It’s easy to find Sister Maurice - just follow the giggles of the children at the Oasis of Peace home in a rural village outside of Kisumu, Kenya. With an enchanting smile, Sister Maurice has a gift for listening intently to each child, sharing in both their joys and their heartache.
It’s difficult to find a family not affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Kisumu County. The disease prevalence there is almost 4 times higher than in other areas of Kenya. It’s as if an entire generation of adults is missing, leaving the children behind to be cared for by elders.
With Sister Maurice’s own personal loss of her parents and two siblings, she knows firsthand the emotional turmoil of orphans and struggles within the community. She established a home to care for these children — yet, within the first 2 weeks, the home was flooded with frighten and malnourished children.
“Those first years were very difficult and frightening. I spent many sleepless nights questioning God and wondering where I would find the resources needed to feed and care for these children. Without a choice, I had to turn to the very people who knocked at my door for help.”
She managed to keep over 60 scared kids safe, making it clear that she was born to take on this joyful burden.
With her calm assertiveness and natural love, she empowered those around her to assist in any way they could: some donated corn or bananas, others carried drinking water. Even though the surrounding community gave what they could, the resources weren’t enough to sustain the home.
Moved by Sister Maurice’s resilience and fight to care for these precious children, Brittany’s Hope joined in her efforts. In 2 short years, with your guidance, she has equipped the home with proper furnishings, established a school, drilled a well, developed a large garden, and raised livestock. With each challenge, Sister Maurice rises to the task and enables others to find strength, take ownership, and create lasting change to guide future generations.
Sister Maurice has created an oasis, a home filled with beautiful music of kids’ laughter. She recently shared with us, “I sincerely feel happy and fulfilled when the lives of orphans and the vulnerable are changed.”