By Bev & Charlie Stockley
Charlie is the administrator for the UK charity and Bev is a trustee, they also spent just under 6 years working at the home in Amani between 2010 and 2015.
A Grand Celebration
It was a great privilege to be invited to attend the 30th Anniversary Gala dinner of New Life Home Trust. We both enjoyed the occasion, meeting up with old friends and hearing from supporters of New Life. We were particularly impressed by the young adults who have grown up and been raised so well as part of the New Life family. A special mention must be given to one young man who so impressed us with his talent as a public speaker, sharing his story in such an engaging way.
Reconnecting in Kilimani
During our couple of days in Kilimani, we appreciated meeting up with familiar faces of staff continuing to work diligently within the home.
Warm Hospitality in Nyeri
On the following day, we travelled with the Nyeri and Nakuru teams back to their respective homes. This was our first visit to Nyeri and we were very impressed by the warmth of hospitality given by Charity and the staff team who provided us all with a very tasty meal. Although this was a brief visit, it was clear that the babies and toddlers are well loved and cared for.
Bonding in Nakuru
We spent three nights in Nakuru, giving us the opportunity to reconnect with three amazing young girls, all of whom were born with physical challenges. We had a wonderful day out with them at a local
safari park and enjoyed hearing about how they are getting on at school. One is part of a music club and the other a chess club within the school. One of the girls told me that she has ambitions to become a lawyer and we hope that she will chase this dream! The girls got along splendidly and there was much laughter. They seemed to be doing well in coping with their physical challenges.
We received a warm welcome from the rest of the team at the home, who do a great job at caring for the babies and toddlers in their care.
Homecoming in Kisumu
Our next stop was Kisumu, our Kenyan home! We were overwhelmed by the welcome party that greeted us as we arrived. It was so special to reconnect with our New Life family there and join in with the party that they had put on. Afterwards, some of the children took us on a guided tour of the home.
Continuing the Legacy at Amani
The Amani team continues to follow many of the lessons that we did together over 10 years ago. These are presented with such enthusiasm that they engage the next generation of little children who are now part of the Amani family. We really enjoyed listening and watching one young storyteller in particular; she has a real talent for storytelling.
It brought us much joy to see the wide range of specialist equipment that the Amani unit has had donated. This is clearly benefiting those with complex physical challenges. Watching one boy striding out in his walker and hearing his chuckles of joy warmed our hearts.
Joyrides and Joyful Hearts
It was great to see the new minibus first-hand and to see it in use as intended. We went with some of the children to church and clearly, the children that went enjoyed the ride out. For those in wheelchairs, this is one of the few times they leave the confines of the home.
Addressing Needs and Looking Forward
It is evident that with all the babies as well as the children and teens with special needs there is a lot of washing required every day. This is currently being done by hand and a commercial-grade washing machine is clearly a priority. In addition, the replacement of the failed large water tank is much needed. You can help by donating to our latest campaign to raise funds to provide washing machines.
Gratitude and Farewell
In conclusion, we cannot thank the staff at New Life Kenya for making our trip such an enjoyable time. We appreciated the hospitality that each home provided and the transportation around Kenya. This enabled us to reconnect with so many of the staff and the amazing children, especially the young adults of our Amani family. They will forever be our Kenyan children!