About Capstone Ministries

Capstone Ministries was founded in 2006 with a vision to restore street children and their families in Kisumu, Kenya.

Dan and Patty Schmelzer (photo right) have worked with street children in Kisumu since 2002 and are the founding directors of the ministry.

Capstone Ministries is a Christian organization that believes that family is the divine structure God has designed for the rearing of children. Family provides the necessary protective environment in which children can grow and develop. In Kenya the family is under attack from many forces. The HIV pandemic has created many orphans; urbanization draws children into the cities to beg and steal; the use of substances like cobblers glue and poverty has left almost 2/3 of the population in Western Kenya living on less than $1.00 a day.

More than 1,000 children live on the streets of Kisumu.  They survive by begging and stealing. They suffer from skin diseases, abuse from the public, poor nutrition and a lack of sanitation.  But mostly they lack love and attention of a nurturing family.  Capstone's program begins by building relationships with these children where they are.  Daily, the staff of Capstone is on the street showing these children that we care about them.

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