the logo of Friends of Kenya's Children

Friends of Kenya's Children

Feeding & Educating children in the
Eldoret & Lodwar regions of Kenya

Registered UK charity 1116000
Fundraising with FKC

Fund Raising

F
KC has only once so far applied for a grant towards its work, In 2018 a Kenyan Government demand for a complete change of curriculum and for tablets and laptops to be available in school was beyond FKC's capacity to fund in the time allowed, and we are very grateful to the St. James Place Foundation Trust for a generous grant to meet the need. With this one exception we have otherwise relied on donations from and funds raised by a number of wonderful and generous members and supporters. Every penny raised goes to fund the work in Kenya.

The Boarder Support Fund (Formerly the Pound a Week Fund and Project 36)

C
hampions' School has accommodation for up to 38 boarders and it is FKC's aim fund each of those places for an orphaned or otherwise needy child, mainly from the Lodwar region. Each place costs £960 per year and provides almost year-round care in a loving and supportive environment together with excellent primary education. The school cannot fund this work, each place must be funded by FKC. Donations by regular standing order and guaranteed annual donations form the Boarder Support fund, from which these costs are covered. FKC began by asking donors for £1 a week - £5 a month hence the original title of the fund. Our plea remains the same. We are grateful for every donation to help us fill these places with young people who are desperate to come to school. This is an opportunity to change a life for the better.

Sustainability fund (Formerly the Solar Panel Fund!)

I
n order to achieve self-sufficiency and resilience for the future Champions' School requires considerable investment in projects to reduce running costs and increase efficiency. Currently we are pursuing the possibility of drilling a well in the school compound to secure a safe and reliable source of water for the future, as the uncertain water supply is already of great concern. A 'Well Fund' is gathering contributions for this purpose. The 'Solar Panel Fund' is also active and we hope to achieve both these objectives in the near future. We have been greatly hampered by our inability to raise funds by our usual means during the current pandemic.

Sponsorship for Secondary Education

E
ach year the children in Class 8 reach the end of primary school and take the all-important State Leaving Exam. Those who pass are offered places in Government High Schools, where a further four years in secondary education will set their feet on a path out of poverty and into successful adult life. FKC seeks sponsors for the young people in the boarder programme. This sponsorship is individual, in the sense that each child is allocated a specific sponsor but there is no direct personal contact unless the sponsor requests it - there is no obligation to see a child through the four year course, sponsors for a year at a time at £1000 each are very gratefully received. To date it is good to record that we have been able to send every member of the boarder programme on to High School at the end of their time at Champions' School, but finding sponsors is always a huge anxiety. Offers of help are very welcome and smaller amounts can be put together to form the needed £1000 for each young person. Every contribution helps!

General Funds

T
he general fund meets all the needs not covered by the specific funds above - it is in constant use! Funds are raised by generous gifts from FKC's many friends and by practical work. Donations come from birthdays, anniversaries, legacies and memorials, from unexpected tax breaks, professional fees, auctions, quizzes, sale of craftwork, concerts and much more. We hold charity shop sales, selling donated goods, and fashion events to sell new donated clothing.

Many of these sources of vital income have been stopped by the pandemic in 2020, putting our finances in some difficulty, as at the same time the needs at the Eldoret school have increased because of the pandemic. We have to hope that 2021 will see progress towards normality for us all.

Expenses

N
o charity can run without incurring expenses, for printing and postage, advertising events etc. We are very fortunate in that our web site is written and managed by a supporter free of charge, and other expenses are currently covered by specific contributions for this purpose.





Group photo

Group photo

Group photo

Group photo