Blog
Zip Slide for Team Kenya!
Based in the North East and fancy doing something fun to raise money for Team Kenya? We are looking for people to join our Zip Slide challenge! The Tyne Bridge in Newcastle is an iconic structure and Zip Slides UK has been delivering successful zips from the bridge for the past 6 years. The zip slide starts from the Newcastle side 30 metres above the river and travels diagonally across the Tyne for 230m before finishing at HMS Calliope on the Gateshead side. Available dates: 15th October 2016 16th October 2016 Book your place now! Important Note: Minimum age is 16, and…
Read moreThe Monthly Gift
Periods are a drag. All of us know that. At best, they are inconvenient and maybe a bit messy. Sometimes, they are painful. And most of us can probably vouch for the fact that they have been known to make girls and women tearful, grumpy and argumentative for a few days a month. But how bad can it really get? In rural Kenya, adolescent girls are currently missing an average of 5 days of school a month due to their periods. That’s 20% of their secondary education. The reasons are numerous: they may be unable to afford sanitary products and so stay home…
Read moreWhat is it like to be a Trustee at Team Kenya?
In this blog we ask our Trustee, Alicia Jeans about her experience of being a Trustee of Team Kenya… My name is Alicia, I am a Team Kenya Trustee but in my day job I work as a Disability Support Teacher. I live in Australia and have been a trustee for Team Kenya since 2011. I started with the charity as a volunteer after meeting Val, the Founder, on a trip to Borneo. I greatly enjoyed the experience and the profound impact on my life after visiting Ndhiwa for myself. I have varied skills as a current teacher and I was previously…
Read moreMount Kenya April 2016
On 4th April, seven intrepid travellers left the UK for Kenya to embark upon the challenge of a lifetime – to summit Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain! Vic, Jonjo, Maddy, Alice, Jules, Jasmine and George had been preparing for the epic climb for more than six months, with training walks and research into mountain and altitude sickness. Sadly, two of the group had to drop out of the challenge due to illness – something no amount of training or research can prepare you for! So, whilst Jonjo and Alice entertained themselves in Kenya for a few days, the five…
Read moreWho runs the world?
At Team Kenya, our vision is for every girl in Kenya to have an equal chance to achieve her potential and be free from poverty. We believe that that starts with education, the education that 66 million girls right across the world are being denied today. But of course, this vision comes with its own challenges. One of the big questions we are asked most often is this: why girls? Why are you favouring them over boys? What right do girls have to your funds over boys? This is understandable, given that we all want equal opportunities for the boys and girls…
Read moreIzzy’s volunteer blog – February
February has been my most challenging yet rewarding month of volunteering with Team Kenya so far; I have been super busy organising a Children’s Book Swap fundraiser which took place on 27th March. It was hard work and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends, who kindly volunteered to help with setting up, baking cakes, running stalls and donating prizes. It was great to see everyone coming together to help raise money for such a great cause. I was also thrilled about the attendance of our star guests, Amy Sutton, a professional actor and…
Read moreIzzy’s volunteer blog – January
This month I have enjoyed meeting some other volunteers of Team Kenya and some representatives of different small charities. Charlotte, who has worked with the charity in the past, has just returned from South Africa and is interested in helping with some fundraising applications and events. Between us (me and Vic), we have been brainstorming events and there is talk of a themed pub quiz… watch this space! I was also lucky enough to attend Social Media training in London, through the Small Charities Coalition. This was a great learning opportunity, especially because I work part-time so it is not…
Read moreNewcastle University Team Kenya Society’s Fashion Show
Blog post written by Sophie Woollands, Newcastle University Team Kenya Society. On Sunday 7th February, a group of student volunteers from Newcastle University Team Kenya Society put on a fashion show in order to raise money for Team Kenya. We were specifically raising money for a girl called Anatalia. After being introduced to Anatalia’s story by Team Kenya, we decided to organise a large event in order to raise funds to support Anatalia to complete her education at university. We are a society made up of young women studying at university and therefore we all regard education as an irreplaceable and…
Read moreGreat North Run 2016
Great North Run 2016 places available! This year, the Great North Run will take place on Sunday 11th September. The Great North Run is a run like no other, dubbed ‘The World’s Favourite Run’, the Great North Run is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England. Participants run a scenic route between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. The 2016 Great North Run general entry ballot is now closed, but Team Kenya have a limited number of places available, so please get in touch with vic@team-kenya.co.uk to secure your place before we run out! In 2015,…
Read moreHoma Bay county has highest HIV rate in Kenya
We were saddened to read a recent news article in a Kenyan newspaper, reporting the shocking number of children infected with HIV in the Homa Bay area, were Team Kenya works. According to a recent study conducted by Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), 19,000 children in the Homa Bay area are infected with HIV, with only 8,000 having been identified and introduced to treatment. The county has been ranked as having the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, with the prevalence rate of over 25%, that’s 1 in 4 children. HIV is a major problem in Ndhiwa, with adolescent girls often most…
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