On August the 10th 2020 I shall start to cycle from Amsterdam to Rome to again raise funds for the Lori Tierney Foundation. This Pilgrims route is 2200 kms via the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Italy crossing the Alps over the Reschenpas.

In March just before the outbreak of Covid19 became a pandemic I visited the children and their schools in Oyguis. We provide education and food for some of the impoverished and vulnerable children in the rural area, at the moment we have 15 children at school. At the same time we also provide Waku-Waku lights and chargers to give these children light in the evening to do their homework (see website for update on visit and photos). However, the day I left for Nairobi, disaster struck, and the Covid19 had arrived in Kenya. Although, the kenyan Government immediately implemented lockdown which meant schools closed down this left the children without breakfast and a meal at midday. Since March children have had no education whatsoever, online lessons are impossible due to the lack of a digital infrastructure. Lack of running water means hand washing is a lesser priority and living in poor, overcrowded conditions social distancing becomes something only the privileged members of society can put into practice. People have lost their jobs which at least helped a little to keep hunger at bay, however, any change in Kenyan society – and in this case a worldwide pandemic has caused food prices to rise exponentially. With schools closed and food expensive the mothers are finding it difficult to even put one meal a day on the table.

In the eight years I have been visiting the children living in this rural area in and around Oyguis very little has changed. The dwellings are the same (slum landlord, the same the world over, rarely maintain these rental homes. They still have little to no sanitation, no access to running water.

However, the huge change that I have seen is giving the children an education, watching them grow and becoming more knowledgable and getting a better understanding of the world around them to at least give them a chance to make the world a little different for themselves.

Of course my next question is would you be willing to help by contributing towards this project, all helps to make their lives a little easier, keep them fed and giving them an education.

The bank account is NL16INGB0675353696

www.lori-tierney-foundation.nl

Huge thank you, Lori