CLICK HERE TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE KAZI MINGI WEBSITE

KMF - The Kazi Mingi Foundation - was founded in 1997; it raises money to pay for schools to be built in Kenya. The inspiration came from a visit to an orphanage called Kazi Mingi Farm, run by the Olympic Gold Medalist Kip Keino and his wife, who have been looking after orphaned children for nearly 40 years. The 'KipKeino' Primary School opened in January 1999 and was the first school which KMF helped to build. It was completed just three years after the charity was formed, and is now educating, and changing the lives of, 300 children every year. Daniel Kimutai, the boy in this picture, was abandoned by his parents when he was 6 months old, and left for dead in a field. A farmer who was out working his land found Daniel, and took him to the orphanage at the Kazi Mingi Farm, where he was looked after.

When he was old enough he became one of the first pupils to attend the Primary School. He worked hard in his classes and made great progress, showing himself to be a boy of extremely strong character who was determined to work hard and take his opportunities.

KMF is now half way through funding its second project: building a Boarding Secondary School called St Bartholomew's. The plot of land was bought in 2002. By 2006, 140 students were on the register of the school. In 2007 a second 70-bed dormitory was built, as well as two more classrooms and a science lab.

One of the classrooms at St Bartholomew's School is called the Caldicott classroom because we raised the money to pay for it. In 2007, Daniel left his prep school and joined St Bartholomew's High School. There are 44 students in his class, which is called Form One, Caldicott, and the room we paid for is their classroom.

He is now 15 years old, and has a life ahead of him and a future to be proud of. Daniel Kimutai is now the The Prefect of Form One, Caldicott.

Above, ex pupil Charlie Khoo stands outside the Caldicott Classroom