Introducing Matt and Michelle Barrow, Child2Child, Kenya

What has happened?

It is eleven years since Matthew and Michelle Barrow first went to Kenya to see the plight of street children for themselves. The intervening years have seen the birth of Child2Child and a rehabilitation centre being built and used. Many boys have been helped through the programme there, and they have matured well. Also a developing of contacts has brought about further ministry and aid work.

What is happening now?

The boys from the Glory Compassion Rehabilitation Centre are now all in boarding school. The centre, which has been under Kenyan control for about four years, is empty and awaiting a new calling. The boys are nearly all in secondary school and generally their results are very good. One boy, Nelson, has been chosen by his school to be an ambassador and has travelled to the UK and US this year. When he travelled to the UK he was able to visit Worthing and stay with Matthew and Michelle and visit his sponsors too. A further boy, Edwin, has been successfully fostered with a view to being adopted by Kenyans. This is a wonderful step for him, one that is desired for all the boys in the long term. Matthew has visited several schools, sharing about Kenya in general and the work of Child2Child in particular. These schools have been very generous in raising funds for the project.

What is happening elsewhere?

Child2Child is branching out into Uganda. Two years ago, Steve Sulston and Matthew went and taught people there how to work with children. In 2010 they intend to run a full camp for about 230 orphans in Naluwerere.

Matthew has also been asked to assist a newly-starting NGO run by two young Kenyans. IDEAR Kenya is reaching out to rural situations and particularly to begin with is working with HIV/AIDS patients in a village near Thika.