L.B.B.F's PROGRAMS

Feeding Program

Looking at the organization’s mission, the most essential need is food. That is the reason why we have established a feeding  program where we provide at least one meal per day to all under our care. Currently, we have 100 orphans who are in this program. Volunteers are assigned to visit them in their respective schools whereby we work in conjunction with the teachers to ensure they get at least a meal in the course of the day. The reason for carrying out this program in school is to help these children to concentrate more in their studies because most of them barely have a meal at home. We also supply food to those living in the slums. This is done on a weekly basis whereby we give them foodstuffs at least enough to run them fill the next donation.  Most families are large and it’s sad to hear of stories where mothers prefer  to have the young children feed as they  themselves go hungry. This foundation also tries to reach out to as many widows as it can. We visit them in their specific homed and also those under the care of nursing homes. Currently, we have 20 widows who are under our feeding program.

Medical Program

Another major program this foundation undertakes is bringing medical attention closer to those under our care. Those children orphaned by the HIV pademic are our number one priority. The only thing between their lives and death is proper medication. We ensure they receive their anti retroviral drugs at the right time. This we also do with the help of their teachers in school. Most of them, the guardians are too old to understand the do’s and don’ts pertaining to those drugs.

As for the children who are too weak to be in school, we have volunteers who visit then at home and administer the drugs to them at a personal level. As for the slum dwellers, we facilitate medical care to the pregnant mothers. Some of them are so poor even to pay for their antennal clinics. We normally facilitate for a nurse who checks on them until delivery. Even after the child is born, we continue providing medical care to them and the child. We ensure the child is given the right immunization. The greatest challenge faced by the widowed under our foundation is medical attention. It is human nature that as old age approaches, the body becomes more vulnerable to diseases and infections. For this reason we ensure we take them to the clinics for regular checkups. For those who are too weak to walk we try to facilitate wheel chairs.

Educational Programs

We also have different educational programs at different levels. This ranges from hygiene, drugs, proper diet, premarital sex and proper medication.

Hygiene- We try to create especially to the young ones the importance of maintaining good hygiene at home and in school. Cleaning hands after visiting the washrooms & before eating, also keeping short nails are some of the key things we emphasize. Hygiene in the slum is done by educating them on proper refuse disposal and also proper usage of toilets.

Proper Medication - Most of the children who are on anti retroviral  drugs have no idea why they take them in the first place. We educate them on the importance of these drugs and also the risks involved if they are not taken properly.

As for the slums we educate the women on various family planning methods with the help of a few doctors who are volunteers in this foundation.

Drug and Premature sex - A large section of the youth in our  country  has been greatly affected by these two factors. Unfortunately, the two go hand in hand. ‘Drugs kill’- this is the message we pass to our youth. Premature sex brings unwanted babies and also the risk of more HIV infections. For those who are married and are HIV infected we encourage them to remain faithful and if necessary use sexual protective measures.

Counselling – This session mainly targets the widowed who feel neglected and abandoned by the society. We have specialized counselors who volunteer to give hope and encouragement. The message we pass to them is that of love and hope even in their sunset days.

We also have counseling sessions for the youth who are victims of drug abuse. Some may be in it as a result of peer pressure. We advise them on how to choose the right friends. We also give counseling to those living with HIV virus. Some even attempt to commit suicide when they realize they are infected.

We educate them on how they can live normal lives even with the virus. We inspire them that they still have bright days ahead.

Giving Donations

With the few resources available, this foundation stretches its hand to meet some of these people at the very point of their needs. We distribute beddings like blankets and bed sheets to the widowed and also the young babies in the slums. We also give them seedlings to plant in their small farms.

We also give sewing machines to those living in the slums. This helps them to start businesses to cater for their families. As for the school going children, we supply school materials like stationary. We also provide school uniforms at the beginning of the year. As for the girls we give them underwear’s and provide sanitary towels.

Social Program

Lastly, we have a social program formed for the purpose of sociability. The message we try to pass to those under our care is, even despite their setbacks in life, they still can live a friendly and social way amongst themselves. This is done in a number of ways. The youths have created a social club whereby they meet on a monthly basis to share life experiences and also aimed at encouraging each other. We also hold small parties for the widowed. This is done twice every year. During this time they eat, drink make merry  in their own ways. As for the young ones, we organize for a fun day out after every three months. Here they are engaged in activities like swimming, face painting, dancing and many more. We also give gifts at the end of every year. This applies to those who perform well in their respective classes in school.

In a country struck so hard by the HIV pandemic, poverty and unemployment, it becomes very difficult to reach out to those who desperately need help. This foundation has embarked on a few fundraising plans to help it continue with this life saving mission.

i)        Online fundraising – with rapid increase in communication channels, this foundation has grabbed this opportunity to raise funds online. It is not only fast but also very convenient. This plan helps us to target volunteers not only in our country but also the international world. The response has been good but the workload on our shoulders is still too heavy.

ii)       Business activities – this foundation has a few businesses it operates at a local level. First we have a farming business where various crops are grown and sold to the community. We try to engage those living in the slums because it provides some source of employment to them. We also run several food stalls. Here we train some of our youth who have cleared school but cannot go for further studies due to lack of fees. We train them how to bake and later sell to the community. We also run a carpentry shop where we also train our youth. The furniture is sold and all the proceeds go towards our programs.

iii)    Getting gifts and donations –Most of our resources come from well wishers.Despite the hardships, there are those who selflessly contribute towards our noble cause. This is done in the form of gifts and donations. Normally, we receive clothes and foodstuffs from those who are able in the local community. There are also those who chip in and support us in paying school fees.

MISSION OF L.B.B.F

Kenya is one of the countries in Africa where the rate of HIV is quite high, with hundreds of children being orphaned every year. They are normally left in the hands of their ageing grandparents. Unfortunately most of them survive on less than a dollar daily making the situation more difficult. Eventually these children are forced to drop out of school for lack of proper parenting. The boys end up in the streets while the girls become sexual workers at a very young age. 

This foundation aims at reaching out to those children, show to them that there is life ahead, feed them, clothe them and also help them continue with their education. We also help them to understand the dangers of street life and also creating awareness of the dangers of irresponsible sexual behaviors. This foundation also works hand in hand with the guardians to those children.

 The largest slum in Africa happens to be in Kenya. This means that a large number of people are living at a lower socio-economic than one’s own.

Poverty and interior living conditions being the order of the day. Basic amenities like toilets, proper housing and clean water are unheard of. For these reasons waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera become unavoidable. This foundation tries to reach out to those people. Thou the work load is over whelming, we try to concentrate on the most urgent aspects.

There is a part of society that has been ignored and neglected. This consists of the girl child and the widowed. There is a famous quote that says, “Old is Gold”. Unfortunately, this is not the case in this beautiful country. Due to high rate of poverty, most widows are forced to reside in a few special homes set aside for them, mainly because they cannot take care of themselves. The few who are on their own live in  pathetic conditions. This foundation stretches its wings to give them much happier days in their old age. 

We also try as much as we can to support the girl child. Most families tend to concentrate more on the boy child with the assumption that, he is more capable and has higher chances to make it in life. This leaves the girl child demoralized and some even going to the extent of committing suicide. We come in as a foundation and try to establish a leveled foundation whereby we emphasize that either boy or girl, both should have equal chances and opportunities to pursue their dreams.

WHAT CHARACTERIZES THIS FOUNDATION

The LOVE BEYOND BOUNDARIES foundation provides sponsorship to the orphaned, aged and most under privileged in rural areas of Kenya.

Kenya is one of the countries in Africa where the rate of HIV is quite high, with a large number of children being orphaned every year. These children are normally left in the hands of their ageing grandparents who mostly survive on less than a dollar daily. These children are finally forced to drop out of school for lack of proper parenting. 

Most of them end up being street children while the girls become sexual workers at a very young age. This is the reason why this organization decided to come forward to fill this gap by offering support to the needy children who are out of school due to school fees. Therefore there is an urgent need to adopt mechanisms needed to support the Orphans and other vulnerable children and youths as well. Restoration of dignity through education is the main agenda.

We see this valuable and in itself and a long term means to promote more cohesive considerate and creative individuals with equal opportunities and rights to nurture their future livelihoods. There is a famous quote that says “Old is gold” but this is not the case for most in Kenya especially those living in the rural areas. Due to the high rate of poverty, most of the aged are forced to reside in special homes set aside by them since they cannot take care of themselves.

This is the reason why Love Beyond Boundaries Foundation exists. We position ourselves as a development partner involved in reducing illiteracy levels through provision of primary education, feeding programs and offering medical facilitates.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

The foundation has been pioneered and is directed by Catherine Kamau; born and based in Kenya. She is a concerned and has a heart for doing her best in for the needy in the society. After she saw the way them that were in position to help and not helping. Hence underscoring the fact it is a ‘an every man for himself kind a society’ Catherine inspired to change that status quo.

Having been born and brought up in Kenya, I have seen and experienced firsthand the problems and suffering my people go through on a daily basis poverty being the number one killer. HIV pandemic adding more salt to the injury. I have seen babies’ orphaned as young  as two months, being left in the hands of a cruel world. Others in their teen age but with no shoulder to cry on. I have seen women as old as 80 years being raped. In a society where the perpetrator thinks that such an act will cure him of HIV. I have seen a generation lost in drugs and premarital sex.

With nobody to tell them of the dangers and consequences. It is from such experiences, “love Beyond Boundaries Foundation’ was born, with nothing but my mere salary and a burning desire to make a change. Three years down the line, it has become a story of joy, lives changed and many more inspired. 

REACH US VIA:

Love Beyond Boundaries

P.O Box 23341 - 00625,

 Nairobi, Kenya.

Mobile: +254 707 065119

Catherinekamau111@gmail.com