The Garden of Siloam

23/09/2026

Misaki, a high schooler who had stayed with us, left on Monday this week, and we all miss her❤️. We are happy that she had a great time with us.
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Last year, as part of a school programme, I spent about half a day visiting The Garden of Siloam. I remember feeling incredibly excited and a little nervous, as I’d never had much interaction with people with disabilities before. When I actually met Amici, I couldn’t help but become a huge fan of their beaming smiles. I had only just heard from Dr Kumon that discrimination against children with disabilities remains deeply entrenched in Kenya, but the staff all loved Amici from the bottom of their hearts and seemed incredibly happy. Driven by a desire to learn more about the staff at Siloam and a determination to see my beloved Amici again, I was able to return to my much-loved Siloam as a Tobitate Study Abroad Japan Initiative.
On this occasion, in addition to my daily volunteer work, I had the opportunity to interview the parents of Amici and staff. Through these conversations, I came to realise just how much the families of Amici—particularly the mothers—have suffered in a society where prejudice and discrimination against children with disabilities are rife.
Many of the staff members had held negative views about children with disabilities, or even believed them to be the work of witchcraft, before working in Siloam. If the society I belong to also took prejudice and discrimination against children with disabilities for granted, I think I, too, would keep my distance from them. However, during my stay, I learnt that this is simply a matter of being trapped by the preconceptions of those around me and failing to try to get to know them. I realised that everyone in this world, including children with disabilities, has many great charms and is capable of so much; they all have wonderful smiles, and no one deserves to be discriminated against.
I dearly hope for a world where our wonderful Amici — with their incredibly cute smiles and kind hearts—and their families can hold their heads high wherever they go, be loved, and live their lives with laughter. And to help make that world a reality, I want to think about what I can do and take on plenty of new challenges. I feel so blessed to have met the Amici, their families, the staff, the many volunteers, Dr Sato and Dr Kumon! I will definitely come and see you all again.
(By Misaki Ono)

22/09/2026

Happy Birthday, September boy & girl!!!
It happened to be only 2 amici, though both are extremely committed to our service and have never been absent, if not sick, for more than 10 years.

Leslie 16 years: Cannot believe he was 4 years old when he came to Siloam for the first time.
Joy 12 years: too, she was 1 year old when she came for the first time.
We thank God for their growth, their beautiful smiles, and their families' unconditional love.

20/09/2026

It’s already been one week, but from 7th September for 5 days, we received a team of Japan Overseas Christian Medical Cooperative Service (JOCS). JOCS has been one of our oldest and closest partners and has been walking with us for the last 10 years. This time, Mr. Morita, the Secretary General of JOCS, and Ms. Takeuchi, in charge of the project, spent time with us, and we were able to share how many blessings we had received through them.

10/09/2026

The Garden of Siloam loves visitors!! We received many visitors from 3 different groups on 8th Sep and had a wonderful time.

10/09/2026

I had an interview with the Japan Economic Foundation some time ago. I was not sure why "Economic Foundation" had an interest in our work, but anyway, it's published.

Chief Executive Officer, The Garden of Siloam Dr. Kazuko Kumon Helping Children with Disabilities & Building Inclusive Societies：Exclusive Interview«The Japan Economic Foundation (JEF) was established in July 1981 to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and other countries through activities...

04/09/2026

It's been freezing cold, but after all, we got very nice sunshine today!!
Amici of Sakuhana love water play so much. They expanded their interaction and communication with each other 🙂

26/08/2026

1 JOHN 4:7 SAYS, love one another, for love comes from God. Here in Siloam, that is our basic foundation: love for each other, our amici and their families and also the community.
In the spirit of love, on 21st of August we hosted a siblings’ event where we invited all the siblings to our amici from ages 3 and above. This was the second time having this event, as the other one was in 2024. The event was aimed at interacting, learning, offering guidance and having fun with the siblings to our amici. They are a vital aspect in the lives of our amici, as they get to spend more time with them, and also children learn from the people they interact with, as part of that group are their siblings.
On this day, we had a great turn up as it was planned during the holidays, we had a total of 64 siblings who showed up. We had a programme planned for the day, and apart from unavoidable time delays, the event was a success, and we learnt quite a lot from each other as the staff and siblings and also had mad fun together.
The siblings were divided into groups according to their age brackets to just try and address the different needs in the best ways possible. The different groups were 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13-17, 18-20, and 21-25.
The different groups tried to address different needs/aspects that are common in these groups. Some of the aspects addressed were recognition of their sibling with disability as part of the family, Different ways of play with the sibling, responsibilities towards the sibling, their own feelings towards the family set up and how things are run, balancing responsibilities of the family and individual goals amongst many others, and obviously having fun in all this.
The event was also a very good opportunity for the staff, considering there are many newly employed staff, to meet the different siblings to our amici and get to interact with them, as this, in one way or another, usually helps in understanding our amici more.
The highlight of this event was a talent showcase that was held after the groupings. The different groups showcased a talent in their group, and of course the young ones were more carefree, and it was good to see the young ones with such confidence they sang and danced at the top of their lungs, while the older ones also showcased their talents, with the 13-17 presenting very talented singers and dancers. Overall, that was a very beautiful scene.
From the feedbacks received after the event especially on the different aspects that were to be addressed, there is need to have the event as often as possible and also need to try and bridge the gap of disability understanding or exposure in schools together with the community, good support to the different families with children with special needs and intentional support to children to understand and acknowledge that there are children living with special needs and that they are also as important as them in their own unique ways.
We at the Garden of Siloam are aimed at advocacy and awareness creation among other things and it is our pray that through the different interactions with the different people, organization’s we will get to a point where everyone or a good percentage of people in the country old and young will have the knowledge on people with disability and inclusivity and equity will not be in theory but in practice.
(By Teacher Caro)

26/08/2026

We had 6 visitors from SHIFT 80（シフトエイティ）yesterday. Wonderful people! We had a great time with them.

18/08/2026

August birthday party today!!!
What beautiful Amici are😍 Many of them joined in GoS 9-10 years ago, so we feel their growth is remarkable and thank God for that.
Ivy 14 years
Andrew 20 years
Monica 16 years
Agnes 19 years
Lawrence 16 years
James 10 years
Happy birthday to all.

15/08/2026

Jacob, an assistant leader who went to Japan, also had great experience during the training.
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During my two-week training in Japan, I gained valuable knowledge and practical experience in caring for and supporting people with special needs. The training gave me a better understanding of how people with special needs can participate in society, work together with others, and earn an income. What impressed me most was the strong integration and inclusion of people with special needs in the community. I learned that, with the right support and opportunities, people with special needs can contribute meaningfully to society.
I also participated in the care of people with severe disabilities through psychotherapy activities. I observed how the clients were supported to relax, express themselves, and feel comfortable and happy. This taught me the importance of providing emotional and psychological support in addition to physical care.
Another important area I learned about was supporting clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I received training on how to understand their needs and provide appropriate support while respecting their individual abilities and differences.
I also learned the importance of proper documentation and record keeping. After carrying out any activity or providing care to a client, I learned that it is important to record what was done accurately. Good documentation helps ensure continuity of care, communication among caregivers, and the safety of the client.
The training also gave me practical knowledge about food preparation for clients with severe disabilities. I learned how to prepare appropriate food textures and shapes, including making D-shaped foods, and how to use a mixer, jelly powder, and other food-preparation materials safely and appropriately.
Finally, I learned how to prepare and organise activities for clients according to their abilities and needs. These activities help clients participate, enjoy themselves, develop their abilities, and interact with others.
Overall, the two-week training in Japan was a valuable and eye-opening experience. It improved my knowledge, skills, and understanding of special-needs care. I learned that inclusion, dignity, patience, proper documentation, appropriate nutrition, therapy, and meaningful activities are all important in improving the quality of life of people with special needs. I hope to apply the knowledge and skills I gained from this training in my work.
(By Jacob, Assistant Leader)