Village near Oxford hopes for county first with African twinning link
The official twinning connection will be launched on Saturday, October 11, when signs will go up in Kennington, near Oxford, and in Musanda in west Kenya.
There will be tree planting ceremonies and a Zoom connection.
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On May 18, from 3pm to 4pm, there will be an event at St Swithun’s Church, to prepare for the twinning link.
Two young people from Musanda will share their stories.
Rajab is a doctor and Eunice is a social worker and both were supported by The Nasio Trust, a charity in Abingdon.
The pair, whose surnames have not been disclosed, are coming to the UK to receive an award on behalf of the charity.
The Nasio Trust, founded by Nancy Mudenyo Hunt, has been named Best Performing Charity by The Egmont Trust.
The Rev Samson Kuponiyi, who chairs the twinning committee, will be the host at the event.
Photos of the two villages will be shown, and Kennington scouts will receive letters from their Kenyan pen pals.
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Some villagers have worked hard to raise the money to build the first community library in west Kenya in Musanda.
The roof is being built at the moment.
Oxford artist Korky Paul is honorary life president of Kennington Library, for helping to save it from closure, and he has agreed to be patron of Musanda Library.
Last year, Sylvia Vetta produced the book Cosmic Cats, with the aim of bringing together young authors from St Swithun’s school, Kennington, and from Mumias township school close to Musanda.
The launch of Cosmic Cats (Image: Sylvia Vetta) Ms Vetta said: “Stories, art and music are loved everywhere in the world.
“We hope that friendship through shared storytelling will develop from the twinning.
“The success of Cosmic Cats has led the Nasio Trust to launch the Global Storytelling Project to link other Oxfordshire and west Kenyan schools.
“They will launch the latest books at the Oxford Indie Book Fair on July 13 in Magdalen College School.”
Rachel Dodimead who manages the project, said: “The Global Storybook Project is a bridge between cultures, a celebration of imagination, and a testament to the enthusiasm the children have brought to this project.
“I’m so excited to see their hard work come to life in these beautiful books.”
The Nasio Trust said in a statement: “The trust is a registered charity based in the UK and Kenya that derives its inspiration and values from the Christian faith, working with and supporting individuals regardless of their beliefs or background.
“We support orphaned and vulnerable children and empower communities in Kakamega County, Kenya, to break the cycle of poverty and thrive by focusing on three key strands: education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods.”
