Aid for Africa — Since 1992 by Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V.

BREAKING NEWS ON OUR SOCIETY: 1. More Support Needed: » News on our Projects. 2. 2025 PROJECT VOYAGE: » Report on our delegation's project trip to Kenya in February 2025. 3. Obitury: » Remembering the initiator and cofounder of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. 4. Important change: New » email address of our society! 5. Breaking News » from Voi and Nairobi 6. Blessed holidays: » We do thank all donors & Request for additional donations! 7. Society's » New Agenda 2025. 8. Donation request: » Donations for our Projects in Africa Needed! 9. Report: » ALTERNATING DROUGHT AND FLOOD DISASTERS 10. Orphanage: » SUPPORTING AN ORPHANAGE PROJECT IN VOI. 11. Hunger Relief: » DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL FOOD PACKAGES. 12. Report on our historic pre-Corona » 2019 project trip to Kenya 13. Country information on » Kenya and our Projects

MORE SUPPORT NEEDED —
NEWS ON OUR PROJECTS

Büro des Förderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — Mitteilung vom 07.11.2025.


Impressions from the Freudenstadt Africa Festival 2025.

CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND PERSONS IN NEED

Secondary school student near the coast who is receiving new support from the society since 2025 (payment of school fees).

Young pupils in Hongwe / Kenya receiving their exam sheets.

In addition to the annual school fee payments to the KELC, mentioned on our homepage, the support for orphans in Embu, the AIDS orphan project in Baharini, and the project support in Voi, the society is also funding school meals in Hongwe, among other things. The photos above right show some of the young pupils at the end of their school year. In spring 2025, the society was asked if we could cover the schooling fees for another student near the Kenyan coast, a request we gladly fulfilled. The newly supported student, as well as the other students receiving support and all their families, express their sincere gratitude for the support received!

NEW WATER WELL PROJECT IN THE KENYAN HIGHLANDS

Excavation work began in spring 2025.	Dry field, which will be irrigated once the well is finished.	New potable water well in the Kenyan highlands: wall construction com- pleted, further work under way (October 2025).	Slab of future water tank.

This year, our society began funding a well project for a small farmer in the Kenyan highlands, in line with our motto of "helping people to self-help themselves". Throughout many months of the year, the hills near Sikiago / Kenya are too dry for crop cultivation, but there is enough groundwater opening an opportunity for reliable farming. It is a typical deep well, stabilized by local craftsmen with an inner brick-wall lining after excavation began in late spring 2025. The next steps will include constructing a water tank on a sturdy stone slab, installing a solar-powered water pump system, and laying the irrigation pipes. To ensure that the landowner's neighbors can also benefit, the water pipes will extend to a publicly accessible tap at the edge of the property, as stipulated by our association.
We will post an update on this page as soon as work on the well has been completed.

NEW BEEKEEPING PROJECT NEAR HONGWE / KENYA

	Beehives in the beehouse.	Beehouse near Hongwe / Kenya.

In addition to supporting school meals, in 2025 the society provided the seed funding for a beekeeping project initiated by Fr Anthony near Hongwe.

The two images show two of the beehives (first image) and the building housing the bees (second image).

To prevent theft, the beehives are secured by a door with the bees still having free access to their hives through the slots located around the top of the beehouse — an elegant solution for protecting both the bees and the honey!

URGENT REQUEST FOR NEW DONATIONS

We are always grateful when individuals join "Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V." and thus strengthen our society — whether as new members or simply through donations. Only within a larger community can we continue the support and funding of our urgent and ongoing aid projects in Kenya. To finance our work in Africa, we thus urgently need your support! All information required for your bank transfer is available on the donation page, accessible via our "Donate now!" link:

    » Click here to view the account number for donations: Thank you on behalf of the recipients!

Thank you very much for your valuable financial support without which the implementation and continuation of the society's work in Africa would not be possible!

SOCIETY'S NFORMATION STAND AT THE 2025 AFRICA FESTIVAL

Information stand of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. at the 2025 Africa festival.

Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt
Delegation of the society gets an overview on how donated funds are used

By Uwe Ade, Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — Onlineversion, original German-language version on the society's web page since April 10, 2025.

The water well near Hongwe, donated by a society member, was put into operation in September. It is used by approximately 50 families. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Members of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt experienced humble dwellings in rural areas, unspoiled landscapes, and warm hospitality during their project trip. They also learned about projects sponsored by the society.

FREUDENSTADT. After several years, five members of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt recently traveled to East Africa for a three-week trip under the hot African sun to learn about the use of their donations. Board member Thomas Nägele from Besenfeld meticulously planned the entire trip.
   Besides Thomas Nägele, Silke Strähle-Decker with her husband and the society's treasurer Wolfgang Decker from Freudenstadt, Kurt Lustig from Heilbronn and Uwe Ade from Schopfloch were also present.
   For decades, Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt has been helping people in Kenya improve their living conditions, obtain vocational training, and secure their livelihoods. It is also involved in supporting AIDS orphans and street children, running medical clinics, and providing clean drinking water.
   Willy Schneider, a retired pastor from Ottenhöfen, and his wife informed the group about their shared life's work. Together with his Kenyan wife Asuna, he established the Malaika Project in her hometown in western Kenya, near Kakamega.
   Thus, over the past few decades, the "Malaika Childrens' Home" orphanage was established, which includes a health center for medical care and a school. Approximately 240 children attend the school, nearly half of them from the orphanage. Just over 100 children between the ages of three and 18 live in the Malaika orphanage.

Visit to the Malaika project of ret. pastor Willy Schneider and his wife. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Malaika school. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Travel group of the society in Kenya. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Support of AIDS Orphans

The group's next destination was Voi. There, they were accommodated at the Lutheran Guesthouse of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) and welcomed by the head of the facility, Reverend Manasse Mkofira. The Lutheran Church — with the support of the Freudenstadt society — provides care and support for 53 Aids orphans from the surrounding area.

The group also gained insights during a visit to a Maasai village near Voi, where a house is located that was financed by the Freudenstadt Kenya society. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Supported girl. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Over the next few days, three impoverished families were visited and given food parcels as part of an emergency hunger relief effort. A visit to a Maasai village, where a house financed by the association is located, was also on the agenda. An elderly woman and her daughter with her children are living in the house.
   After a short rest in Malindi, our agenda included a visit to a larger community project in Baharini-Mpeketoni. There, near the shore of the Indian Ocean, the "Daughters of the Sacred Heart" run a girls' boarding school and a medical clinic. The society is also funding numerous school sponsorships for Aids orphans and needy, impoverished students. Near Baharini, the group also visited in their impoverished homes a blind man supported by the society and a woman who earns her living as a stonebreaker.

Meeting with a physician whose studies had been financed by the society. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Visit to a blind man supported by the society. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Impact of Water Wells

Also on the itinerary was a visit to two well projects in Hongwe. Father Anthony proudly presented the potable water well on the mission station's school premises. Operated by an electric pump, the well draws water from a depth of 25 meters. Last year, a second well was put into operation not far from Hongwe. Around 50 local families are now using this well for their water supply. Thomas Nägele explained that a forward-thinking company from the Freudenstadt district had financed the second well through earmarked donations. More wells are planned for the future, so that the local rural population will be provided with potable water, as well as water suitable for irrigating fields and watering livestock.

Funding of Studies

The trip concluded by paying a visit to a physician whose studies had been funded by the association. The group also used the opportunity to explore the region, including a visit to Tsavo East, Kenya's largest national park. Uwe Ade.

In Tsavo East National Park: The "Red Elephants of Tsavo" are a special feature. After dust and mud baths in the reddish earth, they appear as if painted red. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Elephants drinking water. Image courtesy Uwe Ade.

Breaking News from Voi and Nairobi

Office of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — Message first published 01/16/2025.

	Reverend Mkofira	Damaged buildings after heavy rain in Voi

IN THE MEANTIME we received several news from our projects in Voi, and in Nairobi. Rev. Mkofira from Voi sent greetings to all supporters and members of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. In December, heavy rain was causing damage to the buildings we partly supported to be built for the orphans, see the image on the right. For repairing these damages we request your financial support.

In addition to this, we received images of the distribution of Xmas aid packages (see pictures below). We would be very glad indeed if you could continue your support to further help the orphans living in Voi.

The headquarters of the Kenyan Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) in Nairobi sent us many greeting together with information on the pupils we support (tuition fee payments). In this project we and the pupils supported are completely dependent on your donations, especially now due to the unfavourable development of the currency exchange rates.
Thank you very much indeed for your continuing support!

New distribution to the orphans of food and other aid packages — end of 2024.

Blessed holidays: We do thank all donors
& Request for additional donations!

Office of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — Message first published 12/08/2024.

	Sunrise in Kenya : a symbol of the new year — your donations help those who are poor!

Dear friends and members of the society:
After a year that was filled with work and important events, we do hope that both you and your families are able to enjoy the coming of the new year. We do wish all of you all the best and a great new year 2025!
To enable a blessed new year for those persons, whom we support, we are completely dependent on receiving your contribution. For we read in Psalm 69:34: "The LORD listens to the poor". For this reason, we should do likewise and hear the voice of those, who are poor. This means that we should help them if we are in a position to give. This way, we and you, the donors, are trying to fulfill the word from Leviticus 19,18, which reads: "You shall love your neighbour like yourself".
This request to give is endorsed by all of us, the society's board members and all other members of the society. We would be very glad indeed if you could support the society's charitable work for persons in need in Kenya, both in this and the coming year.
Please do donate to help those in need in Africa!
Thank you!
The board members of the society

Donations for our Projects in Africa Needed!

Office of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — First published 05/15/2024.

— Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. summarizes the past year and awaits future challenges —

Students of St. Stephen's Childrens' Home in Embu/Kenia, who have been supported by our association for many years as part of our street children project.

FREUDENSTADT. Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. has had an eventful year. At the annual service for Africa, which will be held on the evening of June 29, 2024 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the Evangelical Town Church in Freudenstadt, in parallel to the Africa Festival, under the motto "Everything you do, be done out of love" (see »  evening service at the Africa Festival June 29, 2024), the board and members of the association will present the association's work over the past year and the progress of the projects.
Even before the service, interested parties and friends of the association have the opportunity to find out more about our projects by talking to our members at the association's information and food stand, which will be located in front of the town church. In addition, all visitors have an opportunity to finance our aid projects with donations and find out about the possibility of joining the association long-term through membership.
One thing is certain: in view of the agricultural sector, which is constantly being severely affected by climate change and the recurring impact of drought and occasional flood disasters, the work of our association will not become less in the future. We are in need of further help and support for many of our tasks, and without additional volunteers we will not be able to expand and continue our work to the same extent in the coming years. If you would like to find out more about this and membership, please contact our office for further information (see site info page). Monetary donations to finance current aid projects are always welcome.

Additonal Images from our Projects

From the inauguration of the new water well that we financed in Hongwe last year (see report in our archive page for 2023), we received some additional snapshots that we would like to share here:

More snapshots from the inauguration of the new water well in Hongwe.

In the meantime, we also received additional images from Voi and Baharini, out of which we would like to reproduce the following selection of photographs:

Children and other donation recipients in Voi.

More snapshots from our project in Voi.	Blind man: Donation recipient in Baharini.

Request for further donations:
We are asking you once again this year for a generous donation enabling us again to fully cover the costs of the planned relief measures in 2024 and 2025. Thank you! As with previous aid campaigns, you can find the information required for a bank transfer on the website under the following link:

    » Click here to display the donation account number: Please donate now!

We and the people supported by our association in Kenya would like to thank you again for your valuable support!

ALTERNATING DROUGHT AND FLOOD DISASTERS: REPEATED DESTRUCTION OF CROPS — HUNGER AND NEW SUFFERING

Office of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — Edited version of 05/11/2024.

Video: Large-scale flooding, Tana River Valley.	More footage of the flooding.

Again unexpectedly strong storms and monsoon rain: Large-scale loss of arable land

AFTER THE drought of the past few years, storm-like heavy rains and monsoons have come several times since last year in a catastrophically heavy manner, flooding large areas of arable and pasture land. This destruction affects the people we support in the Tana River district and in other parts of the country, thereby jeopardizing the prospect of sufficient harvests. The hunger and other suffering caused by climate change is putting a strain on the livelihoods of many people in the communities we support and far beyond. By way of example, we mention the region of Idzowe, near Baharini, where the river flooded all the fields and streets in 2023. The villages Wema and Kulesa located there were 5 feet under water — all the seeds planted for the harvest were washed away! The flood disasters occurring in the Kenyan highlands in spring 2024 had a similar impact.
For this reason, we need your support at short notice in order to be able to offer further help on site!

Request for additional donations!

The association needs for additional supporters to finance an aid campaign to mitigate the consequences of the flood disasters, and the drought! As with previous relief efforts, you can obtain the information required for a bank transfer using the link "Please donate now!" accessible page:

    » Click here to display the donation account number: Please donate now!

We and the people supported in Africa would like to thank you again for your valuable help!

SUPPORTING AN ORPHANAGE PROJECT IN VOI

Office of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — First published 09/25/2023; edited 11/10/2023.

1. Construction phases

Video: Local production of bricks!		Orphanage construction: From foundation to the building's shell.

Construction phase: Further completion of the orphanage building's shell!

Finished residential building for the orphans

2. Description of the orphan project in Voi

THE LUTHERAN orphan project in Voi was started by the local parish in 2003 with three orphans who had lost both parents due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To date, the project has cared for a total of 68 orphans, some of whom have since gone on to attend university or study in primary, secondary or polytechnic schools. The funds for supporting these orphans come from various individuals, benefactors, friends and various organizations, churches, schools and companies from Scandinavia. Over the last five years, part of the costs have been paid by Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt to finance school uniforms and food parcels as part of our emergency hunger relief program. Since mid-2023, our association has been involved in financing accommodation for the orphans there. This will be a blessing for the partnership between our association and the people living there, making a positive difference in the lives of those who would otherwise be forgotten. In the project, a house for those needing accommodation is ususally built after three years, normally not earlier, as help has to be prioritized. The first priority consists in education, followed by food and shelter. In the house built this summer, the orphans will live with a family of adults acting as foster parents, who also have children. The next children in the project benefitting from the housing project are two siblings, brother and sister, who have lost both parents; they are currently four and eight years old.

Signboard of the building in Voi.

3. Request for donations!

The association is looking for additional supporters to further finance this and other similar projects! As with previous relief efforts, you can obtain the information required for a bank transfer using the following link:

    » Click here to display the donation account number: Please donate now!

We and the people supported in Africa would like to thank you again for your valuable help!

HUNGER RELIEF: DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL FOOD PACKAGES

Office of Foerderkreis Kenia Freudenstadt e.V. — Published 09/15/2023.

Hunger relief action: distribution of food packages ...

... in the villages of Voi, and Baharini!

Commitment beyond Borders

Society members visiting Embu, Kenya.

AIDS orphans, in Baharini, Kenya, who are receiving support from our society.

AIDS orphans who are living with their grandmother.

AIDS orphans, Baharini, Kenya.

FOERDERKREIS KENIA E.V., a registered society with tax-exempt status that was founded in 1992 as an ecumenical initiative, aims at supporting charitable and other aid projects in Kenya.

Main Objectives of our Society:

• Financial schooling support including tuition fee payment for capable students who show need.
• Support of schools (material assistance for school building; sponsoring of teaching and learning supplies which also incur fees; etc.)
• Education, training, charitable support and medical aid for AIDS orphans and for street children whose parents died of AIDS.
• Support of individual families, for example after loss of harvest due to drought or flood damage.
• Donation of medicine in order to further the public health in rural areas (antisera; anti-retroviral medication for treating HIV/AIDS; etc.)
• Support of small-scale irrigation schemes for cultivating vegetables; training of subsistance farmers
• Advancement of the charity and social work related activities of local churches and other organizations irrespective of their denomination

Roots of the Society

Beginning in the 1970's, the society's precursor consisted of a group of friends and interested individuals who coordinated both church-related and private aid programs in East Africa. Having among them not only volunteers but also church employees, mainly from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Württemberg (Southern Germany), part of this group's activities was officially carried out under the auspices or with the help of their church's institutions. Participating with Kenyan partners, they supported church-based educational, social and charitable work in East Africa, took part in exchange programs with the Kenyan YMCA and church parishes of various denominations in Kenya thus seeking to win and support competent coworkers volunteering in the development work of the church.

Details on our Work
Moved by the poverty and living conditions in East Africa that are especially affecting children of all ages, this group of individuals founded the society in 1992 with the goal to coordinate and support the population with non-profit aid programs, concentrating our efforts where help is needed most.

Children whose parents have died of AIDS are especially burdened. It was published that this would affect some 1.2 million children in Kenya alone, out of which approximately 90,000 AIDS orphans have no shelter at the homes of their relatives but are instead living as street children. Others can hardly be fed by their parents or are unable to attend school. Sadness or mere concern without action are in no way conducive to ameliorating this condition. When we met in the early 1990s to discuss ways of coordinating work, most members of our society had already had contact with Kenyans or had otherwise been involved in Kenya for private or business reasons. After an initial brainstorming phase, our society, Foerderkreis Kenia e.V. Freudenstadt, was officially founded with the main objective of ameliorating, within the humble potential of our society, the miserable living conditions many children face in East Africa. Due to the unceasing efforts of our members, all 83 being volunteers, our non-profit society managed to start, maintain or support small projects with a sum total of more than 200,000 Euros since our work began (2009 figure).

Schooling Sponsorships
Americans and Europeans alike expect their children to be offered adequate schooling conditions — without having to pay any fees. This is slightly different in Kenya where only the government-backed public school education of the lower grades is now basically free. Students attending private schools, often the only viable option, and the higher grades following primary school education usually have to pay all their tuition fees. Teaching and learning materials are also incurring costs. For many, this amounts to sums that are often beyond the reach of their families, especially in rural areas where income is usually considerably lower than in the cities. School sponsorship and tuition programs are thus one of the major projects of the society — an investment for the future. Those graduating from school can opt for adequate vocational training thus enabling them later on to support their own families. Our school sponsorship and tuition program is therefore constituting an important step for self-help, enabling the students to stand on their own after leaving school.

Complete Distribution of All Donations

• Administrative expenditures and public relations costs are paid not by donations but by our membership fees.
• 100% of all donations are sent to the supported projects (without deducting a single dime).

The society is cooperating with several trustworthy persons in East Africa in order to make sure that 100 per cent of your donations are reaching their destination. Among this dedicated group of individuals we would especially like to mention members of the Anglican Church in Embu, at the base of Mount Kenya, coworkers of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC), members of the Catholic church in Hola, and a group of Franciscans and nuns from Mpeketoni/Baharini.

Future of our Projects — The Society's Public Relations Work
The future of our projects depends entirely on the financial support we receive.
For this reason, we are reaching out to the public using

• Information booths, for example during the Freudenstadt Africa festival,
• Slide shows and multimedia presentations, and
• A newsletter, which is published twice a year (Easter and Xmas editions).

We are looking for individuals willing to share with fellow humans living on another continent. We are well off while others face a day-to-day struggle to survive. Only a little is needed for luck, and those who received a bright smile from the thankful eyes of children know why Foerderkreis Kenia e.V. is fighting for this good cause.

Becoming a Member
If you are considering joining our society you are always welcome to complete the membership application form and post it to our office address. Simply click the following link for additional detail:
   » Information on becoming a member of our society.
We would enjoy welcoming you as a new member!

Support by Donations
Becoming a member may not be an option for everyone. But even if you are unsure whether to become a member of our society, you may still support our work for those in need by donating money. Details have been summarized on our donation info page.
We would be grateful if you would become part of our support network!

Additional Information
You will receive additional information by contacting the society's correspondence office.
To this end, you are welcome to send an email to the following address:
   » info@foerderkreis-kenya-freudenstadt.de
For the society's postal address the interested reader is referred to the site info page.

All rights reserved / Tous droits réservés / Alle Rechte vorbehalten

» Top

» First Page