On 31 July a group of 17 Mission Fund volunteers, under the direction of John Sammut and Vincent Xiberras, and with Fr Franco Fenech as spiritual director, left Malta for Kenya to help in a construction project, which consists in the building of classrooms for a secondary school in Ruiru. This school is run by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart Sisters, locally known as Ta' Nuzzo. This project was necessary due to a change in the education system in Kenya which will take place as from next January. At present, the secondary education consists of four years, but this will be increased to six years, hence the need for more classrooms.

This project will provide more dignity and opportunity to the girls attending this school. In Kenya, if there is a possibility for a family member to receive education, preference will be given to the boys. Most of the girls stay at home to help in fetching water from faraway distances or else work in the tea industry for meagre salaries.

Mission Fund is grateful to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion for the funds which were given in aid of this project from the Official Development Assistance scheme.

The group of volunteers is expected to return back to Malta on Monday, 2 September. Every year, since 1992, Mission Fund has constructed projects in various missionary countries. Such projects are normally intended to address problems concerning education, health and the environment. In fact, examples of such projects were the building of a school in Tanzania, a health centre in South Sudan and a biogas plant in Kenya. Also, one cannot omit mentioning a project, which is presently in its final stages, consisting of the provision of potable water from Lake Victoria to Bukumbi village in Tanzania, a distance of eight kilometers, where a number of lepers reside. Apart from such projects, regular donations are also given on a roster basis to a number of Maltese and Gozitan missionaries serving in about 40 countries throughout the globe.

All these benefits were possible thanks to the great generosity in the hearts of all Maltese and Gozitans.

Keep on helping Mission Fund and you will be helping your neighbour in need.