Cypress Minerals (Madera, CA) and Cepham Inc. (Somerset, NJ) have joined forces to launch an urgent humanitarian campaign titled “Because Hope Needs a Home,” with the goal of raising $140,000 by August 15, 2025, to secure a permanent home for Wings of Hope Rescue Home—a shelter for girls aged 11-17 and their children, all survivors of child assault, in Nairobi, Kenya.

According to a UNICEF Report (2024), “the prevalence of contact sexual violence in childhood is highest in low-income countries” and “while both boys and girls are subjected to sexual violence, girls are generally known to be at higher risk in most contexts.”

Wings of Hope Rescue Home, founded in 2016 and led by husband-and-wife team Irwin and Liuba, currently houses 57 girls and children in a rented facility that has the capacity to support up to 120 residents. These girls are among the most vulnerable in society—rejected by their families and left without support.

Wings of Hope provides not only shelter but also access to medical care, education, and a sense of dignity and belonging. The current crisis stems from the landlord’s decision to sell the property. Without intervention, the girls and their children will be forced to vacate by Sept.1, 2025, with nowhere to go, according to Wings of Hope.

“At Cypress Minerals, our mission is rooted in care and resilience, just like the cypress tree that inspired our name,” said Paul A. Willis, founder of Cypress Minerals and long-standing supporter of Wings of Hope. “The team at Wings of Hope Rescue Home gets up to 20 calls a week from the government to accept new residents, but without a permanent home they will own, they have no certainty and no hope. We must act now to support their needs. Wings of Hope only accepts those in the most dire situations.”

“Sexual violence against children is not just a personal tragedy—no matter where in the world — it is a public emergency,” added Michelle Martin, president and COO of Cypress Minerals. “The trauma runs deep, and so must our collective response. We must act not only to protect, but to prevent.

“In addition to providing immediate shelter and care, education is central to the long-term rehabilitation of these young mothers and their children—basic human rights we take for granted. Education also empowers women in the growth and stability of the African nation,” Martin said. “We have the opportunity to profoundly shift the trajectory of these young lives—from tragedy to hope. The impact does not stop with them; it can spark generational change that lasts far beyond today.”

“This would be a powerful demonstration of solidarity and purpose, aligning with the humanitarian values shared by the global nutraceuticals community,” concluded Sameer Joshi, COO, Cepham.

The ‘Because Hope Needs a Home’ campaign is a call to action for the nutraceutical industry to rally together and demonstrate its collective commitment to health and human well-being.

How You Can Help

• $5,000 – Covers living expenses and a full year of schooling for one girl
• $10,000 – Contributes to securing their permanent home
• $50,000 – Significantly supports securing their permanent home
• $140,000 – Secures the permanent safe home for all residents, with funds for maintenance/repairs
• All donations are 100 percent tax-deductible in the U.S. via A Thousand Plus

To donate, visit www.athousandplus.org.