Upendo afternoon care for orphans

We are back from Tanzania and back in our base in Kilifi/Kenya. The nice driver, who brought us safely to the border and back in a 6 hour drive, is called Dafina. He is a widower and has two children of his own.

During the long journey we talked about orphans, fates and above all about personal commitment. Every Friday afternoon he gives up urgently needed jobs and offers his time as a volunteer to a small orphanage in Kilifi. We want to visit it spontaneously and experience this personally. Maybe we can be useful in some way.

No sooner said than done. Yesterday was the day. Dafina picks us up and we go to the orphanage together. Two very nice employees explain the structure and the circumstances under which they try to give the 62 children a home, food and an educational opportunity every day.

Even if the weather is not good at the moment, the plan was to lead the children to the beach and to supervise them during the “swimming”. Most Kenyans cannot swim and the proportion of street children is naturally particularly high. About 60 children need at least 30 “caretakers”, i.e. people who take supervise them. But this is exactly why the project usually fails and the children cannot spend a nice day in/at the water, especially bad in summer with about 40 degrees.

Nadine and Roland quickly found a sensible solution. The orphanage needs life jackets and swim sleeves in sufficient quantity, so that fewer “care takers” are needed. With the red sleeves and life jackets the children can be supervised much more easily and drowning is actually prevented. So, we start looking for these utensils and soon we find them. Two hours later we return with a TukTuk. Packed with 33 life jackets and inflatable sleeves. The joy among the children is great and the employees are visibly relieved. Being responsible for a child drowning is certainly one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. This danger is now averted from the “caretakers” and the children’s home now needs only about 10 people for this job. The children’s chance of a safe bathing pleasure has therefore increased significantly – without a long meeting and with only about 100 euros from the Kleine Hilfsaktion e.V.

Thanks to the members and supporters in Germany!

Details

Status: Project completed
Budget: 100 €
Sponsor: kleine Hilfsaktion e.V.