2011 was another successful year for Nuru of Mombasa, during which we continued to achieve the objectives that were agreed with the staff at Port Reitz Disabled School and Nuru Orphanage during our November 2010 trip. In February 2012, some of the team members revisited the two projects.

During the visit to Nuru Orphanage, a new kitchen was officially opened. The charity would like to thank the friends and family of Alan Keepax, as well as the Bank of England, who kindly funded the kitchen in Alan’s memory. Margaret, the volunteer cook at Nuru Orphanage, now has a hygienic and spacious kitchen in which to prepare the necessary daily meals for over 200 pupils and staff. This is a significant improvement on the small fire in a mud hut that was used previously.

The foundations for the dining room attached to the kitchen have also been laid. We hope that the dining room will be completed by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the water well and dormitory (for 50 children) built at Nuru Orphanage by the charity continues to provide a better quality of life for the children and staff.

Port Reitz Disabled School has benefitted hugely from the pathways around the school that were funded by the charity. Disabled children and teachers are able to move around more freely and easily, and there is less maintenance required for wheelchairs and walking aids.

In 2012 the charity funded the renovation of a water tank at Port Reitz. This project has made a huge difference to the hygiene of the toilets and bathrooms, and its importance is underlined by the nickname ascribed to the tank by the teachers: the “grandmother”!

During the 2012 visit, the Irish National Cricket Team was in Mombasa to play a series against Kenya. Eight members of the team kindly visited Port Reitz with some of the charity team. This was a memorable visit for the school, and we wish to thank the Irish Cricket team for their time and support.

A huge thank you to all who have donated their time and money to Nuru of Mombasa. A successful quiz night, photograph exhibition and sponsorship from events including the London Marathon and Mount Kilimanjaro climb have contributed to another successful year. A large majority of what has been achieved must be credited to the tireless and voluntary work of Hemed Mukui. Hemed, a Kenyan citizen, continues to work above and beyond the imaginable to achieve our aims.

In collaboration with Hemed, Nuru Orphanage and Port Reitz Disabled School have set our next objectives for the future, which can be viewed in “Our Aims”.