Overflow Spring of Hope
Support Overflow Spring of Hope in Kenia
Goal
To empower women and children with education and a community space.
Founder
Florence and Gabriel Otieno
Category
Social Justice
Mfangano Island, Kenia
Africa
Mission
To empower women and children, by building a safe and comfortable home and providing work and learning opportunities for all to grow and have a better future.
Our Impact
Our project has various parts, all aimed at helping our community. It consists of a shelter/home with learning space for women and children. Plus a fish ponds, gardens and a permaculture center.
Facts
Our story
Florence and Gabriel Otieno have spent much of their adult lives caring for the community, in particular its children, Florence as a missionary and Gabriel as a pastor. They believe every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a loving home with learning skills for their future.
What we do
Our project has various parts, all aimed at helping our community. First, we are building a shelter/home, to accommodate 16 children in need, along with two live-in caretakers. This will also be a learning space for women and children.
Second, we have started growing a food forest, and will be adding a fish pond, banana circles, and keyhole gardens. We want to do sustainable agriculture and teach permaculture. This will provide not only food for these needy families, but also work and economical opportunities for 10 local women in dire situations.
We want to provide education and learning opportunities for these 16 children and 10 women, and thus help our community grow together.
Achievments
- So far, we have received funds to start the shelter, and have built the walls, and are currently working on the roof. The Food-Forest is still young, but growing! Like the whole project.
- We also currently have two of our 16 kids that have found sponsors, to help them pay for school fees, school books, and school uniform.
Skill Training
- These are women who are either widowed, or unemployed, or fleeing abusive relationships, and children that either don’t have adequate housing, or money to pay school fees.
- We will train and employ them at the project for several tasks like cooking, looking for the children, gardening and more.
The founder Florence and Gabriel
One of the woman that gets support for her and her child
The women of the program
Volunteer accommodation own room
Volunteer accomodation from outside
The shelter and learning center to be
Vegetable garden – permaculture to be
Banana tree in the garden
Gabriel on the working site overflow spring of hope
Working at the learning center
The fruit forrest garden to be
Founder Gabriel
Founder family Florence with children
what the whole project will look like
Site plan for overflow spring of hope
Local children playing on the site
Children smiling
Woman that gets support for the family
Life at the building site
GIVE
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GROW
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Money, we receive is used for
- The support we receive, at the moment, is focused on finishing the main building, the shelter/home for the children. Once that will be done and furnished, the 16 children will be able to move in and enjoy this safe and sanitary space. We still need help for floors, doors and windows, and building the furniture.
- Afterwards, the funds will be divided between the various parts of the project: The food-forest, the fish ponds, the banana circles, school fees, school books and materials, and training. There will be various expenses, such as water pump and water tank, fences, materials, etc.
- Our goal, once shelter and garden are completed, is to be more and more self-sufficient, and provide a source of income and knowledge for these families.
Our current project
- The main project is empowering women and bringing a better education to our community. To make this happen, the Shelter/House and the Permaculture Garden are the focus of our project. We estimate that at the moment, we still need about 563,000 KES (approx. 4,771 EUR) to be closer to our goal.
Grow
Volunteer with Overflow Spring of Hope in Kenia
*Information provided by Overflow Spring of Hope; no volunteer offer by give & grow
What we need
- Our needs vary depending on what we are currently working on. Generally, we need help building the shelter.
- Working in the garden
- Promoting the organization
- Updating the website
- Looking for fundraising opportunities and more
How this will help
Getting the word out to as many people and organisations as possible. Exchanging ideas and solutions, and working together to improve the project.
- Using the knowledge and income from the payments from the volunteer to pay our staff and develop the project.
Duration
- Minimum two weeks
- At the moment, we do not have a minimum stay, although we would like for volunteer to remain at least two weeks, in order to understand and participate in the project. It would be better if you could stay four weeks.
Required skills from the volunteer
- Knowledge in gardening / permaculture / fish pont
- Marketing and website for fundraising
- Respect for our culture
When do you take volunteers?
We take volunteers in Kenia all year round.
How much does it cost?
5 $ per day, for food and accommodation
What is included?
We provide accommodation, and three meals a day.
Our usual working time is for about 4-5 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are rest days, but we still provide housing and food seven days a week.
Do you have accommodation for the volunteers?
Yes, it’s included in the price. See the pictures at the top of the page. You will have your own room with two beds (twin room).
The room has a private toilet and a bucket shower place.
Who visited the project personally?
Doris and Mario visited the project in March 2020. They loved the atmosphere and hospitality in the village and with the family. Although the project is still at the beginning they learned a lot and gained a different perspective on life. The two of them evaluated Overflow Spring of Hope, so that we could put it on give & grow.
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The experience we had with Florence and Gabriel was unique and changed our attitude in so many areas. The idea behind the project is so extensive and diverse that we first needed a few days to understand everything, but then it was much easier to help with full commitment. The project is run by a Kenyan family who have not always had an easy life and yet do everything they can to help others. In the four weeks we were allowed to spend on the beautiful island, we fell in love with the whole family and everyone involved in the project. Life on Mfangano is very simple and without any luxury and seeing that has ultimately brought us further in our life.
Anything you would like to know or tell us?
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Information
info@giveandgrow.world