This blog is dedicated to a man and his wife who opened their hearts and their home to orphaned children and dared to dream.Their names are Benson and Florence Nganga and they were born in Kenya.
As a child Benson personally experienced hunger and the exploitation that came with being homeless and destitute, living on the street. He was eventually taken in by a generous family who cared for him and gave him an education.
As an adult he became a Pastor and spent several years in the gospel ministry.
He married Florence who had also experienced hunger, growing up in a family suffering from severe poverty.
Benson and Florence were very aware of the growing number of orphans caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, other disease and tribal warfare. They were living on the streets, scavanging for food. Some resorted to sniffing glue to kill hunger pains, others as young as 10 were turning to prostitution or became pick-pockets and thieves.In 2003, with one child of their own and one adopted, Benson and Florence founded the Fiwagoh Mission Orphanage and visited the villages in search of orphaned children.
Their aim was to reduce the suffering by taking children into their rented home and sharing whatever they could. Initially they took in as few as two children.
As they continued to take in children, their family grew. In 2005 they were officially registered with the Kenyan Government.
By 2008 they had 85 children all housed in their rented home! This was made possible by a program of child sponsorship administered by a volunteer in Switzerland called Lena Clerc.
The children slept in triple bunks, two or three per bunk
and were schooled outdoors.
Food was grown in the garden.
and the children were well fed!
As word spread of the wonderful work being done by Benson and Florence, including the fact that they had outgrown their premises, donations of money flowed in. This enabled Benson to purchase 21 acres of land and commence plans to build a new orphanage and school.
Construction commenced on 2 July 2007.
Benson, Florence and their 109 children moved into their new house on 20 December 2009.
In January 2010 a group of Fiwagoh supporters from Queensland Australia, some of whom had been to the orphanage as volunteers, decided to send a shipping container of goods to Fiwagoh to help them equip their new home. I was asked to help. We emailed friends asking for donations of second hand goods and we were overwhelmed by the response.
After many hours of sorting, transporting, packing and documenting donations the container was ready to be packed.
Eventually it was ready to send.
0n 24 June 2010 the container left Brisbane.
Amid much excitement, on 19 September 2010 it arrived safely at the orphanage.
In January 2011 one of the Brisbane supporters, Suzanne Healy, travelled to Nakuru to visit Benson and Florence, to see what a difference the container made and also to experience for herself this amazing little corner of the world!
By now they now had 134 children.... with plans for more!
Suzanne was very impressed with the work of Benson and Florence especially the way that they care for the children. Each one is treated as their own and raised with love and care and moral Christian values.
Suzanne was particularly moved by the work that they are doing in their attempt to re-establish their garden at the new house. Their quest is to be as self-sustaining as possible with regards to food grown in the garden. They have a local horticulturalist volunteering at the orphanage and the senior children all have gardens of their own. However they have a problem with watering the garden.
They have a wonderful bore and water supply, but they need a tank and irrigation system. They would also benefit greatly from the installation of a green house. Suzanne is desperate to help them fulfil these needs so that they can enjoy an abundance of home grown produce.
If you would like to get involved or can help in some way please contact us!
