HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Teule started as a humble project to serve the street children of Nairobi. Registered in 1996 as Homeless Children International, HCI-Kenya. By December 1998, the organization expanded its services from the street children in Nairobi to operating a Children's Home and Primary School in Loitokitok. In addition to serving the street boys, we began serving other orphaned and vulnerable children, including girls rescued from harmful cultural practices like FGM and child marriage. In 2005 the boys in the Nairobi program were moved to a boy’s dorm on the Loitokitok property. As part of the project in Loitokitok, Teule formally registered a primary school called Kibo Slopes Academy in 2006.

NEW NAME

Later on, HCI Kenya registered as a Non-Governmental Organization under the Kenyan NGO Act. At that time, the organization realized the original name of “Homeless Children” bore a negative stigma, so we asked the children to select a name for themselves; thus, Teule was born. In Kiswahili, “teule” is the word for “chosen”. As spoken by Jesus,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you may go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”-John 15:16

The name “Teule” speaks to the potential and fruitfulness of each child. It encourages the children that come through the program to view themselves as “chosen” with a purpose, rather than rejected and alone.