By Daphne Davies | Communications Volunteer
This autumn we got the wonderful news that Phyllis Keino, our spokesperson, founder of the Lewa Children’s Home, the KipKeino Primary School and Baraka Farm in Eldoret, Kenya has won the coveted 2018 Humanitarian Award for the World of Children for her efforts in dramatically improving the lives of orphaned and abandoned children. In announcing the Award, a World of Children spokesperson said Phyllis, “Your work on behalf of children is inspiring and life-changing”.
The World of Children Awards are recognised by the media as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates,” and this is a just accolade for Phyllis, who has been “Mum”, and given love and hope to over 600 children. Phyllis has dedicated her entire life to looking after orphans and vulnerable children, as she describes it “taking those children without the beautiful faces, whom others don’t want”.
The story began in 1969 when Phyllis was working as a nurse in Isioli. She started fostering and taking care of the children she saw everyday living in the streets around her, raising them alongside her own seven children. From this followed the Lewa Children’s Home, KipKeino Primary School, and the Baraka Farm, which now operate as a quasi self-sustaining entity.
Over the last 40 years, Phyllis and her team have shepherded children through Lewa and school. Phyllis has never let up - staying up all night if any of the children was sick, or getting up at 4am to oversee milking the cows at the Baraka Farm, when necessary.
However, Phyllis has never been one to rest on her laurels, and is now establishing a School Sponsorship scheme to provide funds to give each child the gift of education by helping to pay for their tuition fees, uniform, pens and books. You can help put children to school by supporting the Lewa Children's Home and making a donation. Every little bit counts and helps us give the gift of education to children in and around Eldoret, whose families can't afford school fees. A child like Daisy, who is dreaming of becoming a nurse but is not sure she'll be able to attend highschool next year.
On November 1st, Phyllis' life work was honoured in an award ceremony in New York City. Upon receiving her prize, Phyllis was extremely moved and wanted to thank all the supporters who have made her dream of caring for vulnerable children possible. "I woudln't be here without you. You made it all possible."
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