On July 31st 2002, Terry and Judi Mott, set out for Kenya for 1 year with their children Tom, (then 11) and Ellie (then 9), aiming to establish a new home for orphaned children close to a small rural village called Kosele. They were inspired to commit themselves to this work as a result of listening and talking to Mrs. Pat Botwright who, 11 years earlier, had been moved to come to Kenya to work with street children. On a fund-raising tour in England, Pat told them about the orphanage she had established in Kisumu and the continuing needs of the children she cared for. Within a very short time of meeting Pat for the first time, the Motts had packed their bags to work with her in Kenya – unsure what to expect but anticipating an eventful year. They lived on a compound of 7 small bungalows, 7 kilometres down a very rough dirt road. The nearest town is called Oyugis, 2 hours drive south of Kisumu in Western Kenya.

Why Hope and Kindness?

In January 2004, Hope and Kindness Ministry was launched as an independent organisation, with Terry and Judi as Directors.

Inspiration for the name of the Ministry came from a remark made by Joel Edwards, (Head of the Evangelical Alliance) at a Christian Holiday retreat in Wales in August 2003. Shortly after returning to England, Terry and Judi spent time with friends at Cefn-Lea holiday park in Wales. Joel was the key speaker for the week, and in one of his lectures he spoke of Christians impacting their community by acts of “indiscriminate kindness”. The phrase captured the heart of what we felt we wanted to achieve through the work in Kosele. By showing indiscriminate kindness we can lead people into God’s kingdom and bring hope to damaged lives and communities. Hope and Kindness Ministry was born that week in Wales. Its outworking continues in Kosele today.