Sponsoring a child
Sponsoring a child costs £25.00 per month for attendance at a primary school or £35.00 per month for attendance at a secondary boarding school. The cost of education at a college or university varies with each establishment and depends upon the subject being taught. However, any amount of money is very welcome to put towards these fees which can, if necessary, be topped up by Direct Link's general funds.
If a child passes his/her KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) he/she will be offered a place at a secondary school. Then, if the child passes his/her KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education), he/she will be offered a place at either a college or university, depending upon the exam marks gained.
The photo shows Evans, newly arrived at our school, using the tricycle bought for him by Direct Link.
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey
Foodbank for Grannies and Grandpas (FFG) and sponsoring a granny or grandpa
Sponsoring a specific granny/grandpa costs £10.00 a month or more, but any amount of money is very welcome and will help to top up our FFG (Foodbank For Grannies and Grandpas).
Donations will help to support a granny who either lives alone or is looking after a number of dependants, who in many cases are orphans.
Sadly, there are very few grandpas or fathers still alive in this very rural area, mainly due to HIV/AIDS, so the responsibility for many children can often fall upon very elderly, frail grannies or sick widows. Many of the grannies live in tiny houses made either from mud or corrugated iron. They have no running water, no electricity and no sanitary arrangements other than a hole in the ground outside in their small shamba (small plot of land). Their houses are extremely cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. They have no income and often depend on other family members, if any, or neighbours.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, it soon became apparent that many grannies and their families were starving as they had no means of obtaining or buying food. Direct Link requested our Head Teacher to buy foodstuffs in bulk and to distribute the food to the families that were unable to feed themselves.
He, his wife and one of our orphaned students travelled around the area, distributing food bags collated by his wife. The photo shows an impoverished granny receiving her bag of food. This led to the setting up of our Foodbank For Grannies (FFG) which was put into operation almost immediately, and 13 grannies and widows were provided with nourishing food to last them over the Christmas period and beyond. Thanks to many generous donors, the FFG is till providing regular food bags for these destitute older people. However, the number has now grown to 23 grannies and 3 grandpas.
When the photos of this distribution were seen, it became obvious that many elderly people were unable to buy warm clothing or bedding although it was the winter period and extremely cold. This led to the provision of warm duvets and coats to all the grannies already being helped by the FFG.
Recently, we have been incredibly lucky and received a substantial donation from another charity, to provide food and clothing for all the grannies and grandpas in our FFG programme. The old grandpas have been provided with suits tailored to their size, together with shoes, making them look so smart and ready to go to church again. The grannies received handmade dresses made from local fabrics, together with cloth for their heads. Being given these clothes would have been beyond their wildest dreams.
"Hunger is not a problem, it is an obscenity. How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank
Boarders' Kitchen (KBK)
Donating to the KBK costs £5.00 or more, but any amount is very welcome.
The primary school in which we are working is situated in a very rural area. This means that many of the students, who are orphans and disabled children, need to board, as they either have no homes to go to after school or they are unable to travel home every day.
It soon became apparent that the school was not being funded sufficiently for the provision of nourishing meals for all the boarders to receive at the end of the school day. Direct Link stepped in and funded the purchase of bulk foodstuffs, setting up the Boarders Kitchen (KBK). Once this was established, we started providing lunches for the day school children as they would be unlikely to receive a good meal in the evenings, at home. It was also probable that they would have been sent to school without any breakfast, as a number of them were falling asleep, in class.
"Poverty is a very complicated issue, but feeding a child isn't." Jeff Bridges
Sanitary products (STs)
Donating for STs costs £5.00 or more but any amount is welcome.
The girls attending our schools are not able to afford to buy sanitary towels. Instead, they have to rely on using old newspapers or rags. This causes them to lose almost a quarter of their schooling because they have to stay at home or in the dormitory during menstruation. The use of rags, which have to be washed and hung up to dry, can cause infection if they are reused while they are still damp. The provision of sanitary towels is essential for the girls to ensure that they can do their school work every day of each month.
"Health and hygiene are a basic personal need for all." Manushi Chhillar
Equipment, books and laptops for college/university students
Donating for equipment, books and laptops for college/university students costs £30.00 or more.
If the children achieve good enough marks in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) to be offered a place at either a college or university, they will need specific books, equipment and laptops. Many of our children are sponsored but often the cost of sponsorship does not cover the cost of these necessities, so we need to raise extra money for these.
Gabriel, a disabled boy, living with his blind grandmother, performed so well in his KCSE that he was offered a place at a university to study Information Technology. It was obvious that he would require a laptop and a printer to carry out his studies and his homework. These costs had to be found from our general funds as his sponsorship did not cover these expenses. We now have a number of children who are finishing their secondary education and who will be continuing with their education in either colleges or universities. It is impossible for them to study when they have no access to a computer.
The photo shows Emmanuel, arriving for his first day at university, having been given a new laptop for his studies.
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." Benjamin Franklin
'Pam's Sign Language College' for deaf children and adults
Donating towards the continuation of Pam's Sign Language College costs £20.00 or more. It is solely dependent upon donations as two deaf boys are employed to help with the teaching.
Before we began to teach the local community how to treat and respond to people with all types of disability, anyone who was deaf, blind, physically disabled or albino was shunned by everyone as it was believed that their disability was infectious and caused by a curse. We rolled out a programme of information about how disabilities can occur, and how the person should be treated with love and care, rather than be treated as someone to be avoided at all costs.
One of the main disabilities in the area is deafness which afflicts a large number of the community. Direct Link set up a sign language college where adults and children can learn sign language in order to communicate with one another and with their families. This totally changed the attitude of the community towards the deaf, to the point that they have now become very welcome in the church and a choir of deaf people sign the hymns with an interpreter.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Anon
Disability equipment
Donating towards the provision of disability aids costs £30 but any amount is very welcome.
Every disabled child who has been accepted into our primary school has been provided with appropriate disability equipment to enable them to become mobile. Over the years, we have purchased many hand-operated tricycles and crutches, but we have also had to provide specific disability aids such as wheelchairs, an electric tricycle for a boy to commute to his university, and a special chair with a table attached, for use by a small girl who can only write with her feet. Each disability is assessed carefully to ensure that the correct aid is provided.
The photo shows Jacklin, who had to undergo several operations on her leg, funded by Direct Link.
"I wish for a world that views disability, mental or physical, not as a hindrance but as unique attributes that can be seen as powerful assets if given the right opportunities." Oliver Sacks
Funds for emergencies
Donating funds for emergencies rather than for specific projects costs £10.00 or more.
Every year, emergencies crop up that are completely unexpected and have not been budgeted for. During the time of Covid-19, there have been even more unplanned occurrences than usual, which cost Direct Link hundreds of pounds. This is why funds for unexpected emergencies are so important.
During the pandemic, many emergencies appeared very suddenly and had to be dealt with immediately. There have been deaths, hospital admissions, starvation, elderly people struggling with the cold, transport expenses and many other issues to be dealt with immediately and requiring funds instantly. In circumstances like these, there is no time to fundraise. The money needs to be there already.
The photo shows the coffin of one of Direct Link's much loved grannies, which was funded by Direct Link.
"The prizes go to those who meet emergencies successfully." William Feather
The purchase of 'Gifts Of Hope'
As well as all of the above, Direct Link has a number of smaller gifts that can be purchased for people to give to their friends and families for birthdays, Christmas or anniversaries.
Mattress | £10.00
Blanket | £10.00
Mosquito net | £10.00
First aid items | £10.00
Warm clothes | £20.00
Disability equipment (tricycle, crutches etc) | £50
Spectacles | £10.00 a pair, second hand
If you would like to buy a 'Gift of Hope', please email Pam at
fountainservices@tiscali.co.uk and give the name of the gift you wish to buy, the amount of your donation, the name of the recipient(s), and the name you would like to be called by (e.g. To Bob and Sally, with love from Granny and Grandpa), and your own name, address and email address. You will then receive a hand-made card to send to the recipient, giving them details of the gift and the child, if the gift is a sponsorship. If you are eligible for Gift Aid, please also let us know and we will send you a form to complete and return.
EVERY PENNY THAT YOU DONATE IS SPENT ON THE GIFT OF YOUR CHOICE. NOT ONE PENNY IS SPENT ON ADMINISTRATION.
"Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours." Anon