KUTOA PROJECT’S STORY
Since our inception, our goals have been to create a community of caregivers, counselors, churches, and organizations equipped to deliver trauma-informed care for those facing challenging circumstances safely.
Kutoa
[KOO-TOW-AH] VERB. SWAHILI.
To remove and provide.
SYNONYMS: SUPPLY, EQUIP, PREPARE, PROTECT, SUPPORT
OUR APPROACH
Our approach has been, and continues to be, that restoration and healing comes from a place of safety. We walk alongside organizations and create a safe place for those they care for to have an opportunity to share their struggles and begin the journey to restoration.
OUR MISSION
At Kutoa Project, our mission is to provide therapeutic social services in a safe, Christ-centered environment. We accomplish that by equipping Kenyan youth who have been affected by violence, abuse, homelessness, trafficking, disease, or loss by providing therapeutic services. We support those who have been affected by trauma to experience healing through hopeful, purposeful, and faith-filled counseling services.
Our Story
2012
The vision for Kutoa Project took shape over several months beginning in 2012. Shaé began to desire a place full of love and provision for those children and youth who have been abandoned to work through their struggles on their own. She specifically felt a connection to those in their late teens and twenty’s who were left with very few, if any, places that could be considered safe places to work through difficult situations.
2013
If you were to ask Shaé a defining moment that sparked the beginning of the ministry, it was when she took a trip to Haiti to serve with an organization in the summer of 2013. During that trip, the Holy Spirit clarified that it was time to begin the steps to discern how to work with those who have been broken through abandonment, fear, and domestic and sexual violence.
2014
This season was leading Shae back to Africa, where it all began, Kenya. Shaé assembled a prayer team, encouragement, and mentorship from the local community in Warsaw, Indiana who had walked with Shaé through her work on the mission’s field and were committed to discerning how to move the project forward. After several months, the team took the next steps to formalize the non-profit.
2015
The word “Kutoa” is a Swahili word that means “to remove and provide“. During a vision trip to Kenya in June of 2015, Kutoa Project became a registered 501(c)3. It was received as a sign that this was part of God’s plan to clear the pathway forward to begin the work to provide hope, healing, and restoration to people. For the next year, Shaé took short trips to seek out a location and plan how to create this safe and transformational experience in Kenya.
2017
In 2017, we opened our doors full-time in Nairobi, Kenya with an office at one of our first partners. We began hosting in-person counseling sessions and caregiver education programs. Betty became our first full-time employee in Kenya. Her journey to become a member of the staff has been nothing short of the perseverance of prayer. Betty’s heart for the broken and desire to help with the restoration of a person’s well-being made her a perfect fit to help grow Kutoa Project.
2018
Moving through the seasons of change, our time in Kenya shifted from a vision to an organization delivering change. Kutoa Project began to grow in size with the addition of Maggie (2018) and Joan (2019) to our counseling team. Their addition has allowed the ministry to deepen its reach throughout the region.
2020
In 2020, we were able to impact the lives of over 10,000 children and youth through our services. As our staff grew, so did our presence, we moved into two office locations in Thome Estate in Nairobi, Kenya. As the year progressed and our impact continued to grow, the need to move into a new location to house all of our services became the focus as the ministry entered into the next phase of its development.
2022
In 2022, our services saw our reach increase to over 15,000 children and youth impacted in 2021. There were two areas of impact that were discovered through our training programs. First, the need to develop and deliver a contextualized East African specific trauma-informed curriculum and a crisis management program [Hope & Healing Program] aimed at youth ages 18-25. The latter is focused on women who have been victims of domestic & sexual violence.
OUR VALUES
Faith
We are committed to cultivating a Christ-centered environment because we believe that faith is the most impactful message of all.
Inclusivity
Everyone is welcome in our space.
Collaboration
At Kutoa Project, we desire to collaborate with ministries, churches, families, and communities to provide opportunities for hope, healing, and restoration.
Intentionality
We believe that thoughtfulness and purpose are key components to our work. We are intentional in the conversations we hold, the settings we bring your clients into, our communication with those outside the organization, and the care we provide. Our purpose is to continuously strive to create the best world for others.
Empathy
We as an organization strive to provide empathy for anyone who comes into our space.
Growth
We believe that through our counseling and workshop services, our clients will experience expansion and growth not only in their personal lives, but their spiritual lives as well. Their mental and emotional advancements will allow them to experience a more joyful life. As an organization, we are committed to continuous growth through trainings, best practices, and accountability to provide the best care to those we serve.
Safety
Kutoa Project is a safe space for people to feel seen, heard, and that they can take up space in the world. Although they may have been through hard experiences, there is room for them to be loved on, to heal, and to experience new life. We as an organization are committed to providing safety within our space - whether online or in person - through all of our programs.
WE BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL:
safe
treasured
cared for
Would you like to
hear from our staff in Kenya?
Each month we provide an opportunity to connect with our directors and staff through our live monthly update. This is a great way to hear from us on the field with ministry updates, upcoming events, and prayer requests! We enjoy taking time to connect with you and share how you have been impacting the lives of so many children and youth in Kenya.
