Kindfund

Be kind to one another Eph 4:32

Honey Hill

In remote Marsabit County in Northern Kenya children with learning difficulties may spend much of their lives hidden away in the house, or even just tied to a tree. They often suffer from severe neglect and starvation. Facilities for such children are very limited indeed.

Similarly marginalized people who have been discarded by their families and culture are unmarried Gabra and Borana girls who find themselves pregnant, and girls—some as young as 10—who are rescued from childhood marriages.

Kindfund is supporting BJ and David LaRoche— originally from California, USA—and their daughter Chuluke (long term residents and missionaries in Marsabit County) to set up a residential family home on the slopes of Honey Hill, to try to reach out to those in need. The family has many years’ experience of living nomadically with Gabra pastoralists, specializing in veterinary care and water resource development.

VISION

The vision is for a family-style home for children with learning difficulties living together with a number of assistants/caretakers and the LaRoche family. The aim is for the home to be supported in part by a permaculture farm which will supply camel and goat milk, meat, fish, organic vegetables, eggs, honey, tanned leather products and power from biogas, with surplus product being sold in the local community. People with disabilities from both the home and the surrounding neighbourhood will assist on the farm learning skills, building confidence and developing self-worth. Families struggling with caring for a disabled family member will be welcome to visit and receive information and help. The intention is to have various therapists available at least on a part-time basis for the benefit of those who are disabled.

Honey Hill will be a place of safety, love and acceptance in the name of Christ for those marginalised children and young people. The vision includes helping them to meet the God who loves them no matter what their circumstances.

CURRENT

The project has three children with disabilities: a girl of eight who came to live in the home in October 2016 and a 13-yr-old boy who has been with the LaRoche family since he was an infant. They were joined in December 2017 by a girl of seven. All children have severe physical and learning disabilities, requiring 24-hour care.

In 2016 a house with three spacious bedrooms and an adjacent guest room was built, fitted with solar and wind-powered lights, refrigeration and water pumping.

The farm has 10 milk camels and their calves providing a protein-rich milk for the children to drink, with a small income derived from the surplus. Goats milk is made into cheese, kefir and yoghurt providing valuable probiotics. Sheep and goats are the source of nourishing meat stocks for the childrens’ diet. Free-range chickens provide eggs and a small vegetable garden has been planted to give lettuce, tomatoes, sukuma, sweet potatoes and parsley, albeit on a small scale at this stage. The room for tanning has been prepared and the skins are ready for when the rains come and provide fresh water to the process. Beehives are being ordered and a biogas system has been installed with support from Kindfund.

Whilst benefitting a little from income generating activities these facilities are very demanding on resources by the nature of the care required. The need for a home and advice centre for those with disabilities in this area of Northern Kenya is substantial and Kindfund and the LaRoche family will be exploring all possible avenues for support from Government and other NGOs to expand this work.

This is a small project but very worthy of our support and we would like to be able to help further when the funds are available.

SUPPORT

If you would like to support this work please visit How to Help where a number of options are available. Supporters in UK should first consider tax efficient donating via Give.net if this is appropriate or downloading Standing Order (GBP), Gift Aid Declaration and Child Sponsorship forms. Paypal may be used across the globe with options in 12 different currencies. Supporters within Europe can transfer direct to our EUR account using SEPA.

Kindfund was established as a charity in 2004 to further the gospel of Jesus Christ and to help relieve poverty amongst some of the poorest tribes in northern Kenya, working with the pastoralist Turkana, Samburu and Rendille.

We currently use 5 tonnes of food and supplies per month, providing for 125 children in 4 homes and 250 children in nursery and primary education.

We have dug 7 wells and fitted 7 handpumps, bringing safe water to remote villages.

100% of gifts go to Kenya.