In 2015 an international link between Sapphire school in Kenya and St Matthias C of E Primary began.
In October last year, headteacher Debbie went out to Kenya spending a week at Sapphire discussing ideas, taking a class or two and doing some training with the teachers. She also went on a full New Life tour with visits to Nakuru and Kilimani where she met Mary and Clive Beckenham, the charity founders. Whilst in Kisumu Debbie spent a couple of days with the Amani children as well as the babies and Bethel boys so she got a great overview of New Life.
She loved Kenya and was greatly touched by the visit and went home full of excitement about future links with Sapphire but also a heart for the Amani children, returning to her school with many photos, videos and stories. One of her teaching staff had lost a daughter to cerebral palsy some years before but had never told her colleagues and she was deeply touched by hearing about the Amani children. She went home and told her family and they decided they wanted to start a fund in memory of their little girl to provide a new wheelchair for one of the children. The school really got behind it and pledged to raise £1000, which they have in only 7 months.
The final bill was £1300 and the shortfall from the school was donated by the church congregation at St Matthias.
The wheelchair was taken into school to show the children and to thank the children and staff for their generosity. It’s now on it’s way to Kenya where it will be an amazing blessing to one of our eldest boys.
Thank you St Matthias school and church!