Rafiki Mwema

Holding the hand of the future

Stories from Kenya

Our Christmas Party at the Farm

On Wednesday we had our Christmas party. What an amazing day it was!

We started off with games where we had egg and spoon races, sack races and tug-of-war! It was such amazing fun. We put our children into mixed teams of small girl small boys big girls big boys and staff and they all competed against each other. Everyone that took part in every single race was given a chocolate medal. I think that might of been the highlight of the races.

We then had the most amazing lunch cooked by a chef from a local restaurant, who supports us in all our functions. It was beautiful as usual, and the children were still full way into the evening so they couldn’t eat anything more!!

Mind you, that might have a little bit to do with the ice cream and candy floss! We went FOUR times over our budget for ice cream!! How can you say no to the most adorable children on the planet when they say just one more!

We spent the afternoon and evening dancing dancing and more dancing. It was so lovely, so family, and everything we needed was there within our family.

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible. In the lives of such traumatised and neglected children, these days live on forever in their memories. These days remind them just how much people outside of our farm love and think about them.

You change lives. Thank you

Trauma training with our local court

Trauma training with our local court

To sit in front of a room full of prosecutors from the Nakuru courts was one of the most exciting trainings I think we have ever done. We talked about attachment and trauma and linked it to how that might look in the courtroom, with victims who come before the magistrates.

Everyone in the room was fully engaged, they asked very relevant questions, and we were able to help them to understand some of the complex behaviours that are presented before them. One of the questions was about children who smile and seem to be very friendly with the person that violated them. We were able to help them understand, that what they were showing was total fear of the person that abuse them. They felt they needed to keep that person on side in case they weren’t sent to prison, and were able to carry out threats they may have made, about killing them and their families. This felt highly useful to the prosecutors, who often perplexed by smiling children, when there was alleged sexual abuse.

So much excitement from this training.

Trauma training with our local court

Lots more work to do, around supporting the team that we met the last two days, and the fact that every single day in their life they listen to and fight for victims of abuse and trauma. They don’t have the opportunity to process this information before they’re back in court again with another new case.

I would like to personally thank Peter and Eric for their amazing contributions to this training. Eric‘s knowledge of the courts and the way that are girls presenting court was absolutely essential. Peters insight into what a child with trauma feels when they’re standing in front of adults who are claiming to want to help you. He talked about how when he’s asked questions his brain literally goes into freeze. This means he cannot even hear what is being said to him. He explained that children in court will literally shut down, and will look like they are disrespectful and not listening. he helped the whole room to understand that these children are in protection mode, and are fighting to save themselves. Literally fighting for survival so they shut down their brain.

I truly believe that this training is invaluable and has had a lifelong Impact to the professionals that attended.

Thank you so much to everyone from Rafiki Mwema who helped to make this possible

āhuru mōwai

āhuru mōwai

Who remembers when a bunch of us hiked those (bloody!) mountains in New Zealand to raise funds to help us build a house for our girl *Elizabeth?

Who also remembers when Constance Hall put up a fight to help us reach the target to finish the house?

Well, we have been working very hard in Kenya to get this house completed for a grand opening in June. This amazing house that is everything this girl deserves is so close to being finished.

We had to name this house and we had many things to consider when doing this. Because there was so much dedication put into raising funds for this house in New Zealand, we thought giving it a Māori name would be ideal.

Thank you to my beautiful friend who helped me name this safe haven. She has helped our charity in so many ways over the years, it was an honour to have Angela Graham name this home.

Introducing to you to āhuru mōwai
1. (noun) calm place, sheltered haven 🌸

Everything that *Elizabeth deserves.

Thank you to each and every one of you who has been a part of this amazing, life changing event for *Elizabeth.

We can’t wait to give you more updates. 🙏

#GETANGRY target reached in less than 24hours

#GETANGRY target reached in less than 24hours

FRIDAY NIGHT

On Friday night I posted this update on Facebook after getting news from Kenya that our little one ran out of court crying and was unable to testify against her rapist.  I had a plan but I need to put it into place before I told anyone my thoughts..  

This was my most commented on/liked photo on instagram EVER.  It obviously affected many people. 

#GETANGRY target reached in less than 24hours

 

SATURDAY LUNCH TIME..

So on Saturday I started early to work on a campaign to help her.  What could we do collectively that would make a difference. So many people wanted to help but they didn’t know how.  I reached out on facebook with my idea.. 

Some of you may have followed the story of our smallest girl who has had to attend court recently to face her defiler.

Yes, I know. It’s ridiculous that a THREE year old should have to come FACE TO FACE with the monster that raped them. It’s unbelievable that this monster should also be able to interrogate them as well. But it happens and this is just the way it is in Kenya.

This is why, 2 years ago, we raised funds and installed the very first video link in Kenya! (See information on this here)

But unfortunately there are more than 1 courthouse in our area and not all of our children go to this main court where we have the video link. We have wanted to put video links in all of our surrounding courts but our lack of funds has stopped us.

Our sweet baby has had to attend this court 2 times so far to face this ‘man’ and both times she has not been able to testify because of her fear. Now this is happening, I am ANGRY. I am FURIOUS. How dare he? Re-Traumatise this little girl over and over again in the hope she will not testify so he can walk free to do it again? NO WAY.

We all say ‘how awful, how can this happen, what can I do etc etc’ I have something you can do. I want to raise enough funds to get a video link into this courthouse (safe/soundproof room with TV screen and all sound equipment/video camera in room and in courthouse with screens etc so they NEVER have to face them again) and installed and working in time for her next court hearing in ONE month. To do this I need to raise the funds ASAP and get started on the installation because if you have been to Kenya you know things happen a little slower than is ideal.

What do I need? I need $20,000 AUD and I have pledged to not sleep until this happens. Let’s show our Rafiki we are behind her.. and not just her, the hundreds of others who will utilise this video link in the future. Let’s get angry and let’s do something together.

#WEAREWITHYOURAFIKI
#GETANGRY
#RAFIKILINK

👇🖤 Donate here. Tax deductible in Australia🙏

#GETANGRY target reached in less than 24hours

 

SATURDAY NIGHT

and people started responding and donating in record time.  I spent the night sharing this post everywhere I could and replying to as many comments as I possibly could.. I was overwhelmed with the response.  I tried to stay awake! I was able to make it till 3am and we were sitting at approx $15K when I closed my eyes.. 

 

SUNDAY!

and by Sunday my idea that was born from a deep anxiety and anger was becoming a reality!

This morning we had written this to urge you all to donate to our latest campaign.. we were finding the right words to explain to you the importance of what we are doing.

Just as I was about to post it, my friend messaged me and congratulated me on reaching the target! (I had NO IDEA) Someone donated a whopping $4,800 to bring us up the goal and people are continuing to donate.

The campaign will remain open for 28 days when it is automatically shut down. Whatever excess funds we get exceeding the target we will put towards the lawyer fees for this case. We want to hire the best of the best to make bring this man to justice. A life in prison living in the hell he deserves.

I will still share the words we were going to post so you can see the importance of what WE ALL have just achieved.. TOGETHER. WE DID IT 🙏🖤

If you have ever thought about donating to anything and wondered when to do it, the time is now.

These babies, these small innocent little children, should never ever have to face the perpetrator in the way all Kenyan children do. If you gave even the cost of a cup of coffee today, we can make sure that these babies are protected from the trauma of facing their abuser.

In my life I’ve seen some pretty hard things, I’ve shared stories with children that would break your heart, I’ve listened to the sounds of our babies puking as they relive the fear of what happened to them. But never ever ever will I forget the extreme reaction to one of our baby boys having to tell his story in front of his abuser. His rapist who stole his childhood and loved every moment of hearing it told back to him, while boring into the head of our boy. This brave bared his soul to get this man sent to prison for life. But the cost to him was enormous.

10 years later he still paying the price for having to speak in court. For him to face the abuser. For having to tell his story publicly. He speaks so clearly, so eloquently, about how the abuse he can make sense of, but never ever having to be standing as if naked in court, to hear the most intimate details of his abuse shared out loud. To have to relate his story, to be questioned by this vile evil Paedophile; that’s what keeps him awake at night. That’s what stops him from moving on 10 years later.

You can change that. So many of you already have, and for that we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are helping us to make the biggest difference to victims of horrific abuse, not just our children, but everyone that goes to that court who is vulnerable will have safety thanks to you.

Please, I’m literally begging you, if you want to make a difference you can do it today. We are so close to our target, but we need to get there. We need to raise that money and more so we can change the future of our babies who have already been to hell. Please, please don’t make us take them back there.

Give them a chance of making sense of what happened to them and donate today

#GETANGRY target reached in less than 24hours

ECO TAN first monthly donation from hand cream…

The first month of sales for the incredible ECO TAN hand cream.. actually, it was only THREE WEEKS has blown us away!! Eco by Sonya Driver were able to donate $16,457.19 into our account at the end of November for sales made for 3 (THREE!!!) weeks in November.

This money has been a life saver with all the extra costs at this time of year. We have been able to pay bills with no stress or paying bit by bit without waiting for funds. We have been able to pay for all the kids uniforms to start school today, fix our electric fence, build a guard house, fix the lights on our car and assist many outreach families and children over this holiday period and to start school.

Sonya, you never want recognition but it’s too bad. I am here to sing your praises from the rooftops. You are amazing and you make so much change in this world.

I’m forever thankful for Celeste Barber bringing you into our lives. Thank you for what you and your team do for our family in Kenya.

Nakupenda Sana Sana.

BUY THE HANDCREAM NOW

Feeding our Family in Town

feeding our family in town11

We started our Christmas Day early in the morning where we walked around our community with our girls and our manager Eric and we gave food out to our poorest community members.

Our children showed such kindness along with our manager Eric. We believe in doing our best to take care of our community members when we can. They were just so grateful to recieve the food and visit from us on Christmas morning. We had many songs sung to us and many, many prayers and blessings!

After spending a morning cooking with our staff and big boys at the farm we headed into town where we picked up soda’s and bread as well and went down to meet our other family members in town.

A very sad reality to not only see many, many boys in town waiting for us but small babies, children and women. Pregnant woman.

There was one boy who had a really badly infected wound on his foot which had made his whole foot swell. It looked as though if his foot was left untreated he would become very unwell and would most likely loose his foot. We have arranged to haver him taken to the hospital and receive medication and check ups until he has recovered.

Everyone who came along was so grateful for the food and soda. Watching our boys with many of their old friends and families was heart breaking and heart warming. They ate till they could not longer fit a thing in and they played soccer along with our family for hours.

It was wonderful and if only for a day, these beautiful souls know they are not forgotten. This is what Christmas is about. Helping those who are less fortunate. Thank you to those of you who donated. Who knows just how yesterday changed some of these kids for the better.. It’s amazing what a small amount of hope can do for someone.

If only we could help all of those who need us. Until then, we do all we can.. with the help from people just like YOU.