Runnymede United Church
Centennial Giving
Celebrate Runnymede United Church’s 100 years by supporting Village of Love Kenya and Water First.
Village of Love Kenya (in Swahili, Kijiji Cha Upendo) has partnered with Runnymede United Church since its inception in 2010. Leonara and Andrew Obara, who started the Kenyan AIDS Orphans program with church members almost 20 years ago, took their experience and began Kijiji Cha Upendo (KCU). Today, the program supports 135 families and more than 600 children.
KCU operates in Kibera, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Kibera is the largest slum in Africa and one of the biggest in the world. Most families live in 12-foot by 12-foot shacks, barely getting by on casual labour. Life is hard and often short. An estimated 20,000 orphaned children fend for themselves on the streets of Kibera.
The Village of Love model is to partner with big-hearted women in the community to give orphaned and vulnerable children a home and a brighter future. Through small business micro-loans and training, these women provide for both their biological and orphaned children. Children receive education, healthcare, and psychosocial support. Women gain financial independence, and AIDS-orphaned children are integrated into the community without stigmatization.
Recent changes in USAID funding are making life in Kibera even more difficult, but these women are determined to succeed and grow the program. Kijiji Cha Upendo currently rents a four-room space in Kibera that serves as a vital community hub, hosting training events and parenting workshops, providing a safe place for children to learn and play, and much more. With the Runnymede centennial fundraiser, KCU looks forward to purchasing a better office space in a more central location. This will liberate them from the burden of monthly rents, freeing up resources to reach more women and children.
Water First partners with 91 Indigenous communities across Canada to improve water access and quality. They work collaboratively with communities to develop sustainable solutions for clean drinking water, wastewater treatment, and overall water management. Runnymede has supported Water First in the past, and they are thrilled that we have included them in our centennial celebration.
The program builds communities’ capacity to take control of their water resources and improve public health outcomes. Community members are trained as water plant technicians, source water resource managers and educators, always respecting Indigenous knowledge and values. The program works particularly with young people in First Nations communities, giving them skills and knowledge that open career options and promote better health for their families and neighbours.
Access to clean, safe water remains a pressing issue for Indigenous peoples. In Ontario alone, 25 percent of First Nations communities are affected by a drinking water advisory. Water First will put your gift toward a new program launching in 2025 to reach more communities in Ontario that have requested training.
