Wings of Mercy - Nairobi Kenya

In Kenya, millions of children live in desperate need of the very things they should be able to take for granted - food, medicine, education and safe drinking water.

Without these basics, they are denied the chance they need to ever realise their potential and thousands of children die before they even reach their 5th birthday. Those who survive can go hungry, suffer illness and disease, much of which is preventable.They usually have no way of ever learning to read and write which ensures the children have little or no chance of ever breaking out of the poverty trap they are in. Many will become street children living a terrible existance turning to crime and sex work in order to eat. Rape is common resulting in more children being born into the same situation.Most street children on the streets of Nairobi do not make it past their 18th birthday.

There is also the issue of HIV and AIDS. This disease is directly linked to poverty and the number of AIDS orphans is rising every minute. Families are devastated when parents die often leaving elderly grand parents and other relations to care for the children who are often HIV positive. Many children are cared for by an older sibling who may be no more than a child themself. This can result in an inability to provide food and care for the children. Once again, children may find themselves on the streets or involved in sex work and so it goes on.

For the price of a take away meal,you can give children the opportunities they need to make the most of themselves - starting with the basics. Over time these children can become healthy and educated young people with the power to transform their communities.

build classrooms, train teachers and provide textbooks to make sure children learn practical skills, which will benefit everyone,
provide tablets to help sterilise the filthy water available in the slums so children don’t die or get sick needlessly, help the community build clinics and latrines and train community health workers,
train each parent/guardian about the importance of hygiene and immunisation to give children a healthy start in life and protect them from disease,
purchase mosquito nets and insecticide to help prevent malaria,
help parents/guardians gain access to cooperative banks where they can save securely for the future or borrow small loans at affordable prices.This will enable people to start a small business and move out of absolute poverty,
provide a bowl of millet porridge or ugali daily - often the only meal a child will have,
provide shoes, clothes and school uniform/bag.