Onesimus Good News Boys Center (OGBC) is a Christian rehabilitation center for former street boys aged 7 to 16. We offer the boys hope and work on rehabilitation in physical, social, psychological and mental areas. Through rehabilitation and following Biblical principles, we are working to re-integrate the boys into society as responsible citizens of Kenya and to be a blessing to their family again.
The center is located in Kikambala next to the Sun N Sand Junction Stage along the Mombasa Malindi highway. The center has a capacity of 40 beds. Recently we rented another house, near the center. We currently have 72 boys in the program and 5 are supported in the community. We take in boys between 7 and 16 years old who have been on the street for more than 6 months. They are screened before admission and must be prepared to go through the rehabilitation process. The motto is 'take the chance and make a difference in your life'.
The boys in the centre are taken care of with shelter, a balanced diet, clothing, medical care and coaching in change of behaviour. They get a Christian upbringing and we look for each boy individually for the best education and trainings program.
Some of the boys no longer live in the center. Some are in secondary boarding school and others follows vocational training; these boys live in rooms near the school. Our social workers visit them regularly and during the holidays they come to the center for several days for reporting, group discussions and personal guidance. After their training, the center provides guidance for 1 to 2 years, depending on the boy's independence and finding work.
Staff members
The center has social workers and trained staff (mentors). They ensure that the daily program in the center runs smoothly and that order and discipline are maintained. They ensure that the boys go to school on time and help with the homework. They also ensure that every boy gets a task in the center and performs it well, in addition, the boys also must learn to keep their rooms tidy and wash their clothes and take turns helping with cooking. On Sunday the boys go to the local church and in the evening, there is an evening devotion with Bible reading and prayer. In addition, there are regular volunteers who help in the center with homework guidance, organizing activities (sports, games, homework, music, etc.) and who go with the boys to, for example, the beach.
Every boy has a mentor who is responsible for the boys' rehabilitation process and guides him with setting and achieving learning goals. In addition, if necessary, we have a counselor who treats traumatic past experiences and help with difficult behavioral problems and character development.
The origin of OGBC
Onesimus Good News Boys Centre, was founded in 2005 by Matheka and Ria Munyasya and Mirjam de Lange. The center is named after Onesimus in the Bible. He was a runaway slave after stealing from his boss Philemon. After meeting Apostle Paul in prison, Onesimus became a Christian. Paul sent him back to his former boss, no longer as a useless slave but as a Christian brother, useful in church and society. It is our desire to rehabilitate these boys who were not useful to society so that they become useful fellow citizens in church and society.
Onesimus Goodnews Boys Centre works in partnership with Good News Children’s Ministry. A cooperation agreement has been made, whereby OGBC is responsible for the daily care of the boys and GNCM makes the building and compound available and cooperates as a partner in fundraising.
