Manna Community Project is very much ‘a feet on the ground’ project, run predominantly by the Church Community within Maasai land and supported by friends in the United Kingdom.
The idea of the project was first born in November 2004, when Mike Keen felt led to purchase 12 acres of land at Mile 46 (Elangata Wuas) with the vision to help the poor and needy in the rural community of Kajiado District to reach a better standard of living, with the overall aim of empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty.
In September 2007 David and Marian Rushbrook caught the vision, joined Mike, and bought a further 12 acres with a view to help raise funds for the project, and to build a Medical Centre in memory of their son Ashley.
Mike and Marian are both directors and David is the UK administrator of The Kajiado Childrens Home, all have longstanding connections with the orphanage.
The Manna Community Project seeks to first identify need and then to work with the local community to overcome the problems that led to such hardship and misery.
We seek to improve the economic, social and environmental framework in place within the community, to bring about better living standards for the people of the district, now and for future generations. We aim to give back to needy people a dignity and a purpose for life.
Since the early days many bridges have been crossed and the initial vision has now become something more tangible that the community can see and can relate to.
Nowadays the project is led in the field by a committee of dedicated Kenyans from various walks of life who give of their time and talents with a common goal to reaching out and assisting the poor and vulnerable within their midst.
Below we list some of the milestones and markers we have put down.
ØIn April 2007 the project was put on a legal footing and was registered with the Office of the President as a not-for-profit Community Project and affiliated to the UK Charity.
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ØThe Project seeks to protect vulnerable children in their home environment wherever possible and fully subscribes to the same values as UNICEF, believing that every child should have clean water, food, healthcare, education, and a safe environment in which to grow up.
ØAs it stands in 2008 the project holds title deed to 20 acres of land and work is ongoing to establish a beacon of hope within the community. Currently work is ongoing to fence and secure the land. We now have an employee who lives on site and oversees the practical tasks of land management as we seek to cultivate the land, manage woodland and to graze farm animals.
ØFrom the initial work in establishing ourselves within the community we hope to work on a project to bring a water supply to the land and from there to develop various outbuildings to act as places to train and employ local people to produce commodities beneficial to the community. In offering employment and producing saleable products we aim to boost the local economy whilst at the same time generating working capital to embark on new and adventurous projects.
ØWe have medium to long term plans to provide schooling to the local children and in additionbuild, equip and run a health clinic to serve the community at large.
ØWe aim to generate income to develop the site infrastructure by promoting self-help – encouraging tourism to this very beautiful and colourful part of Kenya’s Rift Valley with its wonderful scenery and cultural status being in the heart of Maasailand. The opportunity for people to spend time with the Maasai people, to live in their midst, to learn about their culture and bush craft.
ØUnlike many other Community Projects we want to encourage non-reliance of international aid and will strive to encourage the Committee responsible for the work to generate income and seek funds from NGO’s operating within Kenya.
ØWe seek tangible support from friends and partners oversees, but value prayer support on an equal basis to financial support. We do not seek to be inclusive and we welcome help and support, as people feel led. For the poor and destitute we believe in social justice, there should be life before death. The challenge we lay down is both simple and basic – can you help, what can you give?
ØWe look forward to developing strong links within the community and to stand alongside the area chief and elders to provide services identified by the community we seek to serve.
ØWe will fully support the work of the local churches as they come together to spread the word of the Christian gospel and as they administer the love of Christ to the peoples of the Rift Valley.
For more information pleaseemail,Mike Keen on or
David or Marian Rushbrook on or by post to Hardys Cottage, Witnesham, Ipswich, IP6 9EU, England
Manna Community Project is very much ‘a feet on the ground’ project, run predominantly by the Church Community within Maasai land and supported by friends in the United Kingdom.