Living Room Ministries International

Living Room Ministries International (LRMI), founded in 2009, is registered as a NGO in Kenya and a 501(c)3 in the United States.  It was birthed from the work of Tumaini na Afya (Kiswahili for hope & health), a community-based HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment program that was created in 2004 in Western Kenya, previously under the auspice of Empowering Lives International (ELI), a related NGO operating in the same area.  Initially, Tumaini na Afya focused its efforts on mobilizing people in rural villages for HIV testing and treatment, trainings on HIV prevention, and home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans.

In 2008, we engaged in a battle we did not initially set out to fight.  What started as an isolated situation of creating a treatment center, a home of sorts, for two HIV+ orphans gave birth to the dream of Living Room and specifically, Kimbilio (Kiswahili for refuge) Hospice.  These children’s emaciated bodies and desperate cries stirred our team with a compassion that would not be satisfied until it was put into action.  Flovia and Felix were started on a special formula and fed every two hours, day and night.  Within days, they began to grow.  At 2 ½ years old, Flovia learned to walk and to speak in two languages.  With her playful spirit, she captured hearts.  Felix was a one year old who weighed a mere nine pounds.  What a beautiful sound it was when he first laughed.  To our great loss, after six weeks of treatment, Felix went into respiratory failure and passed away.  His death left a void within all who had the privilege of caring for him.  While we grieved Felix’s death, we celebrated Flovia’s life.  After encountering countless others like Flovia and Felix, who were in desperate need of palliative care, Living Room was registered and Kimbilio Hospice was created to be a home with the aim of offering palliative care services within the community.  Since its inception, Living Room has reached out to many among our community who are not only faced with terminal illnesses but also lack the love and care that signify human dignity.

CREATING A HOME

Kimbilio Hospice (Refuge in Swahili) is a 26 bed, inpatient hospice that houses adults and children living with terminal illness. Our services include: management of pain and other symptoms and provision of psychological, social and spiritual support. Within this facility, there are also counselling services available to support families during the patient’s illness and bereavement and a training institute for health care workers, caregivers, and community members to be empowered with knowledge and skills in palliative care services.

Living Room International Hospital is a 49-bed, Level 4 Hospital specializing in the treatment of chronic diseases as well as pain and symptom management. There are outpatient services as well as general wards, semi-private, and private beds available. Living Room International Hospital’s goal is to provide the best patient care experience with every patient, every time.

COMMUNITY-BASED CARE

Tumaini na Afya (Hope and Health) was born in response to the needs of the community surrounding HIV in October of 2004. The nature and vision of Tumaini na Afya focuses on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, mobilizing those who are already infected with the virus for treatment services, as well as continued follow-up and care within the community. Some of the ongoing programs within Tumaini na Afya include: HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns; HIV 101 trainings targeting school aged students; home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS, other chronic illnesses and orphans and vulnerable children.