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Who We Are....
The workers and Trustees |
Peter Weyama
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Peter Weyama
Peter, born in Kenya, went to school later in life as his first duty was to look after his father's cattle. He did not start his education until he was nine or 10 years old, going through primary and boarding school and later working as a laboratory assistant which is where he met Janet.
He had various positions of training first as a biological lab technician, then specialising in the diagnosis of tropical diseases in which he has a diploma.
In 2002 Peter and Janet agreed to personally support five orphans and make arrangements to do something about the plight of the children and people in Bumala.
Rather than just set up an orphanage with all its costs and discriminations, they decided to form a surrogate family which aims to educate the children and provide them with life skills. |
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They have also deliberately kept the Bumala Trust small, limiting their support to just 50 children so they can keep control of costs and provide the best quality help they can.
Peter is a very extraordinary bush African with a great love for his people. He has been the head of his clan for some years, a respected and responsible position given to him by his people.
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Janet Weyama
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Janet Weyama
The Bumala Trust was set up in 2002 by Janet and her husband Peter Weyama, realising and seeing the great need in the area of Bumala in N.W. Kenya mainly due to the effect of HIV/AIDS "There are about 500-plus orphans in that area and it just seemed like an impossible task to do anything to help them because where do you start?"
Peter and I agreed to personally support three orphans and make arrangements to do something about the plight of these children and people.
Rather than just set up an orphanage with all its costs and discriminations, they decided to form a surrogate family which aims to educate the children and provide them with life skills.
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Janet said: "From that moment on we worked with trustee Annie Wills in Paignton. We had to work very hard to get ourselves registered as a charity.”
Since then more Trustee’s have joined and with the help of sponsorship and donations, we have successfully started projects which is enabling the local people to become self-sufficient.
They have also deliberately kept the Bumala Trust small, limiting their support to just 50 children so they can keep control of costs and provide the best quality help they can.
Janet returns to Bumala every Spring to see the progress of the children and projects so that she can update sponsors on the achievements made.
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Esnas - Our social worker
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Esnas
Esnas is our Social Worker/Carer in Bumala who looks after our orphans needs, with her grandson.
Esnas is employed by the Bumala Trust to check on the welfare of our orphans and see to their special needs. She also visits their homes if they are sick, or not at school. The children are often unwell due to contaminated water, Malaria, and other Tropical illnesses.
Esnas also takes the HIV Children to the Clinics and Hospital, this often being an all day event, with bus fares and food to buy for the day.
Esnas tries to get the children together on Sundays at the Tree Nursery where they help in the morning with watering and planting first, she takes a register of those attending as some of them live far away.
Esnas has eight grown up children the youngest being 18. When they were young, she used to go miles to look for work so that they she could send them to school, she knew how important it was to get an education.
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When several of her elder children had left school she managed to get a full time job working in the social services dept for the Kenyan Government. During that time she also built her own house. About 5 years ago Esnas was made redundant from her job. At that time she accepted the role of caring for our orphans.
Esnas loves being part of The Bumala Trust family and as well as caring for her own family and their needs, she also has three of our orphans living with her. She walks or bikes for miles to visit our children and take them to hospital etc.
We value the steadfast diligent work this dear lady carries out with our children. Without her, we would not be seeing the steady progress in their individual lives. She is a great asset to us..
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Christine
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Christine
Christine is a very caring, valued helper and hard worker, She has lived in the Bumala area all her life. She is related to Peter and was working for him before she took on the role of Supervisor in the Tree Nursery.
She works very hard and as well as caring for her husband and two children, gets up very early to work in the village before she comes to work for us in the Tree nursery, fruit and vegetable garden, she trains the other workers in sowing, pricking and planting.
Christine also helps Esnas on Sunday's to take care of the children we sponsor, and is always willing to do whatever is needed .
Both Christine and Esnas work very hard together. They both have beautiful hearts of love for their people and the fruits of their labours is clearly seen in the lives of our boys and girls.
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Trustee - Anne Jenkins
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Anne Jenkins - Trustee
How I became involved with the Bumala Trust.
My early years were spent in Kenya from the age of one until we left when I was six, my first language being Swahili. My Father was in the Army and was posted to Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising. Both of my brothers were born their also.
My mother and Father both had a love for the country and often talked about how beautiful it was and the respect they had for the people. I have always felt within myself that I would return to Kenya one day.
Three years ago I saw an article in the local paper about the Bumala Trust and the work they were doing for the orphans and widows in Bumala, I instantly knew that I had to get in touch with Janet Weyama, sponsor a child and get involved. The next year I felt the need to go to Bumala to see the work being done there and to meet the families we support, so with Janet and five school teachers from Decoy Primary School I went back to the country I knew I would return to. It was such an overwhelming feeling to meet the families, widows and helpers and to be greeted with such love and respect from these wonderful people who have so little and yet give so much.
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I can honestly say it has changed my life, and has fulfilled a need in me. My family and friends respect and support me, which enables me do what I can for the BT family here and in Bumala.
I returned again to Bumala this year with Janet and a volunteer. It was very hard for me to see the changes in the area from two years previously this being due to the riots last year.
There is so much poverty in the area, with many orphans and widows. I Thank God that our families are safe and are being looked after by Peter, Esnas and Christine, they truly are remarkable people. Meeting the children again was very emotional but wonderful at the same time. I will continue to do as much as I can with the support from my fellow Trustee's, volunteers and sponsors.
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KARI research advisors meeting us to discuss the virus affecting our bananas
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Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)
Picture shows a meeting we had with:
Dr Margaret Onyango - Senior research officer
Johnson Kwach - Director
De Felister Makini – Plant Pathologist
This research centre is based in Kissi southern Kenya; they research and find solutions to the growing problems with Virus's that attack Bananas and other Vegetables.
This Institute has agreed to support our Banana plantation, with up to 1500 new clean virus free suckers, technical and practical advice for the next 3 years.
They came to visit our Bumala compound and were impressed with the area and the help we are giving the local community, so much so- that they are going to make our farm a training experiment and teaching area for the whole province, growing different varieties of bananas and other vegetables and fruits.
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James, and Charles from the forestry commission inspecting our plants on the mountain with Peter
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Representatives of The Forestry Commission – The International Organisation for Environmental Resources.
Experts Mr James Were and Mr Charles Kubebea are helping us in our re- forestation program
They are advising us with practical and technical advice on what plants to grow that are better for the environment and to encourage bees.
This Institute has agreed to support our Banana plantation, with up to 1500 new clean virus free suckers, technical and practical advice for the next 3 years.
Indigenous trees are best to plant as they conserve the water and the soil does not get washed away, to get the correct species of these and other trees they will help us to purchase, and grow the seedlings in our Tree Nursery .
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Noahs Ark Committee
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Noahs Ark Committee
Noah's Ark Orphan Self Help Group (NAOSG) is a community service organisation, being the African counterpart of the UK-based and registered charity- The Bumala Trust. It operates in our very remote area in the Bumala District, Western Province, Kenya. It was started by 5 members, with Peter Weyama being the chairman. These members had the interest of the orphans at heart. Today it has 15 dedicated members volunteering their time and resources for the benefit of orphans and widows. They visit the homes and decide which orphans and widows need the most help.
The number of supported orphans has grown from 5 in 2002 to 50 in 2009. The number of widows has grown from 5 to 30. This is not because these are the only needy orphans and widows of the community, but because the hands of the organisation are tied as we depend on the available resources. At present the number of orphans in the catchment area is about 1,000, whilst that of the widows is about 300. The orphans and widows being supported are very needy - they are the worst hit by poverty, HIV/AIDS and other natural calamities. They need help in the form of food, medication and treatment, clothing, education and other essentials. The Chairman Mr Peter Weyama lives in Bumala and promotes a healthy/wealthy/wise programme.
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Teresa Emberson - Trustee
Teresa joined as Trustee in 2005 and is also part of the Devon Peace Group who helped to raise the money for the borehole.
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Annie Wills - Trustee
One of the founder members in 2003 and has been to Bumala in 2006.
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Derek Wills - Trustee
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Henry Cole - Trustee
Henry is a Newton Abbot Town Councilor and became a Trustee in 2004.
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