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2018 will be remembered in Kenya for the torrential and prolonged rains which fell during March and April which lead to loss of life, destruction of homes and property and damage to roads and farmland.

It will also be remembered for the price hikes in petrol and mobile phone usage resulting from increased repayments on loans from foreign banks.

It was against this background that the Kenyan Education Project (KEP) continued its work focusing on school sponsorships, supporting a parish feeding programme, a soccer academy and the local SVDP group.

In the village of Embulbul, 80 young children from needy backgrounds receive a hot meal five evenings per week. For some it is their only meal of the day. It costs €650 per month to run the feeding programme. The KEP continues to increase its commitment to feeding the children by donating more money each year.

A large number of students continue to be sponsored in the local primary and secondary schools, ensuring that their education continues. A number of students are sponsored to continue further studies, with one boy starting teacher education, another undertaking a business degree while a third continues on a medical science route.

Jecinta, helped by the KEP to obtain a secretarial qualifications, is now working and returning to college part-time to continue her studies.

The links with the local SVDP group remain strong, this year helping 15 families to purchase new beds, mattresses and blankets. Some of these families were visited by volunteers who saw first hand the harsh living conditions experienced by families on a daily basis.

For the third successive year a summer camp was organised by the KEP. 30 young children from the village were treated to a week of arts and crafts, games day visits to parks as well as receiving new shoes for the school term.

The Young Talents soccer academy made the news recently as their coach, Kaka, was nominated and chosen for a trip of a lifetime to travel to the Arsenal soccer academy to work with coaches there. The coach was shortlisted from nominations throughout Africa, a huge boost to the work of academy which the KEP supports financially.

KEP founder Eddie Sheehy has expressed his gratitude to the primary and secondary schools who continue to support the work, to all who support the table quiz, coffee morning and church collection and to all who believe in the importance and value of the work of the KEP.