This orphanage is quite remarkable, and as a Christian, when I heard how it was started, I immediately thought of the story in Lukes gospel ... where a rich man is told he won't 'enter the kingdom of heaven' because he says he cannot do what Jesus asks of him ... "Sell everything you have and give to the poor" ...
The orphanage was started about 18 years ago by an amazing lady, who went to Kenya as a tourist, (and as an atheist !) and saw the children living on the streets, and learned how many of them were AIDS orphans. Her heart was touched, she had a sudden conversion, and became a Christian. But more than that ... she returned to her native Norfolk, sold her house and all she had, and returned to Kenya where she used her money to buy a plot of waste land near Dunga, by the lake, and built a small house, where she took in about a dozen orphans. From that small beginning, grew the school ... which now has about 200 children boarding there, almost all orphans, and several with HIV. The school is a great success - being the third best school in Kisumu; most pupils are sponsored from abroad as it is a private school, not a government school and therefore is not paid for by the state. Past pupils have gone on to study medicine; started successful businesses; gone into law and other professions, and are in their turn, helping to support the school which gave them a start in life.
So here are some pictures of the school and the children ... starting with the lady, 'Mama Pat', who started it all !
Lucy, sponsored by a friend of mine living in Thailand !
The school hall;
as this is an evangelical Christian school,
there are religious slogans everywhere.
Watching TV on Saturday afternoon ...
... and if its too hot to watch TV, then
a siesta is a better way to spend Saturday afternoon !
A simple wire hoop is a good toy.
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