This report is for anyone who supports or is interested in the Nakuru-based orphanage and schools run by Director Sammy Nawali (DSN). It follows a three-day visit conducted by Phoenix Community Centre (UK charity) founders and staff (Adrian and Pauline Hawkes, Paul and Angela Kelly) together with the author of this report. We were given appropriate access to all facilities and were able to conduct good levels of environmental and exploratory financial work during our visit.
- Summary of facilities
Since 2007, DSN has led the continuous development of facilities for a growing number of underprivileged and orphaned children in Nakuru. These now comprise of the following main centres of effort:
Sure 24 Orphanage – 155 children and young adults aged between 2 and 20 are accommodated in basic, clean and functional accommodation. Of these, 90 are of primary school age and 65 secondary school age or older. The facility is regulated by the Kenyan Authorities. There is appropriate gender and age-based segregation, and pastoral care is provided by an excellent team of 24 support staff. The orphanage has the right amount of secure land, and the buildings are probably now at the right size for the expected future needs. There is a need now to consolidate and improve the facilities to a standard which will improve the safety and health of the children who live there full-time. In addition to the able-bodied children, S24 is also accommodating 6 young adults who are partially sighted or blind.
Sure 24 Primary School – a primary school almost directly adjacent to the orphanage catering for some [250] children (including the 90 from the orphanage) which has been developed over the last 15 years and now performs at a relatively high level within the local area education authority (and by which it is inspected and regulated). Over the years, there has been almost continuous development of classrooms, assembly hall, staff areas, laboratory, computer centre and, like the orphanage, the school is probably now at the right size. There is a need now to finish, consolidate and improve the facilities to a standard which will ensure the continued success of the school.
Rainedge High School (REHS) – founded in 2018, REHS is situated some 10km from the S24 site on 10 acres of land owned by Rainedge International. The school caters for 205 children aged from 13 to 18 in (currently) three year-groups (2,3 and 4). Due to the dedication of its teaching staff, and the rapid development of buildings and facilities, the school has become successful and popular with fee-paying parents very quickly. Last year, the educational attainment kevel was more than doubled and 24 children graduated and went on to universities in Kenya to read a broad range of subjects including Engineering and Medicine. Of these a significant proportion were children who had come all the way through the orphanage. There is a real need to expand and improve the facilities at REHS so that education provision is of a high enough quality to attract more fee-paying pupils. More boarding accommodation needs to be built to accommodate the expected numbers of pupils joining Year 1 next year. An excellent dining hall is now nearing completion needing only final flooring to be added.
Rainedge Enterprises – DSN is highly entrepreneurial and has a strong desire to achieve self-sufficiency across the estate through commercial activities and self-provision or food, water and energy. Three home-grown businesses are now capable of generating profits as well as supporting the needs of the combined population, Water (bottles and direct feed domestic services), Bakery (wholesale) and Milling (just commenced with the intention of marketing maize flour for the local staple food, Ugali) should generate a combined net income of USD16,000 in the coming year with significant (and realistic in my view) growth planned thereafter. In addition, there is an intention to lease local farming land to generate raw materials for food and commercial supply and there is an in-house maintenance capability (woodworking, welding etc). Over the years, DSN has tried different ventures in his drive for self-sufficiency; the current main streams of activity seem destined for success and the team felt strongly that a period of consolidation is now needed.
The College – there is a need for limited-time accommodation for ex-orphanage children who graduate from HS but do not go on to university. Land has been acquired to house these small numbers of young adults while they train in a useful trade and provide labour for the estate. This accommodation will also, eventually, be used to house the small number of disabled young adults who are part of the overall family.
- Future needs and capital plan
During the visit we were able to discuss and explore the need for a range of planned projects across the estate. I have been visiting the estate regularly for some 18 years and there has been enormous progress achieved through the support of donors large and small. DNS has considerable project-management experience, and he has successfully driven all aspects of design to construction in an extremely difficult and constrained environment. Day-to-day activities across the estate are now largely in the hands of capable others and he has capacity to raise funds and drive continued progress. The possible project list for the next three years includes the following:
Sure 24 Orphanage and primary school
- Painting of existing buildings – USD1,000
- Completion of dining hall roof – USD20,000
- Fit-out of laboratory – USD10,000
- Completion of washroom facilities (incl. for disabled children) – USD4,000
- Completion of closed ceiling spaces – USD1,000
- Accommodation floors to be tiled – USD4,000
Total – USD40,000
Rainedge High School
- Painting of existing buildings – USD2,000
- Erection of boy’s dormitory building – USD100,000
- Completion of girls dormitory building – USD25,000
- Fit-out of computer suite – [USD25,000]
- Fit-out of laboratory – USD10,000
- Basketball court – USD3,500
Total – USD165,500
Rainedge Enterprises
- Oven upgrade within bakery – USD5,000
- Final fit and initial working capital for Mill – USD5,000
- Water bottling raw material supply – USD3,000
- Farm lease, raw materials and work for 50 acres – USD12,000 per annum
Total – USD25,000
The College
- Erection of accommodation – USD40,000
Solar project – REHS is almost completely powered by solar now and there is a now a proposal to install a significant photovoltaic generation facility with battery back-up to power the S24 estate including Enterprises. The total cost of this is likely to be about [USD60,000].
- Smaller projects
The team were also made aware of smaller projects and specific pieces of equipment which would make an enormous difference to the lives of the children and young adults at S24 and REHS. For example:
- Braille machines and special paper for blind students
- Enabling computer equipment for blind students
- Provision of sanitary haircare for all students (FT post at USD2,500 per year)
- Provision of washing and other sanitary products for all students.
The teaching staff are critical to the success of both schools and the College. Due to overall funding constraints, they are currently underpaid and at risk of poaching to other schools. An additional USD20,000 per annum (spread across 31 staff) would secure loyalty and deliver further success.
- Finances and the need for greater income generation
Operating cashflow across the estate is just about break-even but there is no room for manoeuvre and, as stated above, the teaching staff at the two schools are at risk due to sub-market pay levels. There is an immediate need to raise the per-child sponsorship costs from USD720 per annum (where it has been for the last 10 years) to something closer to actual cost – USD1,000 and many more of the 155 children in the orphanage need sponsorship (currently 102 of 155).
Capital projects cannot be started without committed support, and many are critical to the aim of making the whole estate self-sufficient.
Efforts now need to be focussed on securing an uplift of about USD100,000 of operational financial support per annum. This will allow time for Enterprise profits and sustainable fees and sponsorship to take the weight in a less constrained environment.
In addition, three annual tranches of about USD100,000 are needed to support the capital plan. These projects are vital, and donors are needed now.
- The feel of the place!
In conclusion, the team left feeling buoyed up by the enormous progress DNS has achieved and the massively positive atmosphere everywhere we went. The children are very obviously being looked after well; they are safe, healthy and receiving a good education. As a result, S24 has become a “go-to” establishment for Nakuru authorities looking to find solutions for children who are facing sometimes appalling conditions and treatment at “home”. S24 sweeps them all up, gives them a real home and a real family. It is humbling to witness frankly, and for only a few dollars (by standards elsewhere) some 500 young people are nurtured for the future of their country. And they are truly grateful too; not something we often see back home.
Mark Dowie, Angela Kelly – February, 2025
