Waweza means "you can"
In Swahili, waweza means enabling someone. It's what we do in Kakamega, Kenya: walk alongside orphans, widows and children with disabilities until they can stand on their own.
Roots in Kenya that go back 25 years
Megan Lewin first went to Kenya with her parents in 2001, through the work of Abraham's Blessings International. In 2009, at 19, she went back to serve the poor and fell in love with the children she met on the streets.
With Julius, our Kenyan founder, she started Waweza Movement. The Rescue Center opened in June 2011. Today the work has grown into five programs and a farm, led by our team in Kenya.
- 2001Megan's first trips to Kenya, through Abraham's Blessings International
- 2011Waweza Movement founded; the Rescue Center opens in June
- 2016Our first child starts high school
- 2020Our first child graduates from college
- 2023Widow program begins
- 2024Mobile medical clinic for children with disabilities launches; we buy our farm land and start the leather business
- 2025First full harvest cuts our food costs by $6,500
- 2026First kinship placement, a full bee house and a new chicken facility
The team behind the work
Julius
Waweza's Kenyan founder.
Oscar
Director of our programs in Kenya and overseer of our businesses.
Leakey
Nurse who leads our mobile medical clinics, and Waweza's staff nurse for 10+ years. He oversees a team of nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and a transport team.
Diana
Director of the widow program and children's welfare officer.
Mellan
Our staff social worker. She works with our widows and vulnerable children, and does home visits.
Megan and Joseph Lewin
Megan is Waweza's founder. Together they lead the all-volunteer US team.
Faith in action
We follow Jesus, and we believe caring for orphans and widows is an outflow of his Kingdom (James 1:27). Every crop planted, every clinic visit, every student supported and every widow encouraged is our way of restoring lives and spreading the light of the gospel.
Dignity first
We don't post photos of the children in our care, and we change children's names. The photos you see are of our staff, the widows in our program and the farm. We'd rather tell you where someone is headed than dwell on where they've been.
Get in touch
Questions about giving, partnering with your church or visiting? We'd love to hear from you.