Nasio Trust Newsletter 2015

NASIO NEWS Issue 8

“Since my youth O God, you have taught me and to this day I declare your marvellous deeds. Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me O God, until I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.�

Psalm 71, verses 18-19 (NIV) The Nasio Trust, Hampden House, Monument Park, Warpsgrove Lane, Chalgrove, Oxford, OX44 7RW Telephone: 01235 856290 eMail: info@thenasiotrust.org Web: www.thenasiotrust.org The Nasio Trust is registered by the Charity Commission - Registered Charity No. 1104542

A Thank You From The Chairman...

Being blessed with a close network of supporters it won’t come as a surprise to you that the Nasio Trust has someone to thank almost every day. I’ve recently been thinking about the importance of thanks, and how to ensure that each and every time I say thank you I convey the full appreciation of the Nasio family.

The challenge for me is to express gratitude with the full excitement of the children we’re supporting in Kenya. I hope this newsletter will help to convey the monumental difference your acts of kindness make together and demonstrate how much our supporters have made possible. If you’re interested in finding out more about our achievements this year, our Annual Report is soon to be published on www.thenasiotrust.org This month I want to extend special thanks to all our supporters who took part in fundraising events and all those who donated generously towards our projects.

Jonathan Hunt

Exit 7 - Wallingford School’s Kenya Visit Each of the 14 young people, and their 3 young-at-heart leaders, who joined the Wallingford School Exit 7 Team for the February trip to Kenya had their lives changed as they worked together to support the children supported by the Nasio Trust.

Digging a fishpond, building a cowshed, farming, cooking..... the list of jobs we were involved in is long but none of it felt like a chore. The most significant task was to restore and refurbish the home of Christofer and his 4 siblings. Moved by the plight of the family, the team chipped in, from their own pocket money, to provide the family with a re-plastered home with proper furnishings where they could live in safety and (relative) comfort.

Tears of pain and joy were shed by all as they shared comments including ‘we can change things’, ‘we can make a difference’ if we just ‘set out to do so’ and ‘I take so much for granted...no more’. On our return many have become sponsors of children they connected with. All are encouraging others to be part of the Nasio Trust, either to support fundraising, to go and visit and work in Kenya, or to sponsor children

Welcome Tim Foster MBE – New Charity Ambassador For The Nasio Trust We’re delighted to announce the addition of Olympic Gold Medallist Tim Foster to the Nasio Team in the role of Charity Ambassador!

“The Nasio Trust are making a really positive and crucially important impact in a very remote corner of the world. They are highly ambitious and believe in a sustainable model, which I really admire.” Tim Foster

Sue Russell - Retired Volunteer – Fundraising success With a BIG ‘0’ birthday retirement called, as a birthday gift I asked family members to run with me in the London 10k 2015 and to fundraise a target of £2070 for the plumbing and toilets in the new medical centre in Musanda. Kathy Hills decided a 60k bike ride was her preferred fundraiser, whilst seven others ran the 10k with me. Together we exceeded our target and as a family are pleased to be able to ‘twin’ our toilets with those in Kenya. I look forward to being at the opening ceremony of the centre on 15th October.This is not the end of life as a volunteer!

Sponsor A Child From Just £5 Per Month: Get details of the child’s family background Receive a current photo and school report annually Enjoy the opportunity to visit and meet your child Receive a newsletter every 6 months Transform a child’s life completely.

Visit The New Website Today! www.sponsorachildinneed.com

For more information or to sign up for events: Call us on +44 (0) 1235 85

Please allow us to introduce...

Jane Rennells Events Co-coordinator

Ed Bohling Development Officer

Hello, I have joined The Nasio Trust team as Event Coordinator after 27 years working as a police officer for Thames Valley Police. Having spent the last 10 years of my service out of uniform working on various intelligence departments this latest transition has been surprisingly easy; I wonder whether it would have been the same had I been wearing a uniform one day saying ‘move along sunshine or you’re nicked’ then organising charity events the next...

If you too feel like trying

After an unforgettable experience volunteering in Kenya, I am now delighted to have joined The Nasio Trust in a full-time role as Development Officer, where I’m particularly excited about trying to further develop the charity’s life-changing Child Sponsorship program.

something different why not sign up for one of our events?

From getting muddy at the Monster Race, running a mile on the famous Roger Bannister Track or holding a dinner party or bake sale there is sure to be something that appeals so give me a call or drop me a line.

After hearing so many of the children tell stories about the their sponsors and witnessing first-hand the difference that the program makes, sponsoring a child was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make (choosing which child was the only difficult bit!).

Jane.Rennells@thenasiotrust.org

For as little as £5 per month you can feed one of our children. £25 pays for a childs uniform, education, meals and medical support.

Ed.Bohling@thenasiotrust.org

Upcoming Events More at: thenasiotrust.org/events

Spirulina Project In Kenya

Run a half marathon through the streets of Oxford on 11 October 2015 Run a mile on the historic Roger Bannister track at the relay marathon on 22 November Sign up for the Muddy Monster Race on 16 April 2016 Running not your thing but inspired by the Tour de France? How about London to Paris 2016 arriving in time to see the finish of the 2016 race?

Trek 25, 50, 75 or 100 kilometres in the Peak District with Trek Fest in September 2016 Skydive or abseil (contact us for details) or of course sign up for one of our many Kilimanjaro climbs

Medical Centre Update Thanks to the generous support of donors the 2nd construction phase has begun. The wall erection began on Weds 22nd July & we’re optimistic that the project will run to schedule, enabling the commissioning of the centre on October 15th. Once completed, the medical centre will provide top quality care to the community at Musanda.

Ensuring the right level of nutrition to support healthy growth and development in the Nasio Trust’s 500 children is a constant battle for the staff and Guardians who care for them. In particular, forms of protein which we would normally rely on in the UK - meat, fish, eggs and so on are just too expensive for many people here to afford.

Spirulina is a high protein super-food, a bright green algae which grows in shallow water tanks and - once growing well - can be harvested nearly every day and mixed in with food in either fresh or dried forms. We’re hugely excited about the potential of Spirulina to provide a sustainable solution to the issue of malnutrition amongst the children in the charity’s care, and are delighted to have secured some start-up funding from the fabulous Kennington Overseas to build a Spirulina farm on some Nasio Trust land in Musanda.

Hannah Carmichael and her team of two Oxford University interns are currently exploring the technical and business development aspects of the project, along with Paul Benjamin Indwale – a volunteer who will be overseeing the project in the long term. They’re thrilled to be here and can’t wait to get Project Spirulina off the ground.

56290, email info@thenasiotrust.org or visit www.thenasiotrust.org now!

Child Success Stories

Andrew Okuku Committed To Learning

Saidi Makokha Dreams Of Helping Others

Andrew Okuku is a 4 year old boy who is currently in baby class at St Irene Day care.

Saidi Makokha is a top class boy aged 8 years, who joined Noah’s Ark earlier this year after one of the Nasio Trust staff found him and his sister roaming on the roads during school hours.

Andrew has really developed a great deal ever since we admitted him in January 2015. When he was admitted in January, Andrew could only speak in his mother tongue, and was completely withdrawn. But due to his willingness to learn & his high commitment in school Andrew has managed to achieve a lot in his time at St Irene.

Okuku has improved a lot socially. He can now converse with his fellow pupils in Swahili and also he is able to respond whenever someone talks to him in English.

At that time he was malnourished and infected with jiggers in fingers, feet and parts of his body, and had no education.

Both Saidi’s parents are illiterate, suffer from mental health disabilities and have been unable to work. He was managed well by the caretaker and at the moment the jiggers are healing. He is getting nutritious food which has also improved his health. Though he didn’t access education in baby and middle class, he is working hard and trying his level best to catch up with other children in his class who have been in school throughout. He dreams to become a builder in his life so as to construct houses for people who don’t have shelter.

Introducing Antony Osundwa Project Manager, Kenya

Our 2020 Vision

by Keith Budgen

The beginning of this new chapter is very exciting for me.

I’ve joined The Nasio Trust Kenyan team as the Project Manager with experience in Financial management, capability building of NGOs and Engineering, ranging from the construction of farm machinery works in the field to interaction with farmers on farm planning and crop husbandry.

A key part of the Nasio Trust strategy is sustainability, empowering communities to set up and run their own sustainable income generating projects. That’s why we have set a goal that by 2020 the communities of Mumias and Musanda will be self sufficient with minimal financial support from the UK. This will enable us to support more communities in western Kenya.

I was once in the NGO sector with a focus on youth. I joined the cooperate world for 11 years only to be reintroduced back to NGO world but now to serve the innocent younger generation.

In order to realise this aim we are now embarking on larger projects and making sure that all of the Nasio’s assets are being used to best effect. Two fishponds were established last year to farm tilapia and the tractor and plough are now being hired to local farmers. The guardians’ own Maize Project has been a success this year with profits being used to extend the business to other more profitable crops. We are excited that work has now started on setting up a spirulina production unit kindly sponsored by Kennington Overseas.

I plan to serve the children to their best health and prosperity.

My belief is never to look back and wish I could have done something in a better way. I always promise myself to put in my best.

If there is a challenge I have ever faced in life it is this one; “to make a child smile and remember God worked a miracle through The Nasio Trust.”

With the new technology college opening at Musanda in January 2016, less than 500 metres from St Irene’s Centre and the site of the Medical Centre, this creates other opportunities for innovation. We shall keep you informed.

Could You Leave Nasio a Charitable Gift in Your Will?

Such gifts have a transformational effect on small charities.

Find out more - email ed.bohling@thenasiotrust.org.

Thank you to all our supporters, check out www.thenasiotrust.org to see how your generosity blesses others in need. Send us your email so we can keep you informed!