It was a joyful moment for the needy children at the Mama Ngina Children’s home in Kisumu County after receiving significant donations from various well-wishers.
A team from four organisations delivered a consignment of assorted foodstuff and other basic items to enable the vulnerable children to celebrate Christmas and the New Year’s festive season.
The aid comes in handy to the facility which is home to 16 children living with different forms of disabilities and health challenges. The majority of the children are suffering from mental health while others are orphans, physically disabled and some with language impairments.
According to the facility manager Juliana Warindi, the home has been hit hard by food shortage occasioned by the rising cost of living reducing the flow of donations that supported the destitute kids.
She urged other people of goodwill to follow suit to support the kids that are in dire need of basic needs, attention, and care.
“Most children here lack clothing. With the depleting stock of foodstuffs in our stores, at times we are forced to do food rationing where the children go minus one meal in a day to sustain us for some time,” she said.
Warindi lauded the humanitarian gesture extended by various donors and the Kisumu County Government that rescued the children through donations. “During the Christmas season, people travel upcountry to meet their families. It is not easy to find a team that thinks about visiting vulnerable children,” said Warindi.
Kisumu Central Member of Parliament Joshua Oron together with his counterpart for Kisumu East Shakeel Shabir teamed up with the organisations to come to the aid of the destitute children.
The well-wishers were from two local organisations including the Grand Voyage and Olympic Handlers and the Gems Travel, and Gems Immigration firms both based in the USA.
The team lead, Gurvinder Sekhan speaking during the handing-over ceremony on Wednesday said they wish to express love and humanity to society by supporting the less fortunate.
“I was born and brought up in Kisumu, before relocating to the USA. I’m back here to give back to the community that raised me. The donation is just a little gift for the kids to enjoy Christmas and New Year,” Gurvinder said.
She stressed the need for people to frequently visit children’s homes, share and offer support to help put smiles on their faces despite the current difficult economic times.
Gurvinder, currently based in the USA assured that she will continue supporting similar initiatives to various homes even while abroad. The children’s home received maize and wheat flour, cooking oil, milk, groceries, shoes, bed sheets, blankets and clothes.
Speaking at the same function, Dr Oron vouched for a strong partnership with the children’s home proposing to increase his visits at the facility in a bid to enhance support for needy children.
“I task the Kisumu Central Constituency Development Fund (CDF) office to factor in this home in the monthly budget to ensure these children have sufficient food,” directed the legislator.
He further promised to sponsor all the students enrolled in various secondary schools from the home to help them accomplish their education. “Children going to secondary school from this home will be sponsored and supported using the CDF bursary kitty,” affirmed the MP.
He added that as a gesture of love and humanity, the MP’s office will on December 25 sponsor a hot meal feast for all the vulnerable families at Taifa Park near the Kisumu Central Deputy County Commissioner’s office.
By Robert Ojwang’
