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In 2016, Ted Neill published his award winning memoir, Two Years of Wonder, about his time living and working at an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2020 he reconnected with the same children, who were now young adults.

What he discovered was horrifying.

The young people who had grown up and left the orphanage reported physical, emotional, and sexual abuse that had taken place in the two decades since Neill had left in 2004.

Together, Neill and the survivors worked to document and expose the abuse and neglect that had shattered the lives so many children.

When members of Catholic religious orders and supporters of the orphanage sought to deny and cover up the allegations, Neill and the survivors turned to the Washington Post and, eventually, U.S. federal investigators to get their stories out to the world.

Twenty Years of Unraveling is a record of those efforts and the challenges survivors faced while they sought justice.

Praise for Twenty Years of Unraveling

A gut-wrenching, but ultimately liberating deep dive into the dark side of international nonprofits.

Twenty Years of Unraveling exposes the devastating reality behind a world-renowned charity that was meant to provide refuge for children with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Through his other memoir, Two Years of Wonder, Mr. Neill first recounted his experience working at the home and the emotional toll of witnessing children die before ART treatments became widely available. Though he initially used his book to raise funds for the organization, his involvement took a sharp turn when, years later, he was invited to join its board of directors—only to uncover deep-seated corruption and abuse within the institution.

The book explores how media and donors often glorify certain figures within humanitarian work, elevating them to near-sainthood while overlooking their harmful actions.

Mr. Neill does not pretend to be an impartial observer, acknowledging his anger toward those who manipulate religion to excuse their wrongdoing. He argues that the lack of oversight in foreign aid, especially in countries with weak regulatory systems, creates a breeding ground for abuse and deception. While modern social media has made it easier to expose such scandals, the book serves as a stark reminder that, for years, these injustices went unnoticed. His personal journey from hopeful volunteer to whistleblower adds an emotional depth that makes Twenty Years of Unraveling a gut-wrenching, but necessary exposé of the abuses in such organizations.

 - Sebastian Calderon

An Emotional Read.

Twenty Years of Unraveling by Ted Neill uncovers abuse at a Kenyan orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS. After reconnecting with the kids in 2020, Neill and survivors exposed years of mistreatment, lax accountability and desperate attempts to cover up.

The book touches on different human emotions, highlights resilience and the fight for justice, showing how survivors bravely spoke out and held those responsible accountable. It is a highly recommended book that sheds light on the spirit of human life and everyone should read this book.

- Maheen Zahid

Gripping.

In 2004, author Ted Neil spent time at a Kenyan Charity foundation for children suffering from HIV/AIDS. Twenty Years of Unravelling is the story of how, after Neil’s departure, the kids suffered from constant physical, mental, and even sexual abuse. Written using a mix of Neil’s personal experience and anecdotes from the kids in question, it is a striking revelation of how an institution created to help broke down, and it’s consequences.

As Neil pointedly writes, this is a story of how a breakdown in safeguards happens, how charitable institutions with the best of intentions can go astray, and the human costs it can have.

- Amazon Review