Joining the team at Rafiki Mwema in 2016, Aunty Fancy has been ‘Manager of the Boys House’ for five years. Through this role she helps our boys as they navigate their way through what is a difficult and confronting time, providing stability, support and warmth. In doing so she models a new way for these children, erasing the perception of a difficult and unfair world.
Below Aunty Fancy shares with us a little about her vital role on Doyle Farm, what it involves and what she loves most about it:
What most interested you in working with our children on Doyle Farm?
There are so many things that interested me working at Doyle Farm. It is a peaceful environment where everyone gets peace of mind as soon as you enter the gate. We have a big field where the children can play as freely as they want. They can jump up and down and scream as much as they want. This is their home, a place where they are free.
We have a big farm where we grow our own crops and the children at Rafiki now have enough food.
The thing that most interests me to work with Rafiki children is that I can give them the love that most of them need. Especially the boys since they have been involved in violence and neglect. So at Rafiki, me and my team are able to give them love and accept them the way they are.
Tell us a little bit about your job and what it involves?
I am a Manager of the Boys House and being a woman I am a mother to them. These boys were neglected by their own mothers, so I show them love and care for them. I give them direction and advice on the best ways to go about succeeding in life and support them therapeutically and emotionally. I supervise and monitor them so they cannot harm or get harmed when playing or have a disagreement among themselves.
As a manager I support and help staff and ensure everyone is comfortable at his/her work. I also support staff who might be in difficulty connecting to the boys as their key workers. This helps them connect and trust one another.
What is your favourite thing about being a Manager of the Boys House?
My favourite thing is that we have direct communication between the staff and the executive committee. People are working as a team and my boys are now very changed as they love school and follow routines. I really love my boys and the staff.
We are incredibly proud of the strong and supportive team we have built in Kenya. As Aunty Fancy describes, this is not a 9-5 job. Our team are family and acting as key workers, our staff will model what a child should expect from other human beings and show how to respond productively when this expectation is not met.
To discover more of our awesome team, visit us HERE. And for regular updates from Doyle Farm make sure you’re following us on Facebook.
