Kenya: December 2020 Updates
GRACE Nanana welcomes back students in grades 4 and 8.
By Laura Tarbutton, Philanthropic Program Manager
Travel abroad is postponed, but our commitment and partnership are not.
We had hopes for a springtime trip to Kenya in 2021. Communing with a compassionate circle of individuals who are looking beyond themselves to make new connections or deepen existing relationships while experiencing the country’s history, beauty, and people is one of our favorite things to do. However, like we’ve each had to do many times this year, we will tuck this loss aside and consider all that we can be grateful for. We know that there will be opportunities to return in the future and we are thankful that, in this modern age, we can stay in frequent communication with our friends in Kenya. This post contains news and updates from each of our partners.
RUBEN CENTRE
A New Director
After years of planning for the retirement of Br. Frank O’Shea, the transition team has announced the new Director of Ruben Centre: Nicholas Makau. Nicholas will officially take the reins on January 1, 2021, bringing his own brand of compassionate and clear-headed leadership while building on the legacy of Br. Frank, who led the organization for ten years. A graduate of Moi University in Social, Cultural, and Development Studies and Public Administration, Nicholas comes to Ruben after 20 years’ experience in a variety of leadership roles. Most recently, Nicholas worked within the Lea Toto program of Nyumbani Children’s Home in Karen, managing a program for home-based care for children who are HIV positive. During his role at Lea Toto, Nicolas was able to spend time working in partnership with Ruben Centre and is well-known to the team. Nicholas also has been a member of the Executive Board of Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children’s Rights and is involved in community associations to promote economic empowerment of the disadvantaged and peer health empowerment for rural youth.
The Brighton Jones community has watched Ruben Centre’s leadership team pave the path for Frank’s successor, specifically as they carefully crafted the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. As a fundraising and friend-raising partner, we know that the transfer to new leadership comes with inherent challenges – and this is precisely why we committed to a multiyear funding initiative. We continue to have the utmost faith in Ruben Centre’s leadership staff, community partners, and now, Director Nicholas Makau.
GRACE NANANA
Upgrades and Enhancements
GRACE Nanana has also welcomed back students for grades 4 and 8, with the remaining grades set to rejoin in January. They recently wrote to express gratitude for this years’ grants from The Brighton Jones Richer Life Foundation, which were made possible by so many of you reading this update. Without the safety upgrades that were made possible by these grants, the Program Manager expressed that they would likely not have been eligible to reopen on time.
On site, they used the funding to construct a new classroom, a bookstore, and 5 water sanitation kits. They were also able to bring on support staff for medical check-ups, installed lighting for nighttime security, and created a sickbay within one of the dormitories. The funding also enabled them to build more desks – previously, they were in close quarters using shared desks, which made social distancing impractical. Now, each student has their own.
Another initiative that has been a great success is GRACE’s agricultural expansion, which they launched as a sustainability measure. The school farm is doing well, and they continue to grow produce to feed the students and sell to the community.
Full Circle
We continue to see the fruits of GRACE Nanana’s work, this time in one of their alumni named Anna. After her time there, Anna continued her education at secondary school and then a local university. She has recently returned to GRACE Nanana as the fulltime Project Officer – Administration and Finance. We congratulate Anna on her hard work and her commitment to seeing other girls of Kajiado pursue higher education.
KAJIADO CHILDCARE CENTRE
Emergency Response Project Underway
In our previous update, we referenced the Emergency Response Project that the Brighton Jones Richer Life Foundation partnered with KCC to help alleviate hunger, promote mobility, and improve healthcare outcomes for children in Kajiado. The initiative specifically prioritizes those whose challenges have been compounded, directly or indirectly, by COVID-19. By pivoting to a community-based delivery model KCC has been able to reach the rural communities that have been hardest-hit.
Through the program, funding has been utilized to deliver basic food and nourishment supplies to underserved populations, trained children and caregivers on COVID-19 and related health precautions, referring families to appropriate healthcare facilities for timely care, and to continue providing custom mobility devices to children at their homes.
Ongoing Challenges and Lessons Learned
Scheduled trainings – As a result of COVID-19 government restrictions, scheduled trainings for community members have had to be cancelled or postponed.
COVID-19 Denial – Although KCC continues with various forms of community education, they continue to hear from members who express a lack of concern and resistance to advice.
Access to Children with Disabilities – Because school has been closed, KCC has had less access to children with physical and mental disabilities, resulting in misuse of mobility equipment and less frequent assessments. They have increased the number of home visits and caregiver trainings.
GRATITUDE & GREAT IDEAS
The board and volunteers at The Brighton Jones Richer Life Foundation continue to be inspired by the outpouring of love and support for these organizations. Each Lemayian Trip participant, volunteer, donor, and advocate has helped to form an interconnected community that makes grantmaking to KCC, GRACE, and Ruben Centre possible. We want to share some of the unique ways this community has moved the needle this year:
We had members of the 2021 Kenya trip take it upon themselves to create an online fundraiser for GRACE Nanana. GRACE was able to provide specific items that they needed to purchase in order to meet the safety requirements for reopening the school. This fundraiser raised over $20k USD in emergency relief funding by sharing the story of Priscilla and the students at GRACE with family and friends.
An individual worked with Ruben Centre to sponsor an Occupational Therapist (OT) on staff to take online courses. By paying for a year-long subscription, this OT has been able to stay up to date on their required continuing education courses online.
We’ve had several individuals and families provide sponsorship for room, board, and/or tuition, as well as secondary-school scholarships. These gifts help ensure individual students stay engaged and inspire them to continue their educational path.
We look forward to continued partnership and impact in 2021.
Students make an effort to study while distancing and/or masking at Ruben Centre.
Fresh produce being grown at GRACE Nanana.
The new Director of Ruben Centre: Nicholas Makau
Family members receiving weekly assorted food box from KCC.
Favour and her mother came to KCC in February. Favour was assessed and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and since then, she has been equipped with this wheelchair and the pair have made great strides throughout the year working with KCC.