Gathaithi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Centre  is a project designed for children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. It is a community based organization founded in 2006 by a religious order which was one of the first groups to respond to the needs of ovc at Gathaithi and its environs. The centre is registered as a Charitable Children Institutioin (CCI). The centre is situated on 1.5 acres of land donated by Gathaithi Primary School, including the sixteen roomed building that was donated for renovation.

The former headmistress of Gathaithi primary school, Mrs. Githinji, realized that so many children were not attending classes due to high poverty levels, which resulted due to the lack of basic needs such as food, health care, protection, and shelter. High dropout rates lead to children seeking jobs as manual labourers and ending up on the streets. Mrs. Githinji consulted with the village elders,  government officials, and church elders. Together they found that so many of the children were orphaned and were left under the care of ailing grandmothers due to HIV/AIDS.