CHARITY

Following on from the extremely positive feedback about the field trip from 30 students and 1 parent, the next move is to establish a charity in order to take, what has been started, that extra step or ten.

What's needed is a name..................... IDEAS PLEASE!

From what we saw on the trip, it is clear to me that provision for the education as well as the health and welfare of the people in West Pokot, as well as the surrounding regions (Samburu, Turkana), would be of great benefit to all who live there.

The EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND PRIMARY SCHOOL in Marich is clearly much needed in an area that, thanks to the MPFSC, is relatively well off when compared to the areas that we visited inland and those further north approaching the border with Turkana. In addition, following our visit to the Tikeet Health Centre, it was clear to me how great is the need for clinics/medical centres in the same area. Just a relatively simple facility to provide the local people with basic health care, without which they would have to walk miles to obtain treatment. It is hard to believe that for want of simple drugs the highest rate of infant mortality in the area is from pneumonia and malaria still wields an unnecessary toll on the people.

What also struck me was that for little more than the cost of a lunch or what most people spend trying to win millions on the lottery or, more poignantly, an extremely small proportion of the transfer fees of top footballers (words like obscene, sickening etc. come to mind!!!) a child can obtain 3 months education and one meal a day. This for just over £3 for 3 months............. yes, just £3!!!

In order to improve the quality of life for all concerned by providing  basic education and health care we need to register this charity............................ there is a lot of work involved and believe me I have a pile of paperwork to read through in order to establish exactly how to go about it. However it does not look too difficult but, for obvious reasons, it has to be approached the right way, rules and regulations followed and all T's crossed and I's dotted. In addition we need a number of trustees to oversee the charity and to ensure that it is run as was proposed and as laid down in the various official documents.

So................. name of charity, other ideas and trustees................. I need some help on this and ASAP. Write to me on here through comments or on my E-mail address provided here, on the BLOG, at the foot of the right-hand column.

I have come up with 'BUILD A SCHOOL' but this doesn't encompass the plan to also build clinics and 'BUILD A SCHOOL, BUILD A CLINIC' is far too long winded................... so give me something to go on.................

K1 & K2 and New Charity

Days to do are getting few............

K1.......... 44 Days..... 1056 Hours!!!!

K2.......... 99 Days..... 2376 Hours!!!!

I am considering setting up a New Charity to help those children in Kenya whose access to education is severely limited.

Following on from our fundraising efforts to build a school in Marich, the enthusiasm of our students to visit the area and a recent estimate that about 100 schools are needed in Pokot it is clear that we have only scratched the surface.

Nelson Mandela once said that

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” 

This would imply that without education, the world would NOT change and as such, if the children of the Pokot Region of Kenya were deprived of an education........................ their lives would not change.

Consequently it would be nice to be able to offer these children a chance to change their world by providing schools and, through these, an education to every child in the region.

We are provided with an education as a right and few of us look on this as a privilege. For the children of Pokot, they look on the opportunity of an education as a privilege which provides them with a chance to better their lives and those around them. They are also aware that without an education their chance to escape their day to day existence is severely limited.

If anyone has any ideas please let me know and let's get this show on the road. 

Suggestions for the name of the Charity would also be most welcome.

A school costs £10,000................................ 100 schools = £1 million!!

BLISS WOMEN and CHILDREN PROJECT

Today I received an interesting E-mail from Janet Ilott. She works for a charitable organization in Nakuru called The Bliss Women and Children Project. She has invited us to visit the project when we are in Nakuru.

Subject to the time available, on our return to Nakuru from Marich, I think that a visit will be most beneficial.

Here is a copy of Janet's E-mail...........

Hi Martyn,
This morning I came across your blog about your school's upcoming visit to Kenya, and, well, thought I would drop you an email. I saw that you are planning to come to Nakuru to visit the national park - and I'd like to invite your class to come and visit the charity I work for. It's called the Bliss Women and Children Project (www.blisswomenandchildrenproject.org). We are located in Keptembwo, an area of Nakuru, and we work with women and children who are living in extreme poverty, infected/affected by HIV/AIDS, orphaned, widowed etc. Having said that, it's a very happy place, where we are working to improve the lives of over a hundred women and 80 children. We would be thrilled to receive you - and I think it might be a good opportunity for your students as well.

Anyways, please let me know what you think!
Cheers,
Janet Ilott
Bliss Women and Children Project
www.blisswomenandchildrenproject.org



The link to their group is as follows:

The Bliss Women and Children Project

LIVE AID

These are some links to videos that I showed to students in school over the last year. None of them need commentary, nor shall I say enjoy........................... just watch, listen and think............................ We are extremely fortunate.

It is hoped that our students will return from the Field Trip somewhat humbled and with a better understanding of what life is like in the greater world outside that of Stalham and Norfolk, by experiencing, first hand, some of what the world has to offer.

Please click on these links....................

Live Aid 1985

Live Aid 2005

The Beginnings

It just dawned on me that it was just a little over a year ago that the seed was sown for what will culminate in the Field Trip to Kenya in May/June of next year. At that time it was my tutor group who were due to make a presentation on the topic of the week which was 'When the Harvest Fails'. It was decided, with some encouragement from me (!!!), that it would be an opportunity to focus away from 'US/WE/ME' and the Harvest Festival and where the Harvest doesn't fail to somewhere that the Harvest DOES Fail on a regular basis. In fact somewhere that the harvest is rarely successful!

At the time a band named Mattafix had recently released a single and video for the track 'LIVING DARFUR'. I was immediately taken by this track and showed it as part of our assembly. The audience was silenced.................. even the Headteacher commented on the presentation.

From this followed Africa Week and a Mufti Day (£1132) and then the Sponsored Walk - "The Walk to Africa" (£6,000+ money still to be collected).

The Video can be watched on You Tube by clicking HERE on the link above.

During the year I also showed numerous videos with a similar theme and these are also available on YouTube (I will post the links when I have time). I just wanted the students to be aware that they have so much and the majority of people in the world have virtually nothing, struggling to survive from day to day.

The people of Marich may not be as badly off as some in the world. They have a ready supply of water from the river, albeit not clean and not piped to their homes, but there is water. Food is not plentiful but they are not starving as long as there is sufficient rain (not too much and no failure of the rains!) and as long as the elephants and monkeys don't get to it first. From experience I have seen great community spirit in Marich where families help each other in times of need................... a characteristic that is sadly missing from our society today. However in recent times Marich has suffered due to the sad loss of David Roden, resulting in the loss of employment at the Field Studies Centre. In addition, the Political problems in late 2007 early 2008 proved to complicate matters in Marich even though the fighting never reached that far north. The problem was that tourists stopped traveling to Kenya.................... end result.................... no tourist revenue...................... loss of employment....................... also causing a reduction in revenue to support worthwhile causes in the area.

Things are improving in Marich................. visitors are starting to return, schools, universities and other institutions that regularly visited the area are booking again BUT, it will take time for the place to recover.

Text Books to Tanzania

The school is currently organising the collection of text books that are surplus to requirements.

These text books, which are no longer in use, out of date or have just seen better days, are being packed and sent to READ INTERNATIONAL who will ship these books to Tanzania in East Africa, to be put to good use.

Click on the link above or at the foot of the blog to see Read International's Website.

New Video - Orphanages

During the Field Trip we will be visiting an Orphanage in Kitale (see LINKS).

Whilst in Uganda I twice visited the AMANI BABY COTTAGE in Jinja. I was emotionally affected by what I saw and I don't think that anyone could walk away from such a place without it having left a mark on them for life............................ unless they were heartless and without a soul.

I have therefore put together another video of pictures I took during those visits. It can be viewed on YouTube or can be viewed below.

I know that this Orphanage as well the NPYT Orphanage in Kitale are always desperate for funding and you can find ways and means of helping these organisations by accessing their websites.

Here is the video......................

The School that Stalham helped to Build

The School that Stalham helped to build..............

Fundraising, at Stalham High School, has raised, over the last year, in excess of £8,000. This figure could exceed £10,000 if all pledges were honored.



The sponsorship covered the cost of putting the roof on the second school building. This is to be used for the next intake of students to the Marich Pass Field Studies Centre Early Childhood Development and Primary School established by the Study Centre's Founder - Dr. David Roden.

The balance of the money is to be used to complete construction of the school buildings and to dig a well which will provide fresh water for the students.

It is envisaged that the school, once completed, will offer a full primary education to local children and prepare them for the Kenyan Secondary School System.

Fundraising, as already mentioned, continues with the backing of The Stalham High School Student Council