# A Letter from Kenya
Close up we could see and feel how they looked – happy, healthy, full of fun and energy and how they were relating to us and the staff, relaxed, keen, obedient and respectful. A blessing to us naturally causing us to smile and thank God. He is good.
Some of you will remember Alastair Cooke and his famous Letters from America. This short piece is the first of a series describing our visit to Kindfund Kenya in April/May 2026.
The Journey Begins
In mid-April, Jonathan and I set off for Kindfund Kenya with a long agenda of things we hoped to achieve. We left
Belfast late on Tuesday night, travelling by bus to Dublin Airport in time for the first flight to Amsterdam at 6.00 am on Wednesday.
Wednesday was spent almost entirely in transit to Nairobi, and it was around midnight before we were finally settled in our room. During those first two days, we had time to talk, pray and think through how best to approach some of the issues ahead of us.
On Thursday morning, we were picked up in Nairobi by our matatu and taken to Nanyuki, beside Mount Kenya. We arrived at about 2.00 pm, having travelled 190 kilometres from Nairobi. A further 100 kilometres still lay ahead to Ngaremara, but that journey would wait until Saturday.
A Pause in Nanyuki
We had decided to stay two nights in Nanyuki to catch up on lost sleep, do some shopping and acclimatise. Jonathan had arranged for Willie, our mechanic, to bring up the Toyota Regius on Thursday afternoon so that we could move freely around the town, visit the bank and complete our preparations before travelling on to Ngaremara.
Banking Matters Resolved
After a quiet evening meal, a good sleep and a hearty breakfast, we set out on Friday. Jonathan followed up on a few matters while I visited the Kindfund Kenya bank, hoping to resolve problems with dormant accounts and bank cards due for renewal.
Although our branch is in Isiolo, I hoped the Nanyuki branch would be able to help. I was not disappointed. I was received with great courtesy, and the issues were handled professionally. It took about two hours, but I was delighted to have one important matter dealt with before we had even fully arrived. It was a splendid start to the trip and gave us a real sense that God was ahead of us.
Onward to Ngaremara
On Saturday morning, after breakfast, our first stop was the Cottage Hospital, where Jonathan wanted to check on a health matter before we travelled further north. I dropped him off and drove to the garage to refuel the car. By the time I returned, he had been given a clean bill of health.
We then headed to the supermarket to buy essentials for Ngaremara and Wamba. The drive towards Isiolo, around Mount Kenya, was uneventful and gave us time to enjoy the scenery. Nanyuki sits above 5,000 feet and has something of a Southern European feel to its climate.
Before dropping down towards Isiolo and the equatorial heat below 1,000 feet, we stopped at the Kisima roadside café. There we refreshed ourselves, admired the flora and fauna, and enjoyed their homemade cake before tackling the final 50 kilometres of steep downhill road.
A brief stop at the Bomen Hotel in Isiolo, where we greeted Isaiah, our accountant, cleared the way for the final 18 kilometres to Ngaremara. As always, we immediately felt as though we had never been away. It was a homecoming to receive such a warm welcome from the staff and children, and to see the care that had been taken to have everything ready for our arrival. Asante sana.
Sunday morning church in the home is always a joy and we were not disappointed. The children relished the opportunity to participate singing in their various choirs, reciting their memory verses and eager to hear what their ‘visitors were going to share from scripture.’ We sat on the floor, they gathered round all eyes and ears, listened intently to the account of God calling to and speaking with young Samuel. They participated willingly enthusiastically answering questions, displaying their knowledge of the story. Close up we could see and feel how they looked – happy, healthy, full of fun and energy and how they were relating to us and the staff, relaxed, keen, obedient and respectful. A blessing to us naturally causing us to smile and thank God. He is good.
After church the staff sat outside in the shade and the children were all around them some with books others playing games or skipping. Very much a large family scene. Yes, the mood music was good, and we thanked God for the children and the staff who cared for them.
The management team had several matters to discuss with us: the children’s welfare, including a few who needed medical attention; new applications; how to respond to the Government’s stated policy of closing children’s homes; and the maintenance of the site and buildings. Over the next few days, Martha, the manager, kept Jonathan busy reviewing the maintenance projects she hoped to begin.
These were the first days on our arrival at our Ngaremara home where we have 31 children under 10 yrs, the youngest still on baby milk and 14 staff. Over the next three weeks we will also fit in a full Kenyan management conference with managers travelling from our four main projects at Wamba, Ndikir, Dabel and of course Ngaremara. We utilise the occasion to hold the AGM of Kindfund Kenya which is required before filing our annual return with the Registrar of Societies in Nairobi. Jonathan and I will also visit each of the projects and meet local Government Officials and in some cases elders of the villages. Our furthest project is 550 kms from Ngaremara requiring several overnights to fit everything in. Thankfully all but 55kms of that journey is now on tarmac.
Each of these project experiences deserves a future ‘letter from Kenya.’
I would like to finish this first letter today by thanking all of you who sponsor our children by assuring you of the positive transformative impact coming into the Kindfund family (215 children and 41 staff) has had on their lives. Immediately to mind is Mel 10 yrs, one of 4 children who arrived in April 2026, an orphan, malnourished and suffering from a health problem. At first she did not want to leave her grandmother so we permitted her to come every day for food until she asked if she could stay. In the last 3 months she has been taken to hospitals both local and specialist at a distance by our staff sometimes requiring an overnight to get to a diagnosis. Meanwhile she has gained weight, energy and a smile. We can see God at work.
Please pray for her as although the hospital would like to operate that would carry risks and we see her improving and there is no immediate danger. We would like to give her body time to heal on a good diet and for God time to finish his work. We continue to monitor her closely and will review her diagnosis in three months.
Until next time.
Ken
added on Jul 25Thank God for his Spirit at work in the children and staff
Share:
