Launch of Christmas Appeal for clothes, toys and learning materials

Commencing on 18^th November Soma Leo are proud to announce the launch of our Appeal.

Following Kevin and Rob’s visit to Kenya in September we established that providing clothes, toys and learning materials would be of huge benefit to some very disadvantaged children.

In recent weeks we have worked to establish a partnership with the Kenyan based Mama Sarah Obama Foundation (MSOF). Through this partnership we now have logistics and import duty solutions that mean making a shipment of worthwhile supplies is economically viable. In addition, we have more needy communities in Kenya we can target support to.

We are collecting for children aged between 3 and 11, both boys and girls, who attend The Soma Leo Academy and Senator Barack Obama Primary School, a community school supported by MSOF. In addition we want to support children in the communities where the schools are based, being Nyiera/Osieko and Kogelo. Further to this we will support the children living in New Light Children’s Home, an orphanage for boys in Kilifi north of Mombasa.

Currently the schools and children have extremely limited access to learning materials. This hugely impairs the learning experience while at school and means no active learning and reading happens away from school.

The children are amongst the poorest in their communities so providing clothes releases a significant economic burden that indirectly helps ensure the children’s attendance at school.

The opportunity to learn through play is well established. Over the four days of our visit we saw only one toy. This perhaps is understandable given the financial priorities of the communities. Providing simple toys as gifts will be uplifting for the children.

We anticipate the Appeal will run through to Friday 15^th January.

Ipswich School have donated over 100 laptops and PCs, as well as exercise and reading books. When we combine these with the Appeal we will have a fabulous consignment that will make a dramatic impact.

If you are uncertain whether a proposed item for donation is suitable please email appeal@somaleo.org for clarification. For those who don’t have the items we are seeking readily available there is a preferred reading list of books that can be purchased. Some children may receive unwanted or duplicate Christmas gifts that could also be donated.

This Appeal will only be successful thanks to the support of our partners which includes Ipswich School for their donations and engagement of the school community; Crown Relocations for the provision of packing facilities, UK logistics and container shipment to Kenya; Big Yellow Self Storage for providing storage and packing support; and, the Ipswich business community for their donations.