|
Oundle residents Liz Turnbull &
Nicola Guise share a passion
for Kenya and travelled to the
Nairobi slums in 2016 on an
‘adventure with purpose’ Umoja
trip. Whilst there, they met an
inspirational team of volunteers,
themselves former street
children, who were working
with young street children (aged
5-14) seeking to reunite them
with their families and introduce
them into schools through a
drop-in centre programme - the
Real Hope Community Youth
Organisation (RHYCO).
Fast forward to January 2020
after a number of subsequent
visits, Nicola and Liz have set
up their own charity - Marafiki
(meaning ‘friendship’ in swahili)
Trust - to support the
RHYCO programme
alongside a nearby
centre for seven
boys with cerebral
palsy.
Through generous donations, child sponsorship and grants,
the charity has supported 74 children/61 RHYCO families and
the seven boys at the Joyful Hearts Centre (JHC) through the
COVID-19 pandemic crisis, since schools and centres closed
in March this year until January 2021. The children and their
families have received food parcels, access to water (thanks
to the generosity of Oundle residents David & Gersi), and an
education box of materials supplied by Oundle Rotary Club. A
generous grant has enabled the RHYCO team to assist parents
to get back on their feet through a Parental Empowerment
Programme.
COVID-19 has highlighted a need for a ‘safe house’ for some
of the children who are currently living in the homes of the team
members due to abuse and/or neglect at home. RHYCO wants
to expand and help more children. The Marafi ki Trust is actively
fundraising to support the acquisition of a new exclusive-use
centre for the RHYCO programme with residential facilities
for respite care. Liz and Nicola are proud to say that every
penny donated through the Marafi ki Trust goes to the projects
in Kenya. You can help in the following way:
• £20 will sponsor a child at RHYCO or JHC for a month
• £30 will fund a food parcel for a family for a month or help
to feed the children in the centre
• £100 will buy a bed and mattress for the new centre
• £5 will provide clean water for a family for a week
• £16 will provide physiotherapy treatment for the JHC
children for a day
For further information about the charity please visit the
website and/or follow Marafiki Trust on social media or contact
the trustees on the details below.
To make a difference in someone’s
life, you don’t have to be brilliant, rich,
beautiful, or perfect. You just have to
care.’ Mandy Hale
www.marafikitrust.org
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
@marafikitrust
Charity Number: 1187949
|
