Well, here we are, I’m still in Australia…indefinitely!!! What amazing times we are living in. I’m able to run our project remotely, talk to the staff every day (for free), and feel relaxed and confident that everything is being run extremely efficiently by two amazing, dedicated ladies in my exile. We were indeed “in the best of times”, until March 19th when the dreaded COVID 19 arrived in East Africa.All Kenyan schools were closed immediately. We were holding out hope that universities and vocational TRAINING schools such as ours would be permitted to open again at the beginning of September. Last month the government announcedRead More

Today is graduation day for some of the young women that the area chief and health department gave permission to live with us while the much-dreaded COVID-19 slowly spread its deadly path across East Africa.Normally this is a HUGE celebration. Proud family members will often hire a minibus for the day, piling three generations into the overcrowded 14 passenger vehicle. The girls excitedly rehearse for weeks preparing dances and songs for performances, always including a fashion show of their creations. Our area officials attend, many speeches are made and the well-earned certificates awarded… Always by me personally, congratulating each girl for their hard work and determination to become someone theirRead More

By: Beryl Adhiambo. Kenya experienced post-election tribal clashes after the 2007 disputed elections that left many families homeless, losing their properties and means of a livelihood. Many also lost land since they could not remain in the hostile regions they had lived in all their lives. Those families that had ancestral home elsewhere relocated back and those with some savings bought small plots mostly measuring 50ft by 100ft and settled there, but with no arable land it meant that many became destitute all of a sudden. However the majority of the displaced families had nowhere to go and solely depended on the government effort toRead More

By: Beryl Adhiambo. Last week’s food hamper distribution exercise took place in Ngorika, the target beneficiaries were the aged and people living with disability. We met the 60 beneficiaries waiting for us in one of the public schools in the area.  In all the food hamper distribution we are always accompanied by the village elders and when we are lucky enough the area chief. The beneficiaries were spread out meaning the sensitization meetings on COVID 19 organized by the health professionals and community health workers in the grassroot is bearing fruits. The team (the village elders and staff / students from Kijiji Mission) started theRead More

Kenya has continued to experience enhanced rainfall resulting in flooding, thus negatively impacting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable populations. The floods have affected a lot of areas in the country. In Nakuru County, families living in Kiamunyi, Olive Inn, and Kaptembwa communities, among others have been displaced following floods caused by a heavy downpour since the third week of April. The flooding in these communities has been blamed on poor drainage and sanitation with most drainage systems being clogged. Communities close to Lake Nakuru have been forced to relocate after overflow from the lake sparking fears of a humanitarian crisis. My friend and fellowRead More

As we continue with our emergency food and face mask program I can’t express how very grateful we are for your generous support. We have been privileged to make and distribute thousands of face masks throughout our community. Each week we have been able to assist families in need of food assistance.  Unfortunately, until we are able to raise more money, we can only afford to assist around 60 families per week with food hampers. Our main focus in this period of COVID 19 is to donate food and face masks to vulnerable and needy people in the county. Most of the residents in Mang’uRead More

Last week 60 families from Nyamurutu slums benefited from our food and face mask donation.  Our target was the elderly, ailing, persons with disability, and very vulnerable families.   The foodstuff was distributed in the presence of the village elder who also helped us in mapping out the most needy cases. We distributed the foodstuff at Squatter Hill Academy, to avoid crowding, social distance, and people fighting for the food. Our students and staff have been working tirelessly making face masks and preparing food packages for the areas most vulnerable. Next week, our students will continue to create our biggest production line yet – Thank you for supporting us with fundsRead More

Hello Everyone, Currently, I am home on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland,  in home-isolation with my husband Bill, which I am sure is the same for so many, and no doubt, it is beginning to take its toll. However,  we must remain thankful for what we do have. We have food, water, and the knowledge that there is help when we ask for it, neighbors, friends, and should it be necessary, medical support from those who do a most incredible job.My extended families are the many young women we have been blessed to lift out of poverty, early marriage, early childbirth, and life ahead raising their children in unimaginable, overcrowded slumsRead More

I hope and trust that this finds you each healthy and well in these unprecedented times. We stand alongside you in supporting our fearless frontline workers and first responders globally. They give us hope and inspire us daily with their courage. As trusted allies and supporters of our work at Springs of Hope Foundation I wanted to share how we are pivoting our efforts to protect our education programs, and most importantly, the women, girls, and families we serve in our community in Nakuru, Kenya during these rapidly changing times. As you know, many African countries are currently being devastated by the exponential rise ofRead More