The Hutton Dabaso Twinning Association

Background

In 1999, following a family holiday in Kenya, Mark Orchard returned to Dabaso with a team of builders and built 3 new classrooms for the local primary school.  During this trip it was suggested that the Somerset village of Hutton and the Kenyan village of Dabaso were twinned.  Mark came home and passed on the suggestion to the local Parish Council who, after some discussion, agreed.  In November of that year, following a twinning ceremony in Hutton, over 40 people set off for Dabaso to formalise the twinning there.

Since then there have been a number of visits and communications between the two communities which have been strengthened by the use of modern technology.  Links have been built between the churches, the primary schools, the village councils and friendships have been made.

It was agreed early on that the group’s expenses would be kept to the minimum so any visits are self-funded so that as much of the money raised as possible reaches its intended destination.  We are a registered charity and all of our time is provided voluntarily.

Past achievements

Apart from the initial building of three classrooms and the subsequent appeal for desks to put in them there have been a number of projects both large and small.  Two containers were sent from Hutton filled with books, clothes, tools, equipment and much of this can be found in use today around the village including the worktops and cupboards in the small medical centre used by the community in Dabaso.  The medical centre is staffed by a nurse who’s salary is paid for by a GP in Weston-super-Mare and he returns whenever possible, along with his Practice Nurse, to provide medical support in Dabaso.  The centre has also been utilised by the Kenyan medical agencies during nationwide vaccination programmes.

Over the years we have been able to assist a number of children into further education as well as supporting primary school children.  One of the biggest changes was the introduction of free primary education in Kenya and it presented Dabaso primary with enormous logistical issues as hundreds of children suddenly emerged from nowhere expecting to be educated.

Ongoing projects

We currently have one bursary ongoing and it is our aim to provide another at the beginning of the next Kenyan academic year.  This will be a long-term project as we believe that education is the key to the future and would like to support as many children as possible.

We continue to help with the cost of Dabaso Primary School’s water bill and have also agreed to help with the electricity bill.

There have been a number of smaller, ongoing projects such as provision of medicines and mosquito nets.  Mosquito nets are relatively cheap for us to purchase and help to prevent the spread of malaria.
Canon Mweri Secondary school has been established over the last few years and whenever we have visited we have provided financial and physical help with the building and kitting out of classrooms, toilets and other structures.

If you are interested in learning more about what we do, or would like to make a donation please contact Liz Ockwell on 01934 822376 or email hdta@btinternet.com