Shangilia (which means “Be joyful!”) is a street-children project in Nairobi, Kenya. It was founded in 1994 by a Kenyan actress and today provides about 290 children with a safe home, schooling and a new perspective. Apart from a children’s home, Shangilia runs a kindergarten, a primary school and — since 2023 — a junior secondary school — all under Kenyan leadership.

Children who come to Shangilia often have spent years on the street, have been neglected or traumatized. At the facility they receive not only food and shelter, but also a chance to discover self-confidence and talents. In addition to classes, dance, music and acrobatics are part of daily life — skills with which some children later even contribute to the project’s financing through performances.

Behind Shangilia stands the German association Shangilia Deutschland e.V., which since 2009 supports the project ideologically and financially. Thanks to donations, in recent years new school buildings, living quarters and sustainable facilities such as a solar system and rainwater storage have been built. The goal is to create education, independence and future opportunities for children who otherwise would have none.