C
athy Booth is a Rotarian and primary school teacher in Bundaberg, Queensland, still working full time in her profession and continuing to create something extraordinary in Kenya for orphaned and vulnerable children who have no future prior to coming to be part of the Umoja Tribe.
athy Booth is a Rotarian and primary school teacher in Bundaberg, Queensland, still working full time in her profession and continuing to create something extraordinary in Kenya for orphaned and vulnerable children who have no future prior to coming to be part of the Umoja Tribe.'We are a project of RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service) with Bundaberg Sunrise Rotary Club being our sponsor here and in Kenya it is the Rotary Club of Diana Beach'.
On the road from north of Mombasa to the south of Ukunda, you see rotting garbage piled high randomly covering the sides of the unbelievable potholed roads. Whatever food is discarded is decaying, often maggot-infested mounds of waste and remains. Children sleep on dirt floors, with coconut husks as their only comfort from the hard ground.
After witnessing first hand some of the horrors children live in Kenya, moving back to her life in Australia and doing nothing was never an option for Cathy. The images of hundreds and hundreds of emaciated children lined up to receive their only meal for the week haunted Cathy long after she returne
d to Australia. There are simply not enough orphanages to home the orphaned and vulnerable children, so their suffering continues. The need is beyond comprehension to those who have never seen how the orphaned children live. Cathy was determined to build her own orphanage.
d to Australia. There are simply not enough orphanages to home the orphaned and vulnerable children, so their suffering continues. The need is beyond comprehension to those who have never seen how the orphaned children live. Cathy was determined to build her own orphanage.Cathy told us how in 2010 she acquired land for her orphanage, and with the help of volunteers trained local people to build a fence and eventually the first children’s home. Water storage, bore holes, and electricity generators were required.
With the help of AusAid and RAWCS funding, she has been able to nearly complete the second children’s home.
While training local farmers in permaculture and sustainability, they have two greenhouses and a two acre food farm and 800 chickens. They also raise funds by running safaris.
U
MOJA consists of two charities
MOJA consists of two charities- Umoja Orphanage Kenya (the Australian fundraising arm of the organisation)
- and Umoja Children’s Village – Ukunda (the children’s home in Kenya)
The fundraising team in Australia works together with Rotary and other businesses and individuals around the country and overseas to raise funds.
Visit the website: http://umojahome.com/kenya/index.php