08 June 2006

Commissioner Donald Odegaard, International Secretary for Programme Resources, has visited Kenya to monitor the progress of a Salvation Army emergency services famine relief scheme. Spending six days in the country, the commissioner travelled to many areas, inspecting projects initiated by the International Emergency Services team based in Nairobi. The projects include provision of both food and water.

The ‘Food For Fees’ project has been an instant success in Kenya. Through the project, food costing US$200,000 has been provided to 35 secondary schools across the country, for 10,000 children who cannot pay their school fees. The value of the food has been credited to the children's accounts and they have been able to come back to school immediately as their fee debts are met in kind. The Principal of Kithituni School, Mr Kioko Ndambuki, remarked: 'Jesus is still feeding the five thousand.'

Many of the school heads say they would not even be open without the food they have received. In fact, on a monitoring visit to the northern region of Turkana, Captains David Kinsey (UK Territory) and Mike McKee (International Headquarters) witnessed schools that were closed due to there being no food. It was good to report that a few days after their visits these schools were once again open.

For many of the schools this food will see them through to the end of the school year and, even when the food is finished, the legacy of children being educated will live on for generations.

One head teacher said: 'What has happened in our country is not because Kenyans are lazy, but because the weather has been unkind.' The Food for Fees and other Salvation Army projects are giving people a helping hand during these days of 'unkind' weather.

 

 

Captain David Kinsey checks the food delivery at a Kenyan school (click on image to download/open full-size)	Pupils at a school which is benefitting from The Salvation Army's 'Food for Fees' scheme (click on image to download/open full-size)

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