Greensteds School (and particularly, Greensteds Community Church) has a long-standing relationship with the Balamercy Children’s Project in Homa Bay, Lake Victoria.  Mr Sawers, our former pastor, has been visiting annually for seven years to support the community, and for the last few years has been taking a bus-load of students and supplies to the project. 

The project has a community centre, school and church and its focus is on supporting families to be able to take in AIDS orphans.  Rather than opening an orphanage, the aim is that all orphans are cared for within a family environment.  Impressively, the community really does seem to pull together, support one another and take in children who would otherwise have no family. 

Bala Mercy Children’s in Homa Bay is an Aids orphan’s home that Greensteds School through the Community Church   has been supporting for many years. Last year but one, we built a Library for them and equipped it with over 400 books.
Nothing compares to the sight of the ecstatic faces of the children as they devoured the books. We plan to visit the home during the half term break. We welcome donations to this worthy course. This can be in the form of school and children’s books, clothes, dry foodstuff or toys.

Every student from Greensteds who visits the home comes back with a life changing experience.Alongside these activities, the ‘fundi’ was busy making a library for the project!  This was the specific aim of our trip this year.  So while the fundi and Mr Mwangi made shelves and a librarian’s desk, others in the team were painting the room.  It was certainly a highlight when, once the 800 books were on the brand-new shelves, the carpet on the floor and the posters on the walls, the children were invited in and given their first experience of being in a library.  We look forward to returning with more books, and hearing how the library has been used in its first year.