Page 30 - Oundle Life September 2024

MARAFIKI
TRUST
‘friendship’ in Swahili
So much has happened since
we were first featured in
this publication in 2021 as a
newly formed charity. Having
highlighted an urgent need to
expand programmes supporting
former street children to access an education, in 2022 we assisted our Kenyan partners
with the purchase of exclusive use land and premises (Bella Ciao – meaning ‘beautiful welcome’) in the slums of Nairobi.
There are now 14 staff members working
to offer educational, nutritional, medical and counselling support for a growing number of former street children (128 at the time of writing) whilst also providing a ‘respite safe house’ for up to 40 of the most vulnerable of these children, including two abandoned babies. Bella Ciao
is also home to a small drop-in centre (Joyful Hearts Centre) for 12 children with cerebral palsy offering educational and physiotherapy services.
How you can help:
• For a regular monthly donation of £25 you can sponsor a child through primary school. We currently have 77 sponsors supporting 69 children. From January, we saw seven dual sponsored children successfully joining High School, with more set to join over the coming years. We currently need dual sponsors for the children who will soon be completing Primary
School and will be joining Secondary School in January 2025.
• One off or regular monthly donations will assist us with the running costs of the centre which are currently £4300 per month.
• Sign up for a newsletter via our website and
we can let you know about developments
and one-off appeals. Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent appeal for help following the devastating floods, which raised over £2000. Displaced and affected families were supported with food parcels and bedding.
We are happy to support/promote any fundraising initiatives/ideas you might have. We have also hosted a number of volunteers of all ages at Bella Ciao since 2022 and would be happy to discuss opportunities with you.
100% of funds donated through Marafiki Trust go straight to the projects in Kenya.
More information: www.marafikitrust.org hello@marafikitrust.org. Trustees – 07810 788458 (Liz Turnbull), 07590 370638 (Becky Smith) and 07740 980479 (Nicola Guise) Facebook & Instagram: @marafikitrust
Charity Commission Number: 1187949
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