Double Joy Farm, located in Western Kenya, is an orphanage that provides school six days a week, complete housing, food, and facilities to over 100 children orphaned by AIDS. The orphanage was started by its current Director, Mrs. Mary Hinde in 1994.
Double Joy Director Mrs. Mary Hinde (left) with SHARE President Dr. Martha MacGuffie during a visit at Double Joy in 2006.
Throughout Double Joy Farm’s early days, SHARE was highly instrumental in supporting it through various donations and projects. SHARE support included donation of a clinic, a growing library, and food supplies for the orphanage. SHARE donations were also used in constructing a multi-purpose building (“The Hall”) which provides classrooms and a meeting room. With SHARE’s help, pit latrines were dug to help prevent diseases such as cholera. Further help resulted in the construction of a protective fence around the facility, and the purchase of donkeys for use at the orphanage.
In 2006, SHARE delivered a gift to Double Joy: professional soccer balls donated by the New York Red Bulls through SHARE.
Double Joy cares for about 100 children and facilities where the children have instruction in woodworking, crafts, sewing, and bicycle repair. The children are given a plot of land with instruction in the care of animals and proper farming methods. Those who do well in school can go on to higher education.
The Children’s Bureau in Kenya considers Double Joy as one of the finest orphanages in Kenya; and while we can’t take all of the AIDS orphans in Kenya, the orphanage can be used as an example of what can be done to help all of these unfortunate children. The AIDS epidemic continues to escalate and the latest estimates from Kenya reveal that up to half the adult population between fifteen and fifty-five years of age are HIV-positive and AIDS deaths continue to increase. As the adult population decreases, food production is drastically reduced, poverty increases, and the welfare of children becomes ever more pathetic.
Double Joy Director Mrs. Mary Hinde and SHARE President Dr. Martha MacGuffie during a visit to Double Joy in 2006.
Double Joy Farm now has one hundred children in full care. The average age is nine years ten months. The youngest child is three years, the oldest sixteen. A protective chain-link fence has been built around the compound, both to keep children and livestock safely inside and to keep wildlife (yes, leopards still roam this lake region as well as hippopotami) out. The hippopotamus is a dangerous animal to man and can totally demolish the orphans’ vegetable garden as well.
Several donkeys were added to the stock. They are a very valuable addition in that they can carry very large amounts of water from the lake on their backs. Water used to be carried a long distance on the orphans’ heads, but the donkeys release the children from this heavy burden, giving them more freedom for study and play. The children’s day of study and play starts at 5 AM, as soon as it becomes light and continues until dark. All the children know how valuable their education is. They learn English rapidly and write letters regularly.
A multipurpose building, “The Hall”, has been built for classrooms and a meeting room. New pit latrines have been dug, and marked emphasis is placed on proper hygiene and clean water. The orphanage is in an area where cholera epidemics are a constant threat. There was an especially severe epidemic of cholera there in the past, but the orphans at Double Joy were spared as a direct result of everything SHARE donors have given to improve health standards.
Mrs. Mary Hinde, the Director and Head of Double Joy Farm, and all of the children thank all of the SHARE donors for what has been given them.
Read more about Double Joy Farm on its website.