Join us on this once in a lifetime opportunity to trek 86km through Kenya’s stunning Maasai Mara Nature Reserve and Great Rift Valley and raise much needed funds for Vision Africa.  Vision Africa works with the poorest and neediest children and teenage girls in the slums of Kibera and other areas of want in Kenya.   

This trek journeys through the heart of Kenya’s stunning Rift Valley encompassing some of Africa’s most stark, yet beautiful natural scenery.  Immersed in the Maasai Mara Nature Reserve we delve deep into the vibrant culture of this region, learning about the traditional tribes people and viewing some of the best wildlife in the world.

Cheetah and Giraffe in the Masai Mara

To take part we ask that you pay a deposit of £250 on registration and the balance of £1446 ten weeks before we depart.  In addition we would like to challenge you to raise  around £1500 in sponsorship, 100% of which will go directly to Vision Africa to support our work.

To ask for a brochure or to register for the trek please email lesley@vision-africa.org and we will get the information or application form in the post to you.  ‘Trek Kenya’ is going to be a fantastic trip and we do hope you will be able to join us. 

To join our trek mailing list please send a message asking to be kept informed to challenge11@vision-africa.org and we will be pleased to add you on.

Millennium Consulting the Kent based Management Consultancy held their Annual Corporate Golf Challenge at the London Golf Club, Ash, Kent on Friday 2^nd July raising £600 for Vision Africa the Kenyan children’s charity. Clear blue skies and temperatures reaching 27 degrees Celsius made for a memorable humid day in the beautiful Kent countryside.

Special Guest Sean Fitzpatrick provided post golf entertainment

Millenium Consulting Line Up

The hot, humid conditions meant that post round refreshments in the Club house were particularly welcome and afterwards there was the opportunity to listen to one of the all time greats of world rugby – The All Blacks former captain Sean Fitzpatrick. The term “legend” is liberally applied to many sportsmen these days but in this case it is an appropriate description of someone who holds the record for the  most Test matches as All Black captain (51) and who has played in more Test match victories (74) than any other player.

Sean entertained the audience with tales from down the years about some of the great players he had played with and against during his rugby career. His sporting anecdotes when applied to the goal of winning and achieving business and personal success provided some valuable lessons. His talk culminated with a rendition of the infamous pre match “Hakka” demonstrated with determination and the threatening menace that is the All Blacks hallmark.

Philip Keet, Millennium Consulting Managing Director thanked the players and emphasised that even during times of economic difficulty there are always people less fortunate, particularly in the African sub-continent and supporting them is our duty. Millennium Consulting is committed to supporting Vision Africa at every available opportunity.        

We would like to thank Phil Keet and his team at Millenium Consulting as well as all those who took part in the event. Your generosity will be a great help to us as we continue to support projects that give brighter futures to disadvantaged children in Kenya.

If you would like more information about Vision Africa’s projects or some ideas on how to raise funds, please feel free to get in touch.

Mark your diary! On the 18^th September we would like you to join us on a journey to see some of the footprints made by our supporters and project staff. We hope this will inspire you to look at your own footprints and see whether you are making a difference in the world. If it does, there will plenty of advice onhand as to how you can work with Vision Africa to leave firm footprints showing that you are creating brighter futures for disadvantaged children in Kenya.

For those who can make it, there will be an opportunity to hear firsthand of the work that is being done by Vision Africa staff thanks to our supporters. Our Field Director Deborah Kimathi, and Chairman Bob Dowty will host an event in Manchester (UK) which will allow you to have a walk through our projects and see exactly what goes on at each one and the impact they are having on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. At the same time, there will be an online event telling you more about our work and bringing you updates from the most important people involved in Vision Africa – the children who are assisted through the projects we support.

What to expect on the day:

- Testimonies from children supported by Vision Africa

- Images introducing you to our projects

- Opportunities to hear from key personnel

- Artwork from various projects

- Ideas as to how you can donate time, skills or money to support our work

Join us on Facebook or Twitter to hear more details about these events as they are released and make sure you check out our blog for updates from Deborah and Bob.

Footprints

Footprints – we all leave them as we walk around each day

But did you ever think to stop and see just what your footprints say?

On the path that life has taken you, when you look at what you’ve done

Can you see your footprints showing that you’ve really helped someone?

Have you given time, shared your skills, donated a coin or two?

Have you helped change the life of someone much worse off than you?

It doesn’t take a fortune to make some children smile

But the feeling that those smiles create will last you a long while

Many children need your help, there are simple things you can do

To make sure that your footprints say change was made by YOU.

This year the school managed to register a total of 130 children from the age of 3-10 years from all over Kibera, both Muslim and Christian. The school serves from day care children through to standard three where in the Kenyan Education system children are mostly 9-10 years old.

Being a non-formal school, most of the teachers are volunteers but with good qualifications acquired from the Ministry of Education. The school depends 90% on donations from friends, donors and well wishers. A large percentage of the children are not in a position to pay school fees which makes it very hard to plan and effectively run an institution but thanks go to sponsors, friends and donors who have never let this wonderful institution down. From 2007 Vision Africa has been supporting two main areas in this school:

1. Feeding Program – Through Vision Africa’s funding, the school has managed to feed 130 children from Monday to Friday with lunch which makes a very big difference in the children’s lives. Food in the stomach helps a good learning atmosphere and improves concentration. Most of these children come from very poor families which cannot afford two meals a day so lunch in school might end up being supper for some children.

2. Sponsorship – To help with the budget of the school, Vision Africa provides sponsorship to assist in the payment of teachers and also to acquire some learning materials for the children. This has been very successful and we have managed to get 32 children sponsors who pay a small fee every month. Through the same system of sponsorship we have managed to get uniforms for all the sponsored children plus another 20 needy children this year. The uniform includes a dress and school bag for girls and a shirt, shorts and bag for boys.

As the end of term two approaches, we are looking forward to holding a Sports Day at the school sponsored by the Ainslie family who will be visiting from the UK. Check back later for a report on this event.

Thanks to Vision Africa and all the sponsors and friends for making a difference to our lovely children in Kibera Lutheran School.

You can sponsor a child at the Lutheran School for as little as £7 (800ksh) a month or if you live in the Nairobi area and would like to make a donation in kind such as food or stationery, please get in touch.

Update by Vincent Kegode.

If you are a member of our Facebook group or follow us on Twitter you might have seen the above photograph posted recently of a sponsor meeting the student she supports. That sponsor was Lesley Potter and the young student attends the Lutheran School in Kibera. Today we received an email from Lesley thanking us for the opportunity to visit the project and asking if the paragraphs below could be posted on our website to encourage more people to sponsor a child.

“On my recent visit to the Lutheran school to drop off some books and crayons for the students, I was lucky enough to visit all the classrooms. Since my last time, a new set of classrooms has been built and all the classes have space of their own.  It was a delight to meet with all the students and chat to them about their work.  They were proud to show off their work books and I also talked to the teachers about what work they were doing with the students.  The baby class was on a break when we called in, the students having fun and playing games with each other.  By the time we had been round the older classes, it was time for a break and everyone went outside for a rest from their work.  The students were playing games, chatting and laughing.  They loved having their picture taken and, of course, having a digital camera means you can show everyone the pictures on the spot, although you have to hang on to your camera as everyone gets pretty excited to see themselves and their friends!!  As we left, the baby class were out playing football, one group cheering the other on as they chased the ball across the grass!

The highlight of the day was to meet up with one of the students I sponsor. It was wonderful to see how he has grown, how well he looks and how excited he was to be the centre of attention for a little while.  I have never doubted that the sponsorship scheme was a great thing to be involved in but seeing Samuel in class, playing games with his friends and giggling shyly as we chatted was such a treat.  Visiting the school is both a humbling and uplifting experience – we really can make a difference! “

If you are inspired by these words and would like to sponsor a child at Lutheran School or another Vision Africa project please contact us. Sponsorship starts from just £7 (800ksh) a month … a small amount which can make a big difference to the life of a disadvantaged child.

We thought we would give you an insight in to what it’s like to intern at a Vision Africa project so we asked Priscilla a few questions.

How did you get involved at Seed of Hope?

I read about Seed of Hope in a bridal magazine and contacted Deborah (VA Field Director) to request a placement.

How do you find Seed of Hope?

I’m happy that disadvantaged girls are getting training under full sponsorship. Also the skills the girls are learning are important in the future to help them make money.

What are you involved in during your internship?

I’m teaching dress making, fashion design and fashion illustration and pattern drafting. I’m also helping with Crafted items. (Crafted is a social enterprise where graduates produce clothing, jewellery and accessories for sale and profits are re-invested in the training centres)

What kind of impact do you think you’re having on the girls?

I’ve had a great impact in fashion illustration and I can see a big change in almost everyone. The girls now understand why it is important. Dress making is not just about making the outfits, they can now draw designs to show their clients.

I am very free with the girls, especially the first years.

What would you say to someone who wanted to volunteer at Seed of Hope?

Seed of Hope is a very good experience but someone must be very patient because each girl has to be taken as an individual because they are not at the same level in understanding.

The girls are very welcoming and I would have loved to stay longer.

Many thanks to Priscilla for sharing her time, skills and experience with our Seed of Hope students. Thanks also to Teacher Maureen for conducting this interview.

If you would like more information about Seed of Hope, Crafted or interning at one of our projects, please use our contact form to get in touch.

Due to a decline in funding last year, the feeding program at each Seed of Hope centre was suspended. Rather than simply sit back and have students attend school without lunch, Njambi and her team took action and worked with staff, students and parents to come up with solutions. Great use has been made of the large shamba (land for farming) with vegetables and maize being grown. Unfortunately the recent crop of beans was lost due to heavy rains but a large maize harvest is anticipated in August. The shamba has also been planted with a lot of napier grass some of which is used to feed the centre’s cows and some of which is sold to generate income.

Outfit made for a customer

The local authorities have been of great help to Kariti Seed of Hope centre. By working closely with the administration, supplies of government relief food have been received which supplement what is grown in the shamba. The other breakthrough is that thanks to CDF money (Community Development Fund) electricity has now been installed at the centre and a number of computers have been ordered so that students will be able to learn basic IT skills. A cyber will also be set up to generate income by servicing the local community members who currently travel 20km to find internet access for checking emails etc.

Shamba is full of maize and napier grass

As this project continues to make steps towards becoming self-sufficient, we still need to find funding to support their tremendous efforts. If you would like to sponsor a girl at Seed of Hope Kariti for as little as £8 (1,000ksh) a month, please use our contact form to get in touch. You can find more pictures from this project in The Gallery and remember to join us on Facebook and Twitter where you can tell us what you think of our work or find out how you can get involved.

For us at Vision Africa, this day seemed the perfect opportunity to celebrate the work of one of our projects, Kibera Mpira Mtaani, which uses football as a tool to reach out to youths in Kibera. It was decided that we would host a small event with some of the people who have helped Kibera Mpira Mtaani on its journey from a football project to one that really demonstrates what sports development is all about.

Kibera Mpira Mtaani spent several years running football tournaments for children in the 13 villages of Kenya. Over the years, this has helped relations between the villages as players and coaches walk freely between them and often see familiar faces from the tournaments. The number of teams participating in Kibera Mpira Mtaani tournaments has increased significantly over the years from around 50 three years ago to 119 in the latest tournament meaning that over 2,000 youths are involved in the tournaments.

Having built up this base, Kibera Mpira Mtaani expanded its activities and now works with partner organisations such as MSF and CARE Kenya to promote health education amongst the youths taking part in the tournaments. In February 2009 they also set up a library and resource centre at their office allowing free after-school tuition and safe study space for the children in the surrounding area who were not performing well in school due to the lack of resources found in informal schools that do not enjoy government support. This program has been running without any secure funding but proved successful in its first year with a number of students getting the grades and sponsorship to attend secondary school.

Guests watch South Africa vs. Mexico

Guests at our World Cup launch included some of those students along with “Seeds for Hope” who have sponsored a number of them and the Kenyan National Library who have donated school syllabus books to Kibera Mpira Mtaani’s library. Other guests included staff from Intellisoftplus who created Kibera Mpira Mtaani’s website and the British High Commission who have been very supportive of Kibera Mpira Mtaani. In fact, the whole event wouldn’t have been possible if it hadn’t been for a quiz run by the staff of the British High Commission! 

Electricity supply in Kibera is generally unstable and there had been no power for one month leading up to the launch of the World Cup. The day before the opening match, the transformer was removed by the power company resulting in a total blackout. Thankfully, the quiz run by the British High Commission staff had raised funds to buy Kibera Mpira Mtaani a generator to power their TV so that they can charge residents a fee to watch football matches and the funds will then support their education program.

Before the opening match Kibera Mpira Mtaani’s chairman, Vincent Kegode, told guests about the various activities organised by the organisation and a local school performed a poem. It was then time for kick-off! The whole crowd was backing South Africa and there was a lot of noise as they dominated the first half, with shouts and screams when they scored and clear disappointment when chances were missed.

British High Commission staff make presentation to performers

At half-time, a group the Kibera Mpira Mtaani after school classes performed a choral verse entitled “Africa Africa” and were rewarded with football shirts donated by the British High Commission staff.  When asked which team they were supporting in the World Cup the replies included Argentina, England, Spain, Italy and France with only one young boy supporting an African team, Nigeria. Their volunteer teacher also received a football shirt which he put on over his shirt and tie and proudly wore for the whole of the second half. Unfortunately the excitement was short-lived as Mexico scored their equalising goal but overall the match was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who attended and we are all looking forward to an exciting World Cup and using it to raise funds to support the education program which is truly making a difference to the lives of children in Kibera.

Kibera Mpira Mtaani’s work has been selected as one of the projects being promoted by GlobalGiving during the World Cup. You can make a donation to their work through the GlobalGiving website and if you do it on June 16^th, International Day of the African Child, GlobalGiving will match your donation with 50%! For more information about Kibera Mpira Mtaani please use our contact form to get in touch.

Promoting Kibera Mpira Mtaani

The other groups that were promoted on the day included the Kenya Rugby Sevens team, The British Army Training Unit Kenya, MYSA and our friends from Alive and Kicking so we were in good company! Vincent Kegode, Chairman of Kibera Mpira Mtaani, was on hand to answer questions by the guests who spent time learning about the great work that is being done in the field of sports in Kenya. During the speech by the British High Commissioner, Rob Macaire, Kibera Mpira Mtaani was mentioned and Mr. Macaire passed by our stand later in the day and kindly posed for a photograph with Vincent who had been part of the group which gave Mr. Macaire his introduction to Kibera when he took on his role in Kenya. A number of the British High Commission Cheetahs came to check out our display and were pleased to see their picture featured in the Kibera Journal sports round-up. We hope to see the Cheetahs at an event at Kibera Mpira Mtaani’s offices to launch the World Cup 2010 later this week! There was a very positive reception from those who took time to learn more about Kibera Mpira Mtaani. We look forward to building on this interest in the coming months as the organisation goes from strength to strength.

Vision Africa stall at Braeside School

After a busy day at the High Commission event, there was no rest as we had been invited to promote Vision Africa at Braeside Primary School’s “Culture and Environment Day” held on Saturday 5th June. As this was World Environment Day, it was the perfect opportunity to promote our recycling project re:future which is an enterprise supporting our Seed of Hope centre in Nairobi. Working with the school, it was decided that we would offer parents and students the chance to sponsor a seedling which would allow us to plant fruit trees at some of our projects helping the environment and assisting our feeding programs at the same time. On the day, we managed to sell 102 gift cards sponsoring trees. A fantastic result! Look out for pictures of the trees being planted in the near future.

The events don’t stop there as our team is now preparing for the World Cup event at Kibera Mpira Mtaani’s office on Friday. This will be followed by our participation in Nairobi Chapel’s event promoting their Social Justice Ministries over the weekend. Our Seed of Hope Centre at Dagoretti Corner, Nairobi, enjoys an ongoing relationship with Nairobi Chapel and we look forward to working with them at this event.

For more information about Seed of Hope, Kibera Mpira Mtaani or any other Vision Africa projects, please use the contact form to get in touch. Remember you can also keep up with us on Twitter and Facebook.

It’s always sad hearing the circumstances that bring babies to the home…this story was no exception. At ten months old, this little one seemed healthy and well developed in that they could stand and crawl about the place. I was told that there were no medical problems and that he had been brought up by his mother.

Matron has her hands full at lunchtime

Hearing that story reminded me again what a great asset the St. Andrews Baby Unit is to the local community. Once the relevant paperwork had been completed there was a safe place that the baby could be brought to where it would be well cared for. The staff members work very hard looking after all the babies in their care – even if it means their hands are full as you can see from the photo of the matron feeding several hungry babies at once!

As I left the baby unit to start working with the children, a pick-up truck arrived in the compound. This was filled with donations of food, charcoal, cleaning products and other items for the baby unit that had been donated by a family member of the late chairman of Kandara Children’s Home, AK Mwaura, who worked tirelessly to support the home.

Delivery of donations

If you would like to support the work of the St. Andrews Baby Unit by sponsoring a cot or making donations in kind if you live in Kenya, please use our contact form to get in touch.