Milele means 'forever' in Swahili and is a very small charity which Rich and I set up in 2008.

We are a sponsorship programme, so we sponsor the education of children from the townships just north of Mombasa, Kenya.

Although education is at our heart, we have grown and learned a lot along the way and now Milele is really much more than that. We have a food programme and a healthcare programme for our children as part of a really holistic approach. We also provide access to counselling and psychological therapy, as well as social and emotional educational input. All of our children come from very vulnerable backgrounds and many were at very high risk of issues such as child marriage, early pregnancy, HIV or just simple malnutrition before we sponsored them.

Our children are all different, and as such have different needs and require different support. We have built personalised plans of care for every child, tailored around them and their family to help keep them safe, healthy and happy.

I always think of Milele as a way to give children a choice. So many babies in this area are born with their lives mapped out for them - I truly feel this is outrageous and it makes me angry when I think of the injustice of it. Children have their whole lives ahead of them, they have a basic human right to an education, a right to decide for themselves what they want to do and who they want to be.

All 18 of our children are at different stages in their personal journey, from their first baby steps in Kindergarten to heading towards university graduation. Most importantly, all our children are in school and learning, progressing and able to make choices about their future.

This success is thanks to YOU! Milele sponsors, volunteers and supporters. You are changing lives, you are making a difference - so be SUPER PROUD OF YOURSELVES!

On behalf of all our families, thank-you!