I co-founded the JCO Children's Home in Sirembe, Kenya with Mrs. Opot and together we opened the doors to our first 10 kids in 2010. If you don't yet know the auspicious beginning of our partnership, take a few moments to watch this video. Although located in rural Kenya, this home was founded through the generosity of our Northwest Arkansas community.
Our goal from the very beginning has always been to ensure that every child in our home has the experience of growing up in a loving, close-knit family as opposed to an institution. During the 15 years since we first opened the JCO, our role in the community of Sirembe has expanded and deepened considerably, and so has the relationship between the communities of Sirembe and Northwest Arkansas. All we have accomplished in Kenya has been made possible by the consistent support of generous individuals and businesses in Northwest Arkansas who trusted me and believed in our mission.
Restore Humanity welcomes children who have lost their parents into our JCO Children's Home, where they receive love, care, and consistency in a safe, nurturing environment. Upon graduating from high school, they join the RH Scholars Program, which provides ongoing guidance and support as they pursue college, university, or a trade school education. We love these kids as our own, and the support we provide for them is all-encompassing and lasts a lifetime.
All of this has been made possible by YOU, our amazing donors! Here is a sampling of just a few other things we have been able to do because of YOUR support:
Through the JCO Children's Home, we have provided over 250,000 healthy, balanced meals
Through our #educate60 campaigns, we have provided 1300 scholarships to pay school fees for kids OUTSIDE OF OUR HOME, who otherwise would have dropped out of high school.
Through our community outreach, we've provided an annual supply of maxipads for girls and young women for over a decade, to the benefit of thousands of girls.
We've collaborated with the local schools in Sirembe AND some awesome Fayetteville Bulldogs to build 6 classrooms, 2 girls' dormitories, and a science lab for the primary and secondary schools
We worked with local leadership in Sirembe and local doctors in NWA, led by Dr. Scott Bailey, to build a maternity ward at the Sirembe medical clinic, where more than 1,500 healthy babies have been born to healthy mamas.
Our RH Scholars alumni include engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, electricians, and other professionals — proof that nurturing care and lifelong support break cycles of poverty and inspire generations. The ripple doesn't stop with one life; it expands across communities and time. When love and opportunity take root, lives transform.
At the heart of Restore Humanity's mission is a living connection between two communities that continually shape and strengthen one another. When Restore Humanity began, the goal was not to “help” one side from a distance, but to build a bridge of shared humanity. The people of Sirembe offered land, wisdom, and partnership, while the people of Northwest Arkansas brought resources, connections, and a spirit of generosity. Together, these communities created something neither could have built alone: a sustainable model of compassion rooted in respect, collaboration, and mutual growth. For Sirembe, this partnership has meant more than buildings or funding - it has meant opportunity. Children who might otherwise be left without support now grow up in a nurturing home, attend school, and dream beyond the boundaries of poverty. Families in the surrounding area gain access to improved education and health resources, and people see examples of leadership and self-determination that inspire change in their own community.
For Northwest Arkansas, the impact is equally profound. Through Restore Humanity, volunteers, donors, and students gain firsthand insight into the global dimensions of compassion and equity. They learn that even small acts of generosity can ripple across continents. The people of Northwest Arkansas are reminded that giving does not diminish; it multiplies. Each story from Sirembe, each child's success, becomes part of NWA's own legacy of kindness and global citizenship. Over the years, this connection has fostered a cycle of restoration: the children and families in Sirembe are uplifted, and in turn, they inspire and renew the sense of purpose among the supporters in Arkansas. It is a living example of Restore Humanity's name in action, restoring dignity, opportunity, and hope on both sides of the world.
We are beyond grateful to each and every one of you who has helped to make this dream a reality. We are proud to be working alongside you to make the world a better place, and we feel like we are just getting started! We will be sharing some stories about our beautiful Restore Humanity global family over the next few weeks. We always have room for more in our family and invite you to connect with and support this ongoing restoration of humanity on both sides of the globe.
With Love & Gratitude,
Sarah Fennel Buchanan