Some feel deafness is an embarrassment or a curse and end up hiding their children. These children have no books or shoes, wear torn clothes, and are malnourished, full of self pity, and are often very defensive. A sense of rejection and lack of self worth creates a serious withdrawal syndrome that makes the children less creative and unproductive. – Beatrice Anunda

Humble Hearts School is a child welfare program founded in 2003 in Donholm, Nairobi by Beatrice Anunda. Beatrice has been a partner of The 1010 Project since August 2007.

Humble Hearts aims to promote the welfare of deaf children who come from impoverished families, many of whom live in the slums. Some students have one parent, others have both parents, but quite a few are orphans.

Many in the local community feel that being deaf is an embarrassment or a curse. Their families end up hiding the children at home with no access to an inspiring education. Humble Hearts School provides a support system that feeds and educates these children. After a short time at a caring place like Humble Hearts the students open up – they quickly begin performing well in school, discarding fear and setting aside self-pity.

The mission of the school is to instill moral and quality life into deaf children through the provision of food and education. These students then go out into their communities as responsible and confident learners, working hard to break down stereotypes of the deaf.

Tobias Ochieng is a deaf Kenyan who has had the unique opportunity to complete both high school and secondary school. Most businesses in Kenya are unwilling to employ the deaf due to cultural stigmas. Tobias is a teacher at Humble Hearts School. He has become a mentor to many deaf students who have felt community rejection because of their disability. Tobias has given these students encouragement and hope as they learn that they too can become successful. From the allowance he gets from his teaching profession, Tobias has been able to start a small business selling second-hand clothes in one of the large markets in Nairobi. This expands his income and allows him to take care of his younger siblings.

One challenge for Humble Hearts comes in working with the parents. They think that their deaf children are not capable of learning and becoming independent people. Many parents believe that their children will only be able to do house work, carpentry, or get married.

Since opening the school, the children have really changed. They are healthier, more friendly, and they can read, write, and sign. There are also a number of students who have taken an interest in the arts and through Humble Hearts, they are being encouraged to pursue a wide range of academic disciplines.

The 1010 Project has supported income-generating projects at Humble Hearts including a posho mill, liquid soap making, tomato farming, charcoal sales, and carpentry work.

Last quarter, The 1010 Project sent a microgrant of nearly 71,000 Kenyan Shillings ($900) to Humble Hearts. When Beatrice has prepared a balance sheet for the microgrant, the funds will be distributed to members of the community. In some cases, these funds enable families to send their children to school.