A Brief History of the Projects in Kenya
run by
The Rotary Club of Horbury & Ossett Phoenix
and
The Emley African School Project

1995/6
Alan saw the poor condition of the village and in particular the lack of education facilities for children and with the help of Rotary began to raise funds. Alan was President of Rotary in 1996 and nominated GAZI School as his overseas charity

1997
GAZI School was completed and Alan together with three other members of Rotary attended the opening.
Lack of clean water is a problem throughout the African continent and Rotary paid for and installed 2 Water Pumps on Wassini Island. The people here depend on collecting rainwater in large tanks , and if the rains fail, have to transport it from the mainland in 5 gallon jerry cans.

1998
One of the Rotarians who visited the Gazi school opening with Alan was Jim Donnan, a doctor living in Emley. Jim and his wife, Rosemary, took equipment to GAZI School and together with Alan visited MAGAONI School earmarked by DIANI Rotary Club and Allan as a Rotary matching grant project. Matching Grants are important to clubs like ours as it means with the help of Rotary International we can double up the money we put into these essential projects. This school was in dire straits with no roof, an earth floor and no desks or equipment Through Kairo, a devout Christian, Jim and Rosemary made their first contact with the Kenyan Assembly of God (KAG) Church and this persuaded them to start fundraising for a NURSERY School in Msambweni, a small town near Gazi. The aim of building this school was to provide an education for children who otherwise would have none ,particularly girls. Additionally, although the school is sponsored by a Christian church, the majority of its pupils are Muslim, reflecting the local population.

1999
Rotary commenced fund raising to enable matching grant backed by South Woodham Ferrers Rotary Club (Essex), a local South Woodham Ferrers school, Archbishop School Canterbury and a Canadian Rotary Club. This project was now becoming truly international.

1999
Kairo was beginning to achieve world recognition for the work he was doing in Mangrove technology and during a visit to Europe he was able to visit Yorkshire and attended services at Emley Church. Contact was made with the Church Schools of Wakefield and the Emley African Schools Project (EASP) was founded by Rosemary Donnan and Friends

1999
Books, medical supplies and computers were shipped in a container to Mombasa financed by Phoenix and Emley African Schools Project. EASP had donated £700 for purchase of books and school equipment but this was swallowed up by container importing and handling expenses. This highlighted the difficulties involved in sending equipment to Kenya. Much of the equipment was distributed by Diani Rotary Club over 12 month period assisted by Alan and Jim. 2000 Jim and Alan assisted in the Polio Plus campaign, a Rotary project aimed at eradicating Polio throughout the world.
They visited Magaoni School to see progress and identify the need for further funding for school refurbishment.

They saw the work in progress at Ukunda Polytechnic and promised supplies of equipment such as sewing machines and lathes

 

Jim & Rosemary, Mike & Dilys were joined by Mike & Lisette Gill, also from Horbury and Ossett Rotary, visiting KAG School, Gazi School, Wasini Island as well as a clinic, a maternity unit, other schools and projects run by Diani Rotary.

Horbury and Ossett Rotary had by now sponsored 15 desks in the KAG School and the education of one child whilst individual club members plus other contacts instigated by Rosemary were now sponsoring over 40 children.

Jim ran a First Aid course with materials donated by Horbury and Ossett Rotary including the restocking of a Rotary donated First Aid box.

A literacy afternoon was held in a community of Leprosy sufferers. A private donation allowed the laying of a concrete floor and the building of walls for their meeting hut.

The well is now nearing completion.

 

 

The Rotary Club of Horbury and Ossett Phoenix