Gender Equality Kenya Project #21657

Nakuru Safehouse for Kenya Women and Children

by Springs of Hope Foundation

Nakuru Safehouse for Kenya Women and Children

Project Report | Apr 19, 2023
Our most recent food distribution to Baringo Count

By Jennifer Hughes | Founder/CEO

Some of our elderly recipients waiting patiently

Jambo, Greetings,

Last Weekend Springs of Hope Foundation traveled to the border district of Mogotio, Baringo County to distribute food hampers to the elderly and vulnerable within two communities. Joining us for the distribution were Ivy, one of our volunteers who comes to our center every Tuesday afternoon to teach our students a course in business and financial management, and Elizabeth, a recent graduate of our 12-month tailoring course who is being mentored to become an assistant to our administration manager and our teacher Martha. Our first stop was at a center known as Barina, which is an internally displaced person center. We found the group anxiously waiting for us. We distributed food hampers and washable sanitary pads to the women and teen girls. One elderly lady said there are families that have slept hungry for days and are very grateful that they will have something on their table that evening and for weeks to come. We then drove another 10 km to the second village known as Sawaiti, where we distributed the remaining food hampers to the anxiously waiting crowd. They came out in numbers and although we had prepared 90 hampers for this village, some still missed out. They were very grateful for our visit and thanked and prayed for the hands contributing to the food and sanitary pads. The fact that whatever food is available in the market has doubled in price, combined with the lack of fieldwork over the past 4 years due to drought has made it difficult for many of our food hamper recipients to be able to purchase food.

Families were tending to their plots as we drove past small family farms on our way to Baringo County, which, after 4 years of drought and failed crops is a very good sign. With the rains at hand, they have started planting beans and maize. Unfortunately, the maize won’t be ready to harvest until September, which will still cause an interim shortage of two of Kenya’s most vital food sources, maize (corn) and beans. We’re praying that the rain will continue.

I wish you could experience the great joy your kindness brings to our elderly and very needy food hamper recipients in person. These are the forgotten villages that larger aid organizations are not able to reach.

Asante Sana,

Thank you,

Warmest blessings,

Jennifer, Antoinette, Martha, and our team of great volunteers at

www.springsofhopefoundation.org

PS. If you’ve ever thought about volunteering in Kenya, spending time visiting our breathtaking game parks, and participating in some of our projects, if you would like more information please email me at jenniferhughes@springsofhopefoundation.org.

Some of our team of volunteers

Volunteer Ivy distributing food hampers

Women & girls receiving washable sanitary kits.

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Jan 27, 2023
Another joyous graduation celebration last month

By Antoinette Hoareau | Project Administration Manager

Nov 8, 2022
Together we're making a huge difference.

By Antoinette Hoareau | Project Administration Manager

One of last weeks food hamper recipients

As part of Springs of Hope Foundation's weekly food distribution program, last week we visited two of our favorite project partners, Malaika Initiative for People with Disabilities (Daycare center) which provides free therapy to children suffering from physical and mental disabilities due to cerebral palsy, meningitis and other birth defects. We are able to provide much-needed food hampers to the mothers, who find it very difficult to juggle earning a modest income as a daily house cleaner or field work and caring for the daily needs of their disabled child. Having a safe, reliable project such as Malaika Initiative is a true godsend to these over-extended mothers. At the request of the project manager, Lydia, our head teacher, Martha designed and taught our students how to sew reusable, washable diapers. Our reusable diapers have become a godsend to mothers as disposable diapers are an expense that is simply out of reach. On this trip, they also requested adult-sized diapers and plastic bibs. We also distributed our washable sanitary pad kits to the mothers and older girls. The donations will go a long way to help Malaika mothers as inflation has made providing one meal a day for their families very, very difficult.

The second group of (PWD) People Living with Disabilities that we have visited on a regular basis since the beginning of the Covid pandemic is at Shabaab Hall in a slum area of Nakuru. At the beginning of the pandemic, we distributed food hampers and facemasks. As we have come to learn of the many struggles this often shunned and ignored section of society has to cope with daily we have included washable diapers for children and adults living with disabilities and washable sanitary kits for teenage girls and adults. Most of the parents of children with disabilities are casual laborers as they cannot hold full-time jobs due to the nature of their child’s disability. Due to their situation, most struggle to afford one decent meal a day. They also have to struggle to buy disposable diapers and medicine for their children. They are always extremely grateful to receive our food hampers along with the washable diapers and washable sanitary pad kits that will ease their struggle to keep their children dry and clean instead of having to use old rags. As for adults and the elderly living with disabilities, they have always had to rely on the kindness of family and neighbors. The Covid 19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on this sector of the community. Our day ended with joy in our hearts knowing that we had made life a little more bearable and touched so many hearts.

Accompanying us were two of our August graduates Regina and Susan who worked to stitch the washable diapers and pads while earning enough money to purchase their own sewing machines. They are now financially able to start their own business.

During the week we were contacted by two new community groups, consisting of the elderly and disabled who need assistance with food hampers. The need is great and, despite the doubling of the cost of basics like beans and maize over the past 8 months, we always feel blessed that, with your support, we are able to say yes to the increasing number of requests.

Warmest blessings,

Antoinette Hoareau

Malaika Day Care Center for PWD's

Mom's and kids at our food hamper distribution

Malaika Day Care Center for PWD's

Susan & Regina demonstrating our adult diapers.

Antoinette with our graduates who made the diapers

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