About Us

Our Mission

We support the future of Kenya through aid that provides health care, organic farming, education, and life opportunities for orphaned children and the poor.

Kenya, like many other third-world countries has been experiencing a terrible decline in its economy coupled with a decline in growth and development. This has been manifested in various facets like widespread poverty, low standards of living, poor sanitation, poor education, inaccessibility to basic amenities, etc. Unfortunately, children are victims, in that they are not able to live up to their potential.

HIV-AIDS is the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and the paramount threat to the region’s development. More than 20 million Africans have now died, and 12 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. Those living with the virus number 29.4 million, the vast majority in the prime of their lives as workers and parents. Life expectancy continues to drop, family incomes are being decimated, and agricultural and industrial efficiency is declining because of the epidemic. Kenya is one of the hardest hit countries in Africa by this epidemic.

Africa Unveiled is a Non-Profit organization developing a nurturing community structure and permaculture farmland for homeless children in Kenya.

This project originated with one person, Marlene Blossom, who initially traveled to Kenya as a tourist. Marlene’s experience in Kenya was an experience that would change her life forever. The people she met had virtually nothing and yet shared what they did have generously and unconditionally.

It is Africa Unveiled’s vision to build a home and develop land where we cannot only provide for the children living there but also for the community and other organizations around it. Through nurturing, farming and various other vocational activities coupled with schooling, we wish to inspire and influence others in ways of sustainability for the future of Kenya.

Executive Summary

During her visit Marlene Blossom encountered what appeared to be a serious challenge regarding the children affected by the widespread HIV/AIDS epidemic. Her concern led her to visits to existing orphanages.

Marlene returned to her hometown in Leavenworth, Washington, and began to speak to the people in her own community. As she presented the details of her African travels at assemblies to public middle schools, the hearts of five 13 year olds were touched, and brainstorming soon began that would lead to the formal beginnings of Africa Unveiled.

Statement of Proposal

When national policies were being formulated in the early 1960’s, the problem of street children, needy children, AIDS-orphaned children etc. was not anticipated. It was taken for granted that the already existing juvenile institutions would continue to redress the problem of juvenile delinquency. To date, much of this policy hasn’t changed.

Hence, when street children, destitute, AIDS-orphaned children appeared, and in large numbers, existing official institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations (N.G.O’s) were unable to cope with the dramatic increment.

Therefore, a need to identify an alternative approach – an approach with a difference – to curb this phenomenon becomes necessary, because the problem not only has dire implications for the children but the country as a whole. Many institutions to date have made tremendous efforts to address this problem, but unfortunately, most of their solutions do not match the problem.

We realize that there is more to self-sufficiency than simply providing housing, food, counseling and medicine to the children of Kenya and their communities.
The human need to have purpose and feel loved is universal. A sense of acceptance and belonging in society is crucial to productivity and success. The children of Kenya are no different.

At Africa Unveiled we welcome the opportunity to assist in helping these children discover their talents and potential. Preparing the future leaders of Kenya mentally, emotionally and physically for their place in their community is an investment in the future of Kenya that we welcome. By taking an interest in their dreams about their future careers, helping them to reach these goals through academic achievements and excellence, and modeling the importance of work and as well as play, we will provide the nurturing structure that all children need to thrive and become successful.

Africa Unveiled has taken the initiative to offer an alternative approach – a revolving children’s home – to addressing this phenomenon.

Project Justification

Africa Unveiled was established by Marlene Blossom, inspired by 5 - 13 year olds - Colton N., Alisa D., Tasha T., Carrera C., and Katie L., – because she feels that abandonment is an issue that runs rampant in society and as a whole they believed that they could make a difference and they could start in Kenya. The issues that Kenya deals with made it ideal to start with. When Marlene was here in Kenya, she met the most generous people and she was moved by their generosity. They had basically nothing, but they had themselves to give, and that’s what mattered.

The project will offer children love, education, medicine, various social and living skills such as computer education, building construction, home-making, cooking, cleaning, gardening skills etc and fun in a home atmosphere. Each of the children is to be considered as an individual with a UNIQUE background and having a unique problem. From this, we adapt our strategies of assistance. Worthy of mention is the fact that all these children are all gifted / talented in something and are excelling academically. The project will recruit 8 members of staff: 2 parents that supervise and manage this facility (a mother and father figure), 2 nurse assistants with alternating schedules, 2 guardians, a cook/housekeeper and a gardener to start with.

Beneficiaries

The project will have beneficiaries as outlined below:

DIRECT BENEFICIARY
With the support, love and nourishment of the adults around them, the children create themselves to be audacious, courageous, outrageous, brilliant, unconditionally loved in playful dancing with abandon.

INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES
- The community and the nation as a whole benefits from powerful, generous, courageous, educated upright citizens.
- Other Children’s Homes throughout the world and the United States Foster care system.

Objectives

For the well being of Kenyans and all of humanity we will:

* Provide a rural home and community for orphaned children
* Address the lopsided disease burden of our world by targeting populations devastated by AIDS/HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis
* Educate populations in disease prevention and treatment
* Utilize local clinics to treat sick populations and disseminate health care information
* Mobilize community resources and train populations in survival skills such as basic nutrition and cooking, farming, building, and hand crafts
* Promote interaction with the community through the sharing of education and resources, as well as through international exchange

The home has a number of broad and specific objectives, which it hopes to achieve:

To enhance self-motivated PERSONAL skills to the children and assist in achieving the BEST in what they do best.

-To provide formal education, not within the premises but in private/public institutions with their peers.
-To provide for that of basic needs of children, like health facilities, shelter, food, and clothing.
-Provide a sense of security, whereby they realize that they belong.
-To make them feel cared for and needed, never unwanted.
-To reinstate back-to-school and support intelligent children looking for sponsors for their fees.
-To provide other organizations with food and other basic needs.
-To provide medicines and a sense of well-being
-To provide educational, living and professional skills.

* The Children’s Centers project specifically aims to:
Establish a model for a stable, evolving model of “family” which reflects local values, yet addresses devastating population change and loss
* Address impoverishment in countries victimized by drought, other natural or human-made disasters, or political repression
* Disseminate information to the wider community, about sustainable “survival” skills—health, agriculture, and vocational education
* Consider each center autonomous, staffed with qualified adults from the indigenous population
* Be economically cost-effective, each center within a three to five year period will:

1) Phase out outside funding,
2) Generate food and marketable items,
3) Display stability and the ability to be self-operating

* Form creative partnerships and coalitions with existing NGO’s, local organizations, and medical and pharmaceutical services specializing in innovative approaches to the treatment and prevention of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.

Examples

• In Zimbabwe, construction methods develop from builders’ experience and local resources: brick, mortar, tile, corrugated and thatched roofing.

• In Kenya, women are assisted in the creation of a self and community-sustaining livelihood: chicken and egg production, beehive and honey production.

• Local clinics and schools provide health care and education. Augmenting these already existing institutions enriches the opportunities for residents and addresses urgent needs for disease treatment and prevention.

• Natural resources are preserved and utilized. Farmland, forest areas, water resources, and locally available construction resources serve as the raw materials and the training ground for the development of sustainable life skills.