A group of 5 students and 2 staff will be travelling out to Nakuru, Kenya to volunteer at The Walk Centre. The Walk Centre educates and feeds hundred’s of children every year who live in extreme poverty on a rubbish dump. While volunteering we will be invovled in a number of projects including teaching, community projects, supporting the feeding programme and construction/ renovation. The projects benefit not only from volunteers time, but from the fundraising they do before the trip. We will make a visit to a slum called Hilton which was based on the town’s rubbish dump. This is where children from the projects live, meeting families who scavenge through the rubbish to survive while children play on the rubbish.

An example of how we can help is below:

I would like to introduce you to Lewis, Lewis is 15 and one of 9 children who live in a one room shack on the rubbish dump with their single Mother, Benta. Lewis has special educational needs and as well as being paralysed down one side of his body, he also has serve learning difficulties and is unable to safeguard himself from harm. There is very little support in the Kenyan systems for any children with these sorts of needs and the walk centre are doing the best they can to look after him however he is very vulnerable and, he keeps going missing. Most recently he was missing for 3 weeks and was found 8 hours away from Nakuru in a very poor state, Causing great concern for the Walk Centre and the family.

The best option for Lewis is a special needs boarding school where he will be properly cared for 24 hours a day and given the best options for education. The Walk have managed to get him a place in the only school in the area that can do this however a year’s fee for him is £450, this will ensure his safety, care and education for the next year. The walk centre cannot fund this, it’s just not possible with the demands on the centre already.

Not only does this trip help the families we go to support but for the students we are taking this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to really make a difference. All proceeds will go to the projects.