Jacaranda was first of all rented, and then purchased in 1975. The name of this home comes from the Jacaranda trees that used to line the driveway leading up the house.  It is on the same compound as Drakeley Cottage and Tyndale Cottage, and all three are sited opposite to Testimony House, across a 50 ft tarmac road. It was initially bought to house children squatting in the Municipal Rubbish Dump, abandoned by society, drug addicted, sick and very anti-social. Francis and Elain Wainaina were the first to be houseparents there to a family of some 27 boys and girls. One of those girls was from Testimony House where Esther and I were Mum and Dad. She transferred to Jacaranda to help them begin to also assist girls. Her name was Miriam Peter, and later after training as a nurse and marrying Joshua Mbithi, she was to return there as the next Mum after the Wainianas left. Francis is now Vicar of Starbeck Anglican Church near Harrogate. Joshua and Miriam are now directing their own work - Neema Children's Home just a few kilometres away from us.