Our Work
F
KC is not a Christian charity. We work with Christian Outreach Ministries Worldwide (COM) which operates throughout East Africa and our efforts are concentrated in a poor community on the outskirts of Eldoret and in the Lodwar desert region in the north of Kenya. Both FKC and COM support any child regardless of faith or beliefs.
E
ldoret is a town of 200,000 people and Kenya's 5th largest city. In one poor district we have helped to fund the building and equipiing of a school. See Eldoret on Wikipedia. The school takes in children from the local community and also from the Lodwar region, where COM has responsibility for some 180 orphaned or destitute children who are placed with guardians and receive daily food and support. It was hearing about the conditions of the orphans in Lodwar that prompted the start of our charity.
L
odwar region is about 300 miles north of Eldoret and lies to the west of Lake Turkana, which is the 20th largest lake in the world. Lodwar town lies in the centre of a vast area of desert, a lunar landscape of desolate, hard-baked earth and few villages. The Turkana people are traditionally nomadic, and are struggling for survival as the area becomes relentlessly drier and rainfall falls year by year, or comes as a catastrophic flood. You can find out more about Lodwar and Lake Turkana on Wikipedia.
What has been achieved so far
Eldoret
• A permanent, brick built primary school stands on land owned by COM, (financed by FKC and GNC) and enclosed in a safe compound.• Growing “one class at a time”, in two years’ time it will provide full primary education (ages 3 to 14 years) for some 200 children, most of whom would not otherwise be in school.
• 38 orphaned or otherwise needy children board at the school, enjoying much needed love, care and attention as well as an excellent education
• With good facilities and committed and qualified teachers, the school will hopefully soon achieve full Government recognition as a private primary school serving the community.
• Some pupils are able to pay minimal fees, which in time, together with fund raising activities locally, will enable the school to achieve financial independence from FKC for general running costs. However, the orphans will continue to need sponsorship.
• The school has cows for milk and chickens for eggs and meat, and both ventures are firstly to enhance the diet of the children, and then to make a surplus to plough back into school funds.
• The school has links with a school in England for exchange of information and development of understanding amongst the children.
Lodwar
• 50 orphans from the original residential facility all found places in Government Boarding Schools with sponsorship from large NGO’s• All remaining children now placed in the community with Guardians, supervised by COM to ensure their safety and well being.
• A daily feeding programme at the compound ensures the 180 children are healthy, and very basic teaching starts them on the road to education
• Wherever possible children are placed in Government or other schools in the area
• 30 children - those with no ties in the community – moved to Eldoret to board at the school, where they are making excellent progress. They return “home” to Guardians and to daily attendance at the Lodwar compound annually for holidays.
Our Progress
You can also see our progress in our archives section :-There are sections on the building work,
our early years general timeline
and some of the stories about those involved.