured a small piece of land, and found temporary guardians for a handful of children that he fed and clothed. More children appeared on his doorstep every day. Realizing the need was so great, he turned to the churches in the United States for aid. At the first church he visited he began his sermon, “If I could only save one child, my visit has been fulfilled.” On that day, African Child Foundation was conceived.
