Kenya Trip Update

So as many of you know, I'm heading to Kenya next February to do some volunteering with the Cara Girls Rescue Centre just outside Nairobi. I'm so, so excited for this trip, it's going to be amazing.

Since I made the decision to drop out of college, I was scared of falling into a rut. I was terrified that I was going to end up working in a  supermarket for the rest of my life so I promised myself I would not let that happen. So when the opportunity arose to get involved with Cara Projects, I was really excited. On a completely selfish level, I'm hoping the trip will give me a sense of direction. On a more selfless level, as cheesy as it sounds, I want to at least try make a difference.

The work Cara Projects does is fantastic, it's far more than just an orphanage. In theory, orphanages are great but the problem with them is that when the children turn 18 they're more or less just released back into the same system that they came from, they never get the chance to break free and create their own futures. They just end up back in the same cycle of poverty, completely void of any hope of bettering themselves or making their own way in the world. They end up returning to the same struggles. So the idea behind the Cara Girls Rescue Centre is that they teach the girls as many skills as they can, ranging from knitting/sewing to computer skills. This way, when the girls turn 18 and they have to leave, they have many transferrable skills that they can use to get themselves jobs or go to university, thus breaking the cycle of poverty that they came from.

The centre caters to girls because in disadvantaged areas such as the slums outside Nairobi, it's the young women who are the most vulnerable. Many of the girls living in the centre were abused or raped before arriving and the majority are HIV positive. They need the protection the centre offers as much as they need the shelter/education/food.

The idea of going to somewhere so disadvantaged and being able to see my work actually make a difference in the lives of these girls is phenomenal.

I'm still short of my goal of €3,000 so it's all systems go at the minute to try get together the last of the funds. If you think you can help, if you'd like to take a sponsorship card or if you'd like to get involved then drop me an email; niamhmurray149@yahoo.ie or leave a comment below.

You can keep up to date with the goings on in the centre by liking their Facebook page >here<

And finally, another huge thank you to everyone for their support so far. This little pipe dream is so quickly becoming a reality! Every time I see a cheque I realise this is actually happening and it's getting closer every day! Keep those donations coming folks x