Mission/Vision/Story

"After living in Kenya my first year in 2000, I started to recognize that we could not address one area of need adequately without addressing all areas equally," explains founder Zane Wilemon. "Why? Because they're all connected. Deforestation leads to poor water supply. Poor water supply leads to economic deficiency. Economic deficiency leads to lack of healthcare and education... and the cycle continues."

 

Through programs in five specific areas: Education, Environment, Economy, Health and Community, CTC works to combat the cycle of poverty by empowering communities to create a new cycle of positive impact.

Our Mission

We pride ourselves on a holistic approach to community development. CTC initiatives focus on five areas, all interrelated: education, environment, economy, health and community. Each area directly impacts the community as a whole and each is connected to the success of the others. All CTC initiatives are managed by full-time local staff and community volunteers in Maai Mahiu, Kenya and in our US office in Austin, Texas.

Our Vision

CTC International is a community of people working diligently to create solutions and opportunities for a better life in Kenya. Through a cross cultural exchange of ideas and relationships, we’re developing innovative solutions to global issues like HIV/AIDS, deforestation, unemployment, special needs, and education. We strive to live authentically in the rapidly growing world of international development in Africa. We do that by staying committed to our core values of genuine relationships, holistic development, faith lived in action, sustainable and scalable solutions, passion, transparency, having fun and creating collaboratively with cultural relevance.

 

For all of us at CTC, our work is a reflection of how we live. We live as a community dedicated to creating positive impact in Kenya.

 

Learn more about the CTC Culture

Our Story

After CTC Founder Zane Wilemon finished his undergrad, he bought a one-way ticket to Kenya where he worked for a year at Kijabe Hospital as a medical aid, taught high school French, and served as the coordinator for the outreach program at the Rift Valley Academy. While serving in this position, Zane visited the town of Maai Mahiu and was struck by the desperation of the community. He formed a friendship with Jeremiah Kuria, who was serving as a local pastor and the director of the Maai Mahiu Children’s Home.

 

Their friendship grew, and after Zane returned to the States, this friendship developed into Comfort the Children (CTC) International. CTC’s unique approach to holistic community development evolved through Zane and Jeremiah’s day-to-day interactions with locals, forging genuine relationships and becoming a part of the community.

 

Today, CTC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that helps Kenyans build and manage the sustainable infrastructure necessary to meet the challenges of everyday life, employing over 60 local Kenyans and serving the 60,000 residents of Maai Mahiu in the Rift Valley.

 

Over the past 10 years, our friends told their friends who told their friends: doctors, seamstresses, grandmothers, financial planners, cheerleaders, priests, farmers, singers, psychologists, etc. have volunteered in Maai Mahiu. Each shares his or her own unique talents and builds relationships within CTC to last a lifetime. We are listening to the stories. We are addressing the problems. We are promoting fundamental human rights. We are creating sustainable change. We are CTC International.