Over the past few years Fluid Branding has supported the Vanessa Grant Trust in bringing vital educational opportunities to young people in rural Kenya.
Fluid Branding MD Miles Lovegrove recently visited Kenya to see the work of the charity, here he shares his experiences...
In association with Cornwall College, this year Miles Lovegrove the Managing Director at Fluid Branding, accompanied a team of volunteers to Rongai, Kenya to oversee the build of an outdoor play area, development of the educational curriculum for a number of nursery and primary schools, and to complete the purchase of additional land for further educational use.
Here is his story:
'The build-up to this trip created a feeling of excitement but also a certain amount of trepidation of the unknown! Fundraising had gone well with over £12,000 raised personally, and close to £20,000 raised by the group. So, the new set out for the play area, individual work within the school, and the potential of acquiring additional land for our ongoing work in Kenya was all achievable if everything went smoothly.
Well the travel plan went completely wrong from the start! My son had to have an emergency operation on his hip 2 days before I was supposed to leave, which delayed my departure for Kenya. Thankfully he made a quick recovery, but what followed was equally as tense! A near missed flight at Heathrow, 5 customs officers deporting a man on the plane, and being involved in a car crash in the middle of rural Kenya, were just some of the highlights.
However, after 24 hours I managed to meet up with the rest of the volunteer team at Lake Baringo before moving onto the Volunteer Block on Gogar Farm in Rongai, Kenya. I know we have all seen pictures of Kenya, but nothing can really prepare you for the actual feeling of being there, experiencing the poverty, living conditions, housing, mud roads, run down vehicles, and the individual struggle that Kenyan people face on a daily basis. Individuals living day to day, hoping to make enough money to feed themselves and their families the next, is normal for the people of Rongai.
For the following week the team set to work building the Special Needs School sensory playground. We taught lessons at the Nursery and Primary Schools and helped to improve the conditions for the children who attend these schools. All the volunteers donated gifts, helped educate, played, painted, mended, and created better environments to improve the lives of the children.
In addition, we met with a number of trustees of the Vanessa Grant Trust and large land owners in Rongai, to discuss the educational needs, how government policy is changing, what impact this will have on White British land owners, and how our charitable funds can be used to secure a sustainable future for the schools at Gogar Farm. By the end of the meeting we had decided to push on with the purchase of additional land next to the Nursery, which would not only increase the space for educational buildings, but also pave the way for potentially teaching apprenticeships in the future.We completed everything we set out to do, however the scale of poverty in Kenya is vast and it is debatable if these efforts will ever make a significant difference.
So, I did end up asking myself 'Why?'
Why help the children of Rongai? Why visit? Why not just donate some money?
The issue is corruption.
If we donated large sums of money to the Kenyan Government, unfortunately a few people would become rich, and almost nothing would reach the people who need it. This is not seen as corruption to most in Kenya, but just the culture.
The solution is education.
The Vanessa Grant Trust focuses on 'Education for Future Leaders'. The Kenyan children of today are the only people who can change the culture for tomorrow. The students and teachers from Cornwall College helped to support this approach even if it was for a limited period. The children at these schools will be the future politicians, doctors, teachers, and business people.
So personally, I felt my contribution made a small difference, and I believe it is these small differences that will hopefully help to educate and support a change over time. If the education system is sustainable, then hopefully the people of Kenya can close the vast gap between the rich and poor.
A massive thank you to everyone who donated towards the Fluid Foundation. Your money does go a very long way. Finally, a massive thank you to the many Kenyan friends I made along the way. Your support and generosity will always be remembered and appreciated.'
The Fluid Foundation will continue to support the Vanessa Grant Trust by sending a member of the team to Kenya every year and raising funds for the ongoing work there. After the trip the Trust successfully secured the land next to the Nursery School in Rongai, and plans are now being developed to use this to further improve the educational facilities for the children to benefit from.
If you wish to donate to The Fluid Foundation, then please get in touch!
