FDC's Fabulous Fundraiser of 2014

Many thanks to all of our sponsors and to all those who attended our annual fundraiser at Karen Country Club, which went off so well again – we were incredibly lucky with the weather as we were all packed into the tent like sardines, and Alastair Addison once again worked his magic with the auction and the band played on into the small hours – keeping everyone entertained! Fundraising at its best – and we think it is true to say that everyone really enjoyed themselves!

Readers will be pleased to hear, that thanks to the auction and raffle, we managed to raise a very respectable sum of money – matching last year’s total of Ksh 1.4M! This is a great achievement and brings some peace of mind to our treasurer, as the cost of education continues to rise! 

It only remains for us to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

All the best from the students and committee members of FDC.

Many thanks to the following:

Karen Country Club; Wines of the World; Soul Syndicate; The Cake Lady; Alastair Addison.

Sponsors:

Governors' Camp; Hemingways; Air Kenya; Safarilink; Emakoko Tented Camp; Rea Vipingo; Patrick Mavros; Karen Rowe; Crista Cullen; Stuart Cohen, The Talisman; Joss Taylor; Neil and Linda Cuthbert.

Ready to Party!

It has been a busy couple of days but we are ready to party! Thanks to our sponsors, the fundraising team, four of our students with lots of puff, and to all those at Karen Country Club for setting up with us! Should be a great evening! The Band are busy doing their sound checks as I write this...

Fundraising and Features

We are pleased to report back that tables are filling fast for our big Fundraiser on Friday 28th November at Karen Country Club, 7.30 pm by the pool. We are still taking bookings, so please contact us if you would like to buy a ticket or better still, organise a table! It is shaping up to be a fabulous evening with some great auction donations and lively entertainment by The Soul Syndicate.

We have also printed a new Christmas card design as they have been selling like hot-cakes! These are available in various Karen shops, at the Karen Country Club shop or via a committee member. 500 Ksh for a pack of five! 

Last but not least, we are thrilled to see an FDC photo on the front cover of the Karen Country Club Charity Golf Day magazine, and an article on Duncan Wataka on page 4. Copies of the magazine can be picked up at the Club and once again we would like to thank all our supporters for their continued interest and donations over the years - be it through corporate or private donations, attending our fundraising events or buying our cards, notelets, aprons and bridge pads! It all makes such a difference to our ability to fund the students (currently 56) through secondary and tertiary education. 

Our Year 4s have just taken their KCSE exams and we wish them the best of luck in getting the good results that they deserve!

Best Pre-Christmas Party/Fundraiser Yet!

FDC FUNDRAISER – FEATURING THE SOUL SYNDICATE 

FRIDAY 28th NOVEMBER AT 7.30PM, KAREN COUNTRY CLUB

Please take a look at our fabulous poster with all the details on it + how to book a table + who and how much to pay!

We have some absolutely amazing auction prizes again this year and to keep it current, have added some new twists and turns, to make the evening even more of a success than last year! 

So please continue to help us educate the bright and needy in the Dagoretti area by buying a ticket or better still, booking a table through Linda, Charlie or Louise. You can email us (frodach@gmail.com) or do call us!

Why not send out a festive FDC Christmas Card this year?

Thinking about the festive season yet and the sometimes slightly erratic Christmas postal system? We have just printed our two new Christmas card designs which will be on sale from next week in various Karen shops or via a committee member. They cost Ksh 100 each or Ksh 500 for a pack of five. Give us a shout and get writing!

Graduation Glory and Pride

On Saturday 23rd August, FDC held its first Graduation Ceremony for eight of its students. Rather than read all about it, sit back and enjoy this short 'movie':

(Warning - this is a large file and may not play on an ipad or smart phone).

Our graduates and their courses:

Bernard Kibera - Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology
Aaron Njoroge - Diploma in Telecommunication Engineering
John Chege - BSC in Mathematics and Statistics
Harrison Mugo - Certificate in Food Technology
Fred Opel - Diploma in Clinical Medicine
Catherine Kangethe - Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies
Susan Mbugua - Diploma in Beauty Technology and Hairdressing, Revlon College
Paul Waruhiu - Degree in Sociology and Diploma in Business Management
Zacharia Gakunju - Diploma in Clinical Medicine

Absent:
Veronica Robe - Degree in Electrical Engineering
James Muniu - Diploma in I.T.
Winnie Njuguna - Diploma in Teaching
Margaret Ngugi - Degree in Business Management (Aviaton option)
Anthony Njuguna - Course at Graffins College
Joseph Kamau - Diploma in Electrical Engineering

Some additional photos:

Pop with John

And with Paul

With Aaron

With Bernard

With Susan

Limbering up for the award ceremony

Bernard with Linda

Susan, Mary, Linda and Catherine

Anyone for Tennis?

On 18th June, 36 keen and willing tennis players met at Kingsgate club by the river in Winchester. We had a lovely morning with the sun obliging, so as well as tennis, people lounged around drinking coffee and eating the delicious muesli bars which have become a favourite at this tournament. We then had 50 people for lunch inside the clubhouse. Thanks to the team of helpers who helped with the food, flowers etc we raised £1,120 for Friends of Dagoretti Children and had a lovely time. See you next year!
Clare Norman

And a word from the FDC crew - "Many thanks Clare (pictured above), for your enduring support and fundraising efforts from afar! Much appreciated by us and the students whom your tennis fundraiser supports - Zachariah Gakunju and Alice Atieno!"

Bridging the gap to make fundraising fun

On Tuesday we held a fabulous bridge afternoon - to ring the changes with our fundraising! The event was exceedingly well supported by friends and 'members' of Friends of Dagoretti Children and with nine tables of competitive (and some not so competitive!) card players and a raffle, we managed to raise just over Ksh 80,000 - which was wonderful! It was also the perfect opportunity to launch our new range of aprons, notelets and bridge pads for sale - which all went down a storm! We are also so grateful to the Murray family for donating their beautiful roses for sale and to Hemingways for donating dinner for two as a prize. Many, many thanks to all those who played, and/or contributed the most delicious cakes, sandwiches and biscuits - some of which, were even themed - a kind and creative thought, Denise! 

Last but not least - very special thanks to Linda for coordinating all the bridge players and to Charlie for hosting the afternoon at her beautiful home. 

The photos say it all:

Well done to all those who won a prize and "better luck next time" to those of you who missed out! We will definitely be doing this again!

Visiting and Volunteering - Part 2

Signs of the Times

Next on our list of visits was to catch up with a new FDC student, Alice, at the Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf.

We were there to pay her term's fees and were lucky enough to sit in on a class for her food and beverages course - on table setting, presentation and serving. 

She has settled in well and has made a great group of friends, with whom you see her 'signing', in a group of four, above! We hope that she will go on to find a fulfilling job at the end of her course. She deserves to succeed, demonstrating to us and her teachers, huge amounts of cheer and enthusiasm!

Hard workers

Duncan and Dennis were last, but not least! Like Wilberforce, they took their KCSE exams in November and are now working to earn some money for living expenses, to enable them to do their volunteering work at a special needs school in Waithaka. They have 'networked' with friends in the area and found jobs on a building site in the Lavington area - doing 'finishing work' on 'new build' homes.

Dennis, above and right, is hoping to then move on to a catering course for his tertiary education, whilst Duncan, bottom left, is keen on pursuing a career in mechanical engineering and is hoping to either win a place on an internship at a well-known automotive company in Nairobi, or to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. 

Visits and Volunteering - Part 1

This week has been one of visits and volunteering. Catherine, Louise and UK visitor, Kezia, spent a morning out and about in Nairobi visiting four students. Wilberforce, below, sat his KCSE last November and as part of the FDC programme agreement, is now giving back to the community, in a volunteering initiative which is compulsory for all FDC students. Without this voluntary work and the necessary KCSE grades, students will not be considered by FDC for sponsorship of their tertiary education. 

Wilberforce is volunteering at a primary school in Kawangare, which is 15km west of Nairobi City Centre. Below, we see the wonderful and thought provoking tour he gave us:

Above, we see Wilberforce with the headmaster of the primary school, which has been funded by a church group within Kawangare. He was full of praise for Wilberforce's enthusiasm and dedication - which was wonderful to hear. The Wikepedia description of Kawangare is as follows:

"Kawangare is a slum in Kenya with hundreds of thousands of residents, many of whom are children. Water supplied by the city authority is not available every day. Safe drinking water is expensive in Kawangare. Many children in the slum do not attend school. The population is ethnically diverse, and many persons are HIV-positive. Most people live there on less than $1 USD a day."

So these children are relatively lucky - they are being provided with an education up to Year 3 of secondary schooling - but as you can see, their facilities are incredibly basic and teachers have to work with the bare minimum - one text book per class if they are lucky, and the children share exercise books and the rare calculator.

But apparent to us all, was the total enthusiasm of both teachers and students alike - keen to teach and be taught! Well done, Wilberforce, for contributing your time and knowledge!

Thanks must also go to Robert, Wilberforce's old school friend, for enabling Wilberforce to work in Kawangare, by sharing his lodging with him, as pictured below: