Kenya Outreach

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Dear Friends of Kwakakulu ,

It is with great satisfaction that I confirm the completion of a dormitory for boys at the Springhill Youth Polytechnic. The facility is named Blackrock Residence as a major part of the funding and labour came from parents and their sons from Blackrock College in Ireland over the past four years. The Residence will accommodate up to 100 boys as they learn a variety of skills equipping them for livelihoods in rural Kenya. The dormitory for girls was completed in 2013 and named St. Joseph’s Residence as a significant part of the funding and manual labour came from the students of St. Joseph’s Academy and the charity Global Action from Kildare Town Ireland. Many thanks to all of you who have supported the construction of these two facilities.

The polytechnic provides much needed skills in masonry, carpentry, tailoring, motor mechanics, food technology, welding and computer science. It serves the needs of children who drop out of primary school and those who fail to make it through secondary school. Sponsored by the Springhill Trust from Carlow Ireland the polytechnic in partnership with the Kwakakulu Orphan Care Project promotes the construction of homes, water tanks, biogas facilities and sustainable agriculture in the surrounding communities. More will be said of these programmes and the contribution of the Springhill Trust in future bulletins.

Please see attached photos depicting the construction of the Blackrock Residence followed in a separate email with photos of the fun and games which accompanied our visitors from Ireland over the past four years.

The Kwakakulu Orphan Care Project Committee wishes to embark on the building of a meeting room and office so as to conduct their affairs. They are also contemplating the construction of a self-catering guest house in the family compound of Mr. John Matheka, the founder of the Kwakakulu Orphan Care Project, to accommodate well-wishers from overseas who might wish to savour the sights and sounds of rural Kenya in full view of Mt. Kilimanjaro and to deepen the bonds with the local community that have been made over the past number of years. We look forward with great joy to the fulfillment of these hopes.

Mungu awabariki (God bless you all),

Fr. John Mahon

Manager,

Kwakakulu Orphan Care Project,

Makueni County,

Kenya.