NLHT_UK, Author at New Life Home Trust UK

Celebrating 24 years at New Life Home Trust

March 7, 2018 Behind the scenes, Life, Stories

Kenyan environmental activist and Nobel laureate, Wangari Maathi, once said: “I’m very conscious of the fact that you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork. When you do it alone you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do it.”

When New Life Nairobi opened its doors, we were just a small team of committed people who hoped and believed we could make an impact in the lives of Kenyan infants who were affected and/or infected by HIV/AIDS. As New Life Founders, Clive and Mary Beckenham, describe it: “We did everything together, simultaneously looking after our own biological children as well as the abandoned infants in our care. The first three babies we rescued were one week old, one month old, and five months old. At that time, the staff was very small and everyone did everything. All the staff came in untrained, but we trained them how to care for the infants and the facility. We were blessed with team members who were committed to our vision.”

Now 24 years later, because of that small group of committed individuals, nearly 2,000 infants have been rescued and the lives of staff, volunteers, adoptive parents, and these children impacted in remarkable ways! Of the total infants rescued, 75% have been adopted locally or internationally, 10% have been reunited with biological family members, and the remaining 15% were either transferred to another children’s home or passed away due to medical complications, often a result of the extreme environmental conditions of abandonment.

This month we celebrated 24 years as an organization serving and saving abandoned infants and giving priority to infants affected by HIV/AIDS! With the help of numerous donors and well-wishers along the way, New Life Home Trust has been a standard bearer in Kenya for the quality care of rescued infants. Additionally, we have helped shift the stigmas around HIV/AIDS, adoption, and children with physical and mental disabilities. We continue to be incredibly grateful for the impact that we have been able to have because of your support and the entire New Life staff (nearly 200 Kenyan employees across 4 cities!).

As Wangari Maathai put it: “The little grassroots people can change this world.”

Share the love – Raise funds for New Life this Valentine’s Day

February 2, 2018 Fundraising

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. As you prepare to shower your nearest and dearest with love and gifts, spare a thought for the beautiful babies at New Life.

With Give as you Live you can raise funds for New Life this Valentine’s Day, without spending a penny more than what you were already planning to spend on Valentine’s gifts!

Give as you Live allows users to raise free funds for charity as they shop. With over 4,200 top stores involved, it’s easy to donate to your chosen charity as you go about your online shopping – which you might be doing a lot of around this time of year!

If you are signed up to Give as you Live, the store you choose to shop at pays a percentage of your total purchase price in commission, and from this, 50% is donated to your charity of choice.

Give as you Live is free to join and use, and offers an easy way to donate to charities at no extra cost to you.

You could raise from 1-10% of what you spend at your selected retailer, or it may be a fixed amount. Although it may not seem like a large amount, each time you shop the donations add up and contribute to the vital work we do.

Your donations could help us to cover the costs of running our Kenyan homes providing food, clothing, medicine and all the other requirements enabling us to care for our rescued babies and children.

So why not help boost our funds this Christmas as you shop by joining Give as you Live? It’s quick and easy to sign up and doesn’t cost you a penny!

A 2017 Thank You from New Life Home Trust UK

December 22, 2017 Monthly update

Here at New Life Home Trust UK, we would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ for your support of the charity this year. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support for our lifesaving work with Kenya’s most vulnerable children.

Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The invariable mark of a dream is to see it come true”. The rescue of abandoned babies in Kenya is a wonderful reality for us at New Life and we celebrate this story of hope for the little ones.

2017 has been another great year for New Life Home Trust UK, with many new and repeat donors helping to raise funds within the UK to financially support the rescue, care and nurture of abandoned and orphaned babies in Kenya.

This year has seen around 100 new rescue babies coming through our doors for love, care and support, many of whom have gone on to be adopted into loving families or returned home to biological family.

As you may be aware, New Life Home Trust has been operating since 1994, and, to date over 1,800 babies’ lives have been changed for the better. Your contribution helps us to continue this valuable work. We couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you again for your generosity and support!

As the UK team wind down for Christmas and New Year, we continue to think of those working for and serving the charity in Kenya over the Christmas period, giving the babies gifts of love and hope this year.

We wish you all a happy Christmas and a fulfiling 2018.

Where it all began…

December 15, 2017 Stories

We’ve been proudly rescuing abandoned babies for over 20 years, but where did it all begin?

Our founders Clive and Mary Beckenham always hoped to build a children’s home and worked towards this from a young age. Mary says she dreamed of setting up a children’s home in Africa from the age of 7.

Clive and Mary prepared themselves for the fruition of this dream, by training to be ready to serve abandoned babies – Mary trained as a nurse and Clive trained in engineering. Although this dream wasn’t fulfilled until the couple were both 50 years old.

Arriving in Kenya in 1989, the couple began a 2-year assignment at a local Bible college. Towards the end of the assignment in 1992, Mary read an article in a local newspaper about HIV positive babies being abandoned in Kenyan hospitals. Reading the article ignited Mary’s dream and passion to start a children’s home in Africa, and she began researching and making enquiries with other Kenyan homes. Through her research and speaking to Dr Paul Wangai Jr (a doctor already working with HIV positive adults), Mary realised there was no one working with HIV positive children.

After a couple of years of praying and seeking advice, Clive and Mary found a building in Loresho in 1994, using the downstairs to establish the children’s home, and living upstairs with their own biological children. The staff team was very small, and everyone was involved with everything at the home. All staff entered the home untrained, but were trained on how to appropriately care for the children, and using the facilities.

Since then, New Life Home Trust has rescued over 1,800 abandoned babies in Kenya, and are committed to increasing this number and making an impact on the lives of children affected by HIV.

Here in the UK, we are committed to raising funds to send over to Kenya to continue this valuable work. Could you help support the work of New Life Home Trust? Visit our fundraise, donate and volunteer pages or contact us to find out more.

Cakes, Fundraise, Charity, Sponsor, Sale

Fundraising Ideas

December 4, 2017 Fundraising

From the extreme to the downright ridiculous, we’re grateful for however you choose to fundraise for New Life Home Trust UK! However, if you’re a bit stuck for ideas, we’ve put together a list of fundraising ideas to inspire your event.

Foodie Fundraising

A food inspired fundraising event is bound to draw in plenty of people, whether you ask for donations at a regular event, or host a cake sale, food events are always popular. You could even add a competitive element for keen Bake-off fans.

Suggestions: Afternoon tea, Ready Steady Cook, Coffee Morning, Bake-off, Come Dine with Me
Intellectual

For those that prefer a challenge, quizzes and competitions are easy to pull together and are great events for all ages. There is usually a fee for each competitor or each team, and you could provide a meal or other refreshments for an added donation. If you want to fundraise for your workplace, you could add a fundraising element to something you already do, such as through networking events.

Suggestions: Quiz, Mastermind, Competitions, Networking
Musical

Whether you’re musically gifted or prefer to observe, music events can be great crowd-pleasers. For a bit of fun, you could host a talent show or Karaoke at a local venue, charging for participants and those coming along to watch.

Suggestions: Battle of the Bands, Busking, Karaoke, Talent Show
Leisure

Whatever your hobby is, why not support us while doing it? You could put on a film in a local venue, this could be related to the local area, relevant to your target audience or a new release. If craft is your preferred hobby of choice, you could put on a craft event and provide materials for participants to make a particular item, such as a Christmas wreath, or why not do a craftathon and make as many items as you can in a selected amount of time?

Suggestions: Film night, dancing competition, craft day,
Sponsored Activities

If you fancy a challenge or are a seasoned marathon runner, why not raise money in the process? You can be sponsored to do almost anything, from obstacle courses to a sponsored silences, you’re bound to be motivated once you see your sponsors building up!

Suggestions: walks, runs, sponsored silence, marathons, obstacle course

Feeling inspired? Make sure you check out our fundraising page for everything you need to know about organising a fundraising event.

Our Valuable Supporters

November 30, 2017 Behind the scenes

Over the past 20 years, we have rescued over 1,700 abandoned babies in Kenya, but this would not have happened had it not been for our valuable supporters and staff. Hear all about what goes on behind the scenes of New Life Home Trust.

Volunteers: Our volunteers dedicate their precious free time to our charity, and to changing abandoned babies lives. Many will travel to Kenya to help look after the babies and children at the New Life Homes across Kenya. They help to build the personalities of the children in our care and help them to bond with their new parents. Interested in donating some of your spare time to New Life Home Trust? Visit our Volunteering pages.

Fundraisers: Our fundraisers put on fantastic events throughout the year to raise money for New Life Home Trust. From climbing mountains to classy afternoon teas, in the most extreme conditions to a simple church hall, our fundraisers continue to amaze us with their support through fundraising and raising awareness of our charity. For a handy list of everything you need to consider when planning an event, visit our fundraising pages.

Our staff: We’re lucky enough to have a great team who support us with their skills in organisation, administration and publicity in the UK and our Kenyan sister charity has a whole host of staff who keep New Life Home Trust running smoothly. This allows us to keep making an impact on abandoned babies lives and raise awareness of how people can help, wherever they are in the world.

Trustees: Our UK Trustees are an essential part of running a successful charity. Trustees have overall control of a charity and make vital decisions regarding the charity’s direction, as well as keeping it accountable.

Donators: We really value all of our donators, whether they give a one-off donation or give regularly, every little helps support the work of New Life Home Trust UK. Donations can be made through Virgin Money Giving; visit our page to make a difference to the lives of abandoned babies today.

From volunteers to donators, we’re grateful to everyone that contributes to the work of New Life Home Trust. Why not consider becoming part of the New Life Home Trust UK family today?

Raise Funds for New Life this Christmas with Give as you Live

November 26, 2017 Fundraising, Life

Give as you Live allows users to raise free funds for charity as they shop. With over 4,200 top stores involved, it’s easy to donate to your chosen charity as you go about your online shopping – which you might be doing a lot of around this time of year!

If you are signed up to Give as you Live, the store you choose to shop at pays a percentage of your total purchase price in commission, and from this, 50% is donated to your charity of choice.

Give as you Live is free to join and use, and offers an easy way to donate to charities at no extra cost to you.

New Life Home Trust UK is one of those charities you can support as you shop, along with national charities, local schools, churches and social groups.

You could raise from 1-10% of what you spend at your selected retailer, or it may be a fixed amount. Although it may not seem like a large amount, each time you shop the donations add up and contribute to the vital work we do.

As well as being free for you to join, Give as you Live is also free for charities to be part of, as they do not have to pay any joining or payment fees, this ensures 100% of the donation will come directly to us.

Your donations could help us to cover the costs of running our Kenyan homes providing food, clothing, medicine and all the other requirements enabling us to care for our rescued babies and children.

So why not help boost our funds this Christmas as you shop by joining Give as you Live? It’s quick and easy to sign up and doesn’t cost you a penny!

Victoria Beckham, NLHT, Brooklyn Beckham

Victoria and Brooklyn Beckham visit New Life Home Trust

November 23, 2017 Stories

Fashion designer and UNAIDS Ambassador, Victoria Beckham travelled to Kenya and visited the New Life Home Trust clinics, with her eldest son, Brooklyn.

The pair visited the New Life Home Trust Clinic in 2016, with Born Free Africa for the Beyond Zero campaign – a charity organisation helping mothers and children overcome the challenges of HIV.

Both Victoria and Brooklyn shared photos of their experience to instagram, with one of Brooklyn’s photos gaining over 270,000 likes in two hours. Brooklyn Beckham was also delighted that one of the newborn babies at New Life Home Trust was named after him.

Victoria has spoken in the past of her feelings of responsibility to others, as a woman and mother of four children.

Victoria is known for the wide variety of charity work she is involved with and has recently offered to donate the fee she is paid for recent events, to New Life Home Trust UK.

There are lots of ways you can get involved with New Life Home Trust UK, through volunteering, sponsoring a cot, making a regular or one-off donation and fundraising. For more information visit our Get Involved pages.

A post shared by bb (@brooklynbeckham) on Oct 6, 2016 at 7:08am PDT

Sponsor a Cot this Christmas

November 13, 2017 Donate

This Christmas, instead of buying overpriced toiletry gift sets or yet another pair of socks, why not buy a gift with a difference?

Sponsoring a cot with New Life Home Trust is a gift that can really change lives. When you sponsor a cot, your money could go towards saving and transforming a baby’s life in Kenya.

At New Life Home Trust we strive to make each baby feel loved and to have the best possible chance for a new life. The help and support of our sponsors is invaluable in providing continued care.

When you sponsor a cot, New Life Home Trust is able to provide space, love and care for abandoned babies. However, anyone who has a baby or has looked after babies will know that they require a lot of supplies. It costs around £400 to care for each baby in one of the New Life homes in Kenya.

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By sponsoring a cot this Christmas you could help to contribute towards:

180 Nappies per baby a month (over 23000 nappies!)
130 cots available for abandoned babies available across Kenya.
210 bottles of milk a month for each baby (over 27000 altogether!)
Over a ton of baby clothes washed and dried each month, by hand, for all the babies.
Each baby will be fed, cuddled and soothed thousands of times by the carers and volunteers.
Doctors will be called and medicine paid for and given to any baby who needs it.
The guards at the gate will keep each baby safe day & night.

As a New Life Home Trust sponsor, you will play a vital part of changing a child’s life for the better. Instead of buying a gift that will sit on the shelf collecting dust, sponsor a cot and set the foundations for the rest of a baby or child’s life.

To give the gift of a healthy, happy start in life this Christmas for yourself, a friend or a family member, download a copy of our leaflet here then email us to express your interest. Your monthly donations can be anything from £10 to £1,000… every little helps! Christmas Sponsor A Cot donors will receive a printable Christmas certificate.

Together, we’re running a collective Christmas campaign to aim to cover the cost of a cot for a whole year (£4,800). If you could contribute a little, (or a lot!) donate online here!

You can also donate to the general work of New Life Home Trust, by setting up a monthly or one-off payment here.

Libby’s fundraising walk across Aberdeenshire

November 13, 2017 Fundraising, Stories

Earlier this year, Libby walked the furthest distance across Kenya (1,131km/703 miles) from the North East to the South East in aid of New Life Home Trust, but in Aberdeenshire.

Libby first discovered the work of New Life Home Trust seven years ago, through family friends Guy and Susanna Bastable. The couple have dedicated their lives to New life Home Trust, living and working at the Nairobi New Life Home, rescuing sick & vulnerable babies. Libby’s daughter attended the same school as the Bastable’s youngest sons, who were both originally rescued by that same New Life Home.

NLHT, Borehole, Libby, Kenya, Aberdeenshire

Libby was inspired to complete this walk and support New Life Home Trust in all the work they do. During her 703 mile walk Libby saw a beautiful variety of scenes from meadows and forests to beaches and riverbanks. She hopes to keep walking until her target of £2,000 is achieved.

A current priority at New Life Home Trust is fundraising to secure water supplies in Kenya. Although the four New Life Homes have their own boreholes, the new construction in the areas around the water tables are causing them to be disturbed and diminished. Although it would be a very expensive process, New Life Home Trust hope to deepen each borehole, in order to reach beneath the levels of disruption.

Of course, many health issues arise from unclean water in these areas, so it is vital to be able to have a pure and constant water supply in the homes of the children and sick babies. This water supply is crucial, as it is used for drinking, cooking, warming bottles of milk, washing the babies, washing nappies, washing clothes (each item is washed by hand!) and keeping the homes and vehicles clean and hygienic.

By sponsoring Libby, you can help contribute to getting a pure, constant water supply, to ensure New Life Home Trust can keep rescuing and caring for babies and children, and to help them towards a good, healthy life.

To donate to New Life Home Trust visit Libby’s fundraising page.

We love hearing fundraising stories from people in the UK who are doing amazing things to raise money for New Life. Find out how you could start your own fundraising campaign today!

NLHT_UK

Celebrating 24 years at New Life Home Trust

Share the love – Raise funds for New Life this Valentine’s Day

A 2017 Thank You from New Life Home Trust UK

Where it all began…

Fundraising Ideas

Foodie Fundraising

Intellectual

Musical

Leisure

Sponsored Activities

Our Valuable Supporters

Raise Funds for New Life this Christmas with Give as you Live

Victoria and Brooklyn Beckham visit New Life Home Trust

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Celebrating 24 years at New Life Home Trust