Marafun registration is open!

The next Orpington MARAFUN is on Saturday 7th May, 2016.

It will be our 12th Marafun this year, and there are great events for EVERY age and level of fitness:

Full Marathon   (10.30 start)

Half Marathon (11.30 start) – NOTE THE NEW START TIME

10k (12.30 start) – NOTE THE NEW START TIME

PLUS the Half-marathon Walk (10.30), the 2k (2.30) and 4k   (3.00)   

For more details, and to register for the event of your choice, visit www.marafun.co.uk

Last year’s participants said:

“The friendliest marshals in the world!”

“The marshals were always smiling and so encouraging. It made a huge difference.”

“Superbly organised”

“Great course!

Over recent years the Marafun has raised nearly £100,000 to help our street children and orphans!

Register now for our popular day of fun and fund-raising for good causes!

Christmas chickens delivered!

Each Christmas, Footsteps offers MAD Cards - the alternative to useless gifts! This is proof the gifts get where they are needed most!

The photos show poor people in the Naivasha area receiving their chicken gifts. They can lay eggs, produce chicks, and (eventually) make a tasty meal!!

Former street boys benefit from laptop donation

Once David Ouko lived on the streets. But today he is at college with a wonderful opportunity of getting a good job when he finishes. 

UK based Computers 4 Africa kindly provided a donation of 8 laptops, so David (and 7 other former street boys) can now press on to achieve top marks!

The photo shows David receiving his laptop from Sunshine social worker Simon Kuria.

Edward - from street boy to undergraduate

Edward Makori - 2004

In 2004 Edward Makori was living on the streets of Naivasha. Neglected and hungry at home, he dropped out of school and ran away to fend for himself on the streets.
"Things were not good on the streets," he recalls. "I survived by eating leftovers from the garbage and rotten fruit in the market places. The streets were very cold at night and during the rainy seasons sometimes I lacked a place to sleep. The police were not also kind to us and could arrest us and beat us or lock us up for no reason.

Edward starts university

But Edward's life changed when he was offered a home at the Sunshine Centre (top photo). He remembers the exact date! "On 2 June 2004 Sunshine was opened and I was among the first boys to be registered. I was very happy to find a new home with plenty of food which I didn’t have to either work or beg for. It was also clean food not like the leftovers in the streets. There was also a good place to sleep at Sunshine - a bed with blankets unlike the cold street verandas. I could sleep well without fear."

Once back in school, Edward did extremely well at both primary and secondary school, and, in September 2015, his hard work was rewarded with the offer of a place to study a degree in Economics at Masai Mara University (bottom photo).

Bonnie heading for football fame

Over the years that we have cared for Boniface ('Bonnie') at the Tumaini Children's Home in Mombasa he has had a passion for football.

Now, his dream of becoming a professional footballer is coming true as he has been signed up by Simba Sports Club who are currently riding high in 3rd place in the Tanzanian Premier League.

Bonnie, who is 19 years old, has signed a 3 year deal after impressing the Simba Sports Club coach during pre-season trials.

Footsteps is committed to supporting needy young people until they are independent. Bonnie has taken a huge leap forward!

Vivian leads village health improvement campaign

Vivian Amwayi is combining her community health skills and her natural acting ability to get across vital messages about healthy living.

She is helping educate the women who live in Mafungoni village near Mombasa how to protect themselves and their families against common ailments by adopting simple but effective measures such as good hand-washing and filtering water.

The photo shows Vivian giving a practical demonstration of effective hand-washing, which is very important in an area where there is no running water or sewerage system.

Vivian has been also been issuing medicines to treat worms and fungal scalp infections. Already this year, nearly 600 people have benefited from the campaign.

Footsteps has helped care for Vivian at the Tumaini Children's Home in Mombasa since she was 12 years old.

Eastbourne school links with Nairobi slum school

Children at Church on the Rock
school enjoy uji at break time

The class 4 students at Shinewater Primary School in Eastbourne are keen to find out how their lives compare with the children who attend the Church on the Rock school in Nairobi's Kware slum.

Martin and Mary Print have been asked to take three lessons at Shinewater school . The first will describe the people and geography of Kenya and the second will focus on what life is like for a child in the slums in Kenya. The final session will compare the children's lives, interests and hopes for the future.

The lessons build on work that Martin and Mary have been doing over the past three years with Southwark Park School in SE London.