Joe Patrick with new friends in Kenya.
Learning to make a difference… in Kenya
Building international links
I’m Joe Patrick and I am head boy at Sidcot. Last summer I travelled to Kilifi in Kenya with my friend Matt, as we wanted to learn more about the charity organisations that sponsor young people in Africa. We planned how we were going to get there and funded the trip by raising money through a sponsored cycle from John O’Groats to Lands End and other events. Most of the money was used to sponsor an African student of our age who we met on our trip. Kenya is a magical place that can’t be described using words alone. One of the most noticeable thing is the friendliness of the people, there most of whom have next to nothing, bringing the English equivalent of £2.50 back to their huge families every week. However, this doesn’t seem to dampen their spirits.
A local boy named Emmanuel was asked to show us around and take care of us in the unfamiliar environment that we found ourselves in. Emmanuel was a true gent and always put us first. He was keen to show us his background and the way that he himself had lived all his life. This included funding his own school fees by climbing up fifteen to twenty coconut trees three times each day to “tap” them for alcohol. Most coconut trees being no shorter than a three-story building and using no safety equipment, Emmanuel was dedicated to bettering his life for himself and his family.
Joe is now sponsoring Emmanuel’s younger brother, seventeen-year-old Michael Mruu, through secondary school in Kenya, paying for his boarding fees, text books, uniform and for items such as sheets and a mosquito net. He has raised £600 towards this so far, and has since been nominated for the Education Project of the Year award through Sidcot’s local newspaper, narrowly missing out on the top spot!
