Highlights This Year – Update November 2020

Key highlights this year

• Massive challenges with the two fields where we grow maize and beans because of climate change (drought and floods) and an infestation of locusts and armyworm. Two plantings were washed away. We had hoped a further planting of beans would be successful, but this has not been the case, and we have decided to defer more planting until the early part of next year.
• All our children are in lockdown, they had returned to school in October, but this was cancelled after only two weeks, and sadly they will not resume schooling until January at the earliest. This has meant the provision of extra food for a midday meal. 
• Isaac, who grew up in the Orphanage and is our eldest young person, has returned to Nairobi. Like University students here, Isaac’s last year at Uni did not have the usual celebrations. He has now finished his internship and is applying for jobs, including the TV studio in which he completed his internship. Unemployment is very high for young adults in Nairobi.
• Faith is our only other young person who has left the Orphanage. Faith is working as an Administrator in a hospital and is now living independently.
  We wish Isaac and Faith all our love and prayers as their paths take them on a new journey.
• Climate change and coronavirus have led to significant food shortages throughout Kenya. Beatrice, our project manager, has had to source food at different times from as far away as Uganda.  A bag of beans, which lasts for a week, currently costs £300. We understand Beatrice can source maize and beans locally now, but prices have risen due to the shortages. 
• This means that most of our resources this year have gone on food.  However, we did need to undertake repairs to the roof of the dormitory block, damaged in the heavy rains earlier this year, as well as renewing a lot of electric wiring.  
• In seeking to spend funds wisely, we have enrolled staff and children on a Kenyan health-insurance scheme on a trial basis; at the moment this looks to be a way of making significant savings in that area. Our children have used the local designated clinics under the health scheme for treatments such as high temperatures (checking for malaria) and minor accidents.
• Trustees have been unable to make their regular bi-annual visits this year because of the coronavirus restrictions both here and in Kenya. Still, we are in constant touch, sometimes several times a day, via email and text messages. 
• Trustees have contacted another Christian charity that runs a children’s home near Kisumu where we land on the internal flight in Kenya. We have had fruitful discussions with them, and both parties have learned from this contact. 
• Donations have increased this year, and most donors are now registered for Gift Aid. This increases our funds by 25%, so we are encouraging donors to sign up to this.  Of course, we are grateful to all donors, whether they are eligible to Gift Aid or not. Thank you for all you give.
• Please remember the children and young people in your prayers.   

Some of the children in their facemasks in October