SHANZU ORPHANS HOME
WORKING TOGETHER
Milestones
Phase 1
Shanzu Orphans Home (SOH)
The Shanzu Orphans Home (SOH) was founded in 2005 near Mombasa by Christa Wolff from Berlin together with her Kenyan partner John Ounga.
For many years, the children's home provided around 40 children without parental care, as well as other children facing particularly challenging life circumstances, with a safe home, stability and access to education.
Reiner and Alexandra Gebhardt travelled to Kenya for the first time in 2010 and initially became involved as active members of the German Mama Christa Foundation (MCF) Support Association. From then on, they visited the Shanzu Orphans Home regularly and built close relationships with the children, the local team and the wider community.
In 2013, they joined the Board of the German Support Association.
2017 the association's registered office was relocated to Karlsbad, Germany.
Phase 2
Establishment of the Mama Christa Foundation (MCF)
With the establishment of the Mama Christa Foundation (MCF) in 2019, most of the children, young people and young adults from the Shanzu Orphans Home (SOH) transitioned into the Foundation's long-term support programme.
Today, the Mama Christa Foundation supports 29 children, young people and young adults throughout their educational and personal development. Working closely with families and local partners, the Kenyan team helps ensure that every child has access to education, attends school regularly and is encouraged to pursue a path that reflects their individual interests, strengths and aspirations.
The Foundation's holistic approach includes access to education, mentoring, psychosocial support, individual social work, holiday programmes, and assistance with health-related, social and everyday challenges. Through this long-term support, the MCF empowers children and young people to develop their potential and build independent, self-determined futures.
Phase 3
Carrying the Vision Forward
Today, the Mama Christa Foundation continues to build on Christa Wolff's original vision. Its goal is to create sustainable structures that empower children, young people, families and local communities while strengthening the organisation's long-term future.
The Foundation's work is built on three closely connected pillars:
- Pillar 1: Strengthening Children, Young People and Families
- Pillar 2: Ensuring Sustainability
- Pillar 3: Strengthening Communities
Through this holistic approach, the Mama Christa Foundation combines long-term individual support, access to education, sustainable income-generating initiatives and community-driven programmes designed and implemented together with local communities.
Phase 4
Long-term vision: Sustainable Impact
Together, we are working towards a shared long-term vision: To strengthen and embed the lasting impact of the Mama Christa Foundation.
Through strong partnerships, continuous organisational development, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainable funding models, we are building the foundation for an organisation that can continue to operate effectively, independently and sustainably for generations to come.
Our shared goal is to carry the vision of the Mama Christa Foundation forward together with the Kenyan team and our partners, creating lasting opportunities and making a sustainable contribution to the lives of children, young people, families and local communities.
Christa Wolff, from Berlin, together with her Kenyan Project-partner John Ounga, laid the foundation for the Shanzu Orphans Home (SOH) and the German Mama Christa Foundation (MCF) Support Association.
With great personal dedication, Christa Wolff devoted many years to establishing and developing the children's home. Her vision and commitment continue to shape the organisation's work today. In recognition of her lasting contribution, the Kenyan organisation founded in 2019 was named the Mama Christa Foundation (MCF) in her honour.
After several years of preparation and development, Christa Wolff and John Ounga officially opened the Shanzu Orphans Home in 2005. For many years, the children's home provided a safe home, individual care and access to education for children and young people without parental care, as well as for other young people facing particularly challenging life circumstances.
From the very beginning, the Shanzu Orphans Home was also a place of connection and exchange. Encounters with guests, volunteers and partners from different countries created valuable opportunities for intercultural learning—both for visitors and for the children and local team. At the same time, preserving and strengthening Kenyan values, traditions and cultural identity remained a central priority.
Over the years, a strong network of committed supporters and partners grew in both Kenya and Germany, forming the foundation for the long-term development of the Mama Christa Foundation.
In 2013, for reasons of age, Christa Wolff handed over the home to the Catholic sisters 'Sisters of St. Joseph'.
It has always been her vision that the children will be supported in the long term until they can take care of themselves.
Unfortunately, this wish could not be fulfilled in the SOH, since most children and young people had to leave the home in 2017/2018 due to Kenyan law. The reason for this is that children are only allowed to live in children's homes like the SOH for a maximum of three years.
The association terminated the cooperation with the Sisters of St. Joseph in 2018, one of the main reasons being different perspectives and values.
Due to the separation, the Mama Christa Foundation was founded in February 2019.
Mrs. Wolff is a valued honorary member of the MCF eV association and is still very interested in how the project is developing.