Red Cross JKUAT Chapter reaches out to Children’s Home in Kibera
The JKUAT Red Cross chapter on the first weekend of April, 2016 made a noble initiative of reaching out to Kijiji cha Upendo Children’s home in Kibera. The initiative was geared towards donating various basic requirements to the children hosted in that facility. The Saturday, 2nd April 2016 event was the second visit by the JKUAT Red Cross club at the same home and was a follow up to a similar visit they made there in 2014.
The event steered by the JKUAT students ran from 9am to 6pm, and entailed a candid interaction between the students and the children at the home, mentorship as well as life guidance. The productive outcome witnessed at the children’s home did not however seamlessly transpire but entailed a lot of cooperation and goodwill from various quarters. The club benefitted from a productive partnership with the Red Cross Thika branch as well as Red Cross Headquarters which pitched in with footwear donations for the children as well as accompaniment to the home.
Some of the JKUAT Red Cross club members having fun with the kids
In the same spirit, the Chairperson Red Cross JKUAT Chapter, Mr. Erick Kinyanjui, lauded the immense support they received from the general student population towards such initiatives. ‘Since the beginning of March our club members have been moving around with profomas, carrying out door-to-door campaigns to help in raising funds for the visit, and the response from the student population and the JKUAT community has been massive,’ quips Kinyanjui. The club members also engaged in car washing ventures within and around the university to raise funds towards the same initiative.
Some of the foodstuffs and items donated by the students to the home.
The end result of the noble efforts by various sectors saw the children’s home benefit from not only foodstuffs, drinks, medical help and clothes, but also a much needed human touch. A reminder that they belong to this big family called humanity. It also signifies the crucial role that students are capable of playing in making the society a better place, no matter how little the effort. The Red Cross JKUAT Chapter is undeniably just one among many JKUAT societies and clubs showcasing that the university goes much more beyond setting trends in higher education, research and innovation.
The deliberate efforts undertaken by the club are in tandem with the club’s agenda of alleviating human suffering. Community service being a key pillar of the Red Cross foundation, the club endeavors to carry out as many community services as possible. The leadership of the club commended the fanatical commitment, compassion and dedication of club members to various causes they have undertaken and continue to undertake, as well as the conducive and enabling environment the University Administration has made possible for such ventures to see the light of day.
