5 Years of the Brighton Jones Global Guesthouse
In January 2018, Brighton Jones opened the doors to the Global Guesthouse in rural Kajiado County. NeaRly 5 years later, we’re looking back at the impact of the guesthouse and the work that is still to come.
The Brighton Jones Global Guesthouse was completed and ready for use in January, 2018.
What was the need?
Jon and Gretchen Jones and their 4 kids were first introduced to the Kajiado Child Care Centre (KCC) by an organization called Lift Up Africa while traveling throughout Kenya. During a tour of Kajiado County and its schools, they met with KCC’s director at the time, Daniel Sapayia, to learn more about the organization. KCC was created to provide aid and rehabilitation to children with disabilities, fulfilling a great need in this rural Maasai community where parents have few resources to address the needs of children living with physical or cognitive challenges.
When asked what his biggest need was, Daniel shared that he wanted domestic and international volunteers to have the means to work with KCC for more than just a few hours at a time. The obstacle that restricted their time wasn’t their willingness to help but the lack of lodging options in their rural community, located about 2 hours south of Nairobi. Moved by the organization’s vision and commitment to helping children in need, Jon and his family returned to the states with a determination to build a global guesthouse.
“Daniel and his team at Kajiado Child Care Centre, who work tirelessly to help children and people in need with their limited resources, opened my eyes to the global need and inspired my commitment to help.”
– Jon Jones, CEO
Making the Guesthouse a Reality
Inspired by what they saw there, Jon and Gretchen recognized that the addition of a guesthouse would be the community’s greatest need. They turned to the philanthropic community of Brighton Jones clients and employees to fundraise for the global guesthouse, a revenue-generating property that would benefit Kajiado County and neighboring communities in many ways year over year. With their aid, Brighton Jones was able to raise over $150,000 for the company’s first Global Compassion Project, and ultimately make the fully furnished and equipped global guesthouse a reality.
Made possible through the generous donations made by the Brighton Jones community.
Daniel Sapayia and the Jones Family.
How is the guesthouse being used today?
The Brighton Jones Global Guesthouse is managed day-to-day by KCC for the benefit of both their organization and neighboring organization, GRACE Nanana, a school and rescue center for girls who have rejected the Maasai custom of early marriage in pursuit of an education. We had the pleasure of speaking with Duncan Sakimpa, the current director of KCC, to learn about the different ways the guesthouse is serving Kajiado County.
Volunteer Lodging
The original purpose of the guesthouse was to give international and domestic volunteers a place to stay while they assist the community. Years later, the guesthouse still fulfills that original intent. For example, the guesthouse recently housed a team of students from Texas who came to Kajiado County to provide free medical services, and they’re currently housing a resident from the U.S. Fullbright Program.
Community shelter
Many families and members of the community like to hold meetings at the guesthouse because it’s clean, in a great location, and doesn’t allow smoking or alcohol.
Source of Revenue
The guesthouse is an income-generating project that helps KCC with their overall budget, as the visitors who stay there pay for their lodging. In 2021, the guesthouse generated over $10,000 which provided great relief to the Centre’s budgetary hurdles.
In anticipation of the fast-approaching 5-year anniversary of the guesthouse’s opening, Duncan Sakimpa and his team put together a short documentary that showcases the facility and some of the ways it’s helping their community. Take a look!
Join us as we look ahead
We are raising funds to help KCC retain their incredible staff, build a hydrotherapy pool, perform cataract surgeries, and solarize their borehole for reliable, clean drinking water. Please join us in supporting the life-changing work of Kajiado Child Care Centre by donating to the Brighton Jones Richer Life Foundation online or through your donor advised fund (DAF). Even a small donation has a huge impact!
If you would like to speak with us about getting involved in the ways listed above – or others – we invite you to contact our team at philanthropy@brightonjones.com. Thank you to the Brighton Jones community for walking with us on this journey to help more people live richer lives.