One of the things we promote as a charity is small business enterprise, so it follows that here in the U.K. we do the same.  The coffee shop will have volunteers as well as paid staff to keep our costs down.  We are pleased that the Asante Coffee Shop launched successfully on the 16th March and has been reaching above its target in the opening week -meaning profits will already have begun to accrue.

 Together we can really release some of our disposable cash directly into the education of the children and young people living in the slums of Kisumu.  Please click on the link to see the film Dare 2 dream which depicts exactly where profits will be sent.  Dare 2 Dream YT

Asante means ‘Thank you!’ in Swahili.  Please help us by visiting us for coffee and cake!

ASANTE!

We had a very successful trip to visit the work happening in Kisumu during April.  The new addition of the rented premises for the street children means that now 124 children were fed and given some teaching at the Life Centre School.  Many of these children are from families that live in adverse poverty.  Thirty five of them are known orphans and stay at the houses that are rented.  It was a moving sight to see all of them being served basic meals sitting on the lawn outside, some were extremely young.  They really enjoyed singing and playing games with us.  You can see from this picture how short of space and resources they are inside the rented school building.

We are currently exploring possibilities regarding some local land being donated by the government where we can build a new school building.  According to the law at present all primary education is free, therefore there is a possibility that the government may assist. 

James and Alice Samo were extremely proud to show us one of the other rented premises that some of the street boys occupy- but better than this was the carpentry shop where some of these boys in training were making making beds.  we also visited a mechanics shop where others were learning how to fix bikes and a secondary school where some of the street boy are enjoying an education.

The work that has been done so far is very encouraging, we ran a small business seminar one afternoon to encourage some to start up a small business which was very well recieved.  Helping them generate a small income would make a real difference.

The school project would need to be much bigger than we first anticipated housing 125 children for Primary Education.  It would appear if we could provide a basic feeding programme and school the community would be greatly assisted.  It is James and Alice’s belief that many of the children could be housed by either relatives or even adopted by others if they had food and education catered for.  With this in mind, it is our aim to provide a School building and individual sponsors who would support the whole school project with the option of communicating with the children.  The project will be be broken down into the expense of land, building work, uniforms, school equipment as one-off projects and sponsorship of as little as £2.50 per month for the feeding and education programme.  We currently have few regular sponsors for this work, although we have now sent money for uniforms for all children attending the school.

We would like to thank everyone who has shown an interest in assiting with this project- we have currently raised £10,000 towards the school building.  Look up our fund-raising events at www.justgiving.co.uk/citizens4change/ We are planning a new trip in November 2009 to ascertain land and begin planning the new school building.

George Nyandoros

George Nyandoro’s life has changed since he encountered two of our trustees back in November 2006.  He is one of a group of youths who came out and argued with Shirley Barter and Beccy Chaplin as they attempted to take photographs at the rubbish dump site where he lived.  Many people come and offer false hope he complained- so leave us alone!  He has been abandoned to live in the squaller of this dump for the past 16 years until that day when we pledged we would not forget his community.  A friendship was made and following this visit we set to work raising funds to rent the houses and initially get some of these guys a roof over their heads and food.  Also basic medical help was necessary.  George was housed in one of our rental houses shortly after.

In August 2007 Paul Barter raised some capital to be used to help with an education programme, some of this money was used to set some of the older youths up in small business’ to make a living.  This was their ‘dream’.  George was assisted in participating in a small shop and is now has a small income for first time.  In January 2009 we received a letter from George written in pigeon english as follows:

Dear supporter, my name is George Nyandoro. I am 27 years old my hobbies are playing football.  Thank you so much for bringing a change in my life.  May God richly bless you.During our visit in 2009 we saw George working in his small shop.  He also assisted us back to the dump where he now encourages many of the other younger boys.

George pictured (centre) at work- far right James

She would love to go to school and would be a part of the new Life Centre School project.

If you would like to sponsor the School and write to little Queenin-please donate through paypal.

 Thank you!

Venencia is only 7 years old and would like to go to school.  The Life Centre School assists children likeVenencia and would like to help others so we are launching our new project to build a new school-  This would be a new beginning for her if she could get off the streets.

If you are able to help us help Venencia by offering your support for our Life Cntre School project please click on the donate button. 

Thank you!

This is an opportunity to help a family-having a child at school will offer them some education for their child who, inturn, will be able to support others.  If you are able to help sponsor Brenda please subscribe a monthly pledge to our Life Centre School project.

Thank you!

If you would like to help James through school, please pledge a small amount to our Life Centre School project.

Thank you!

Lillian Achieng

Lillian was found after the post-election violence.  She was only 6 years old when we found her and we are not sure whether her parents are still alive although we have attempted to trace them.  We have taken her in and are providing shelter and basic needs. 

Lillian would like the opportunity of an education so that she will be able to have a future.  Please subscribe if you would like to support the Life Centre School Project 2009.

Thank you.

James Otieno

We discovered James in the rubbish dump in 2006- although he was only 5 years old he had no relatives and didn’t know his parents or how he even got to be on the dump.  He came there probably out of instinct to find food.  We took him in and have been sheltering him ever since.

James, like so many others, would love to have a family sponsor him through school.  If you would like to help us help James out of the poverty trap and keep him from a bleak future then please pledge a monthly amount to our Life Centre School project 2009.

Thank you!