Underlying our whole philosophy is a determination not to rely on outside aid, but to strive to attain self sufficiency, with support from the local community. The children are taught from the start to do as much as possible for themselves, before looking for handouts. They have a vegetable plot which everyone helps tend, and a recent project has been the erection and stocking of rabbit hutches, providing meat for the pot, and a little income. Again, most of the work is done by the children themselves. Recently some of the older children have been learning to make traditional bead-work necklaces and braclets, which they sell to make a few shillings.

The local people also help out by donating food when they can spare it, and local businesses are starting to help: recent donations include the three solar cookers pictured below, and a solar panel and battery so that the kids don't need to use paraffin lamps to do their homework. But of course we also need money. Although primary education in Kenya is now free they still need money for uniforms, books and writing materials. Once they reach secondary school age fees of about £40 per term for each child will have to be found. And the pre-school kids, with no mums, need someone to get them started. So we employ a pre-school teacher for them. Staff have to be paid, buildings maintained, and eventually we would like to expand - we are providing a refuge for 28 kids, but there are plenty more still on the streets.

Closely linked to the home is the 'Granny Club', a project being very capably run by Amelia Manion, an Australian volunteer. The club helps grannies who are bringing up orphans within the community to earn enough money to support their grandchildren and themselves by basket making and other craftwork. The club is strictly a self-help project, so we do not provide funding. But whenever possible we bring their produce back to the UK, where it sells for a better price than they can get locally, and where necessary we try to find sponsors to pay education fees for the children.