My Big Kenyan Cause
Donation protected
May 2015
Hi you generous lot.
I am having to do an URGENT call out in order to help cover the costs for Winnie (the 20 year old Kenyan who i met at House of Mercy Children's Home in Nairobi last year) to remain at college for a 3rd semester.
Many thanks to those who have already donated in the past month, you are life savers! I have added this to my personal savings, but unfortunately this is still not enough to cover everything.
We urgently need £200/$300 more to cover everything for the next 3 months including food and her May rent which should have been sent already! I am not asking for individuals to donate large chunks of money, but that everyone gives - £7/$10- then we can do it. Or even if it's less than this, every little helps.
Together, we have enabled Winnie to complete 2 semesters at Utaali college in Nairobi (where she studies Front of House Operations). She has gained good exam results, good friends and good self confidence! When I visited last month, we found her a flat nearer to college where she pays less than her previous accomodation.
However, this could all be taken away if we cannot fund her, as she has no immediate family and the Director of the Children's Home cannot afford to support her financially. My personal savings are almost dried up and so cannot do it alone....
For the basic right to education, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE click on the donate button !
December 2014
Hi you lovely lot.
Do you:-
A. Not understand why the heck i keep sharing this post?!
B. Fancy helping to change the life of a young person from a poor and vulnerable community ...but don't quite know how?
C. Worry that any donation you make to a cause like this won't go directly in to that young person's hands?
D. Feel pretty skint at the moment because it's Xmas and you've basically bought too many presents for yourself, let alone others?
If your answer is 'yes' to all or most of the above, then please read on ;)...
Whilst volunteering in Kenya earlier this year, I met Winnie, a lovely 19 year old Kenyan girl (or at least she thinks she is this age, but has never truly known). I don't think she minds me saying that she is an orphan, like many children in Kenya, so she spent most of her childhood living at House of Mercy Children's Home near Nairobi. As the Kenyan government gives little to no support with funding for education, Winnie was lucky enough to find a private sponser to enable her to go to High School, but there were no more funds for further education. So since December 2013, she had no other choice than to stay at the Children's Home, working to care for the babies for free.
As you may already know, the population in Kenya is ridiculously high and money, infrustructure and facilities are majorly lacking. Therefore, the rate of unemployment and dropping out of education is high.
Luckily, myself and some other volunteers started working at the Children's Home around the same time Winnie was considering applying to colleges. We felt that as we'd all been lucky enough to have a high level of education, Winnie should too.
And so, as well as helping the other children at the Home with basic needs like food, water, electricity and school supplies, we managed to raise enough money to send Winnie to college for her first term (semester!). (See earlier posts on this page).
She enrolled at the highly regarded Utaali College in Nairobi to study Hospitality. It apparently has great links with the industry and there is a good chance she can attain a job at the end of her 2 year course.
Now this term is coming to a close, I am doing a big push to ensure we can pay for her next term's tuition, accomodation and personal needs. We are also moving her from the hostel she was at in to her own house, as it's a much better deal.
I am in regular contact with Winnie and the Director of the Children's Home and another staff member who are all helping Winnie on the ground as obviously I can't be there very often!
All i am asking for is a tenner- £10 (or about $15) from each of you, and i think we can cover it! I then send the money directly to Winnie through Western Union.
A little of our money goes a really long way out there, so..
...come on, let's help make Winnie's Christmas, her year and her life, the best it can possibly be!
Thanks for reading my incredibly long but needed message!
Ta,
Bry x
May 2014
Jambo!
As some of you may be aware, I have been volunteering at a Children's Home in Kenya for the past 4 weeks. House of Mercy Children's Home currently houses 60 children/young people who were all in vulnerable situations for one reason or another.
I would not have predicted how attached i would get to the children/young people and how involved i would get in the running of the home. Every day I enjoy assisting with the in-house nursery school, doing chores, playing games and talking with these inspiring people.
Although they seem generally happy at the home, there are many basic issues affecting their health and well being. For instance, those young children who wet the bed were sleeping in unhygienic conditions night after night. So i decided to buy some waterproof mattress covers which are easy to clean and keep the bedrooms smelling fresh! (See photos). I also helped pay an electricity bill so they can do their homework and complete chores in the evenings. Plus i covered school tuition and exam fees for some (unfortunately they even have to pay at government run 'public' schools).
However, they are still struggling to afford essentials like fresh vegetables, baby nappies, baby milk and water supplies (currently the children are having to walk 10 minutes each way to a dam to fetch water. It's time consuming, inconvenient and uncomfortable to say the least!). We are looking at helping to set up more self-sustainable schemes, but until they come into effect, they desperately need help NOW! Thats why i have decided to ask you lovely people to help me!
A little of your money goes a veeeery long way here! For example, 10 pounds can pay a child's tuition fees for one month. Or 20 pounds can feed 60 mouths with fresh cabbages and carrots for 1 week!
You can be sure that every penny you give goes directly to me, and then i will either go and buy things myself, or give the required amounts to the Director of the home to buy. I will collect receipts and take pictures of the items once bought, to reassure you that all your hard earned money is going towards a worthwhile cause.
Go on, you know you want to! xxx
Hi you generous lot.
I am having to do an URGENT call out in order to help cover the costs for Winnie (the 20 year old Kenyan who i met at House of Mercy Children's Home in Nairobi last year) to remain at college for a 3rd semester.
Many thanks to those who have already donated in the past month, you are life savers! I have added this to my personal savings, but unfortunately this is still not enough to cover everything.
We urgently need £200/$300 more to cover everything for the next 3 months including food and her May rent which should have been sent already! I am not asking for individuals to donate large chunks of money, but that everyone gives - £7/$10- then we can do it. Or even if it's less than this, every little helps.
Together, we have enabled Winnie to complete 2 semesters at Utaali college in Nairobi (where she studies Front of House Operations). She has gained good exam results, good friends and good self confidence! When I visited last month, we found her a flat nearer to college where she pays less than her previous accomodation.
However, this could all be taken away if we cannot fund her, as she has no immediate family and the Director of the Children's Home cannot afford to support her financially. My personal savings are almost dried up and so cannot do it alone....
For the basic right to education, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE click on the donate button !
December 2014
Hi you lovely lot.
Do you:-
A. Not understand why the heck i keep sharing this post?!
B. Fancy helping to change the life of a young person from a poor and vulnerable community ...but don't quite know how?
C. Worry that any donation you make to a cause like this won't go directly in to that young person's hands?
D. Feel pretty skint at the moment because it's Xmas and you've basically bought too many presents for yourself, let alone others?
If your answer is 'yes' to all or most of the above, then please read on ;)...
Whilst volunteering in Kenya earlier this year, I met Winnie, a lovely 19 year old Kenyan girl (or at least she thinks she is this age, but has never truly known). I don't think she minds me saying that she is an orphan, like many children in Kenya, so she spent most of her childhood living at House of Mercy Children's Home near Nairobi. As the Kenyan government gives little to no support with funding for education, Winnie was lucky enough to find a private sponser to enable her to go to High School, but there were no more funds for further education. So since December 2013, she had no other choice than to stay at the Children's Home, working to care for the babies for free.
As you may already know, the population in Kenya is ridiculously high and money, infrustructure and facilities are majorly lacking. Therefore, the rate of unemployment and dropping out of education is high.
Luckily, myself and some other volunteers started working at the Children's Home around the same time Winnie was considering applying to colleges. We felt that as we'd all been lucky enough to have a high level of education, Winnie should too.
And so, as well as helping the other children at the Home with basic needs like food, water, electricity and school supplies, we managed to raise enough money to send Winnie to college for her first term (semester!). (See earlier posts on this page).
She enrolled at the highly regarded Utaali College in Nairobi to study Hospitality. It apparently has great links with the industry and there is a good chance she can attain a job at the end of her 2 year course.
Now this term is coming to a close, I am doing a big push to ensure we can pay for her next term's tuition, accomodation and personal needs. We are also moving her from the hostel she was at in to her own house, as it's a much better deal.
I am in regular contact with Winnie and the Director of the Children's Home and another staff member who are all helping Winnie on the ground as obviously I can't be there very often!
All i am asking for is a tenner- £10 (or about $15) from each of you, and i think we can cover it! I then send the money directly to Winnie through Western Union.
A little of our money goes a really long way out there, so..
...come on, let's help make Winnie's Christmas, her year and her life, the best it can possibly be!
Thanks for reading my incredibly long but needed message!
Ta,
Bry x
May 2014
Jambo!
As some of you may be aware, I have been volunteering at a Children's Home in Kenya for the past 4 weeks. House of Mercy Children's Home currently houses 60 children/young people who were all in vulnerable situations for one reason or another.
I would not have predicted how attached i would get to the children/young people and how involved i would get in the running of the home. Every day I enjoy assisting with the in-house nursery school, doing chores, playing games and talking with these inspiring people.
Although they seem generally happy at the home, there are many basic issues affecting their health and well being. For instance, those young children who wet the bed were sleeping in unhygienic conditions night after night. So i decided to buy some waterproof mattress covers which are easy to clean and keep the bedrooms smelling fresh! (See photos). I also helped pay an electricity bill so they can do their homework and complete chores in the evenings. Plus i covered school tuition and exam fees for some (unfortunately they even have to pay at government run 'public' schools).
However, they are still struggling to afford essentials like fresh vegetables, baby nappies, baby milk and water supplies (currently the children are having to walk 10 minutes each way to a dam to fetch water. It's time consuming, inconvenient and uncomfortable to say the least!). We are looking at helping to set up more self-sustainable schemes, but until they come into effect, they desperately need help NOW! Thats why i have decided to ask you lovely people to help me!
A little of your money goes a veeeery long way here! For example, 10 pounds can pay a child's tuition fees for one month. Or 20 pounds can feed 60 mouths with fresh cabbages and carrots for 1 week!
You can be sure that every penny you give goes directly to me, and then i will either go and buy things myself, or give the required amounts to the Director of the home to buy. I will collect receipts and take pictures of the items once bought, to reassure you that all your hard earned money is going towards a worthwhile cause.
Go on, you know you want to! xxx
Organizer
Bryony Smith
Organizer
