Sadala is 28yrs old and was born in Tanzania where the Tinga Tinga style of art originated from. He travelled to Kenya 7 years ago to find a market for his art work in tourism. Since the riots in the 2007 elections in Kenya, the tourism industry has suffered badly. With no other skills Sadala struggles to send money for his child. Providing a regular trade for him and his beautiful paintings (which should be given the recognition they deserve) means he can generate a steady income which does not rely on the monthly numbers of tourists. See him below painting in his bicycle shed which is situated opposite his shop (also shown below).
2) Edd and Sarah Kenny-Levick - The founders
Edd (MBA, BSc: Business Development Manager) and Sarah (BEng, Prince2: Technical Project Manager) resigned from their corporate professions with blue chip companies in September 2008. They wanted to fulfil a lifelong ambition to volunteer in Africa to learn about the problems on the continent. They spent 8months volunteering on 2 separate projects. They learnt a lot about themselves, other people and Africa. If you want to read in detail about their experiences, see their blog: www.thekennylevicks.blogspot.com
During their time in Kenya, Edd and Sarah came across the style of art that originated on the east coast of Africa called Tinga Tinga. In Malindi, near to the Rainbow project, they discovered a fantastic artist. He paints this style of painting with his own very unique slant. The paintings are so quirky and individual that an opportunity was identified to continue helping Rainbow, its members and the talented artist with a small trade business.
3) Safari Kazungu - ethically sourced's right hand man in Kenya
Safari is our production supervisor for the art project. He works as a medical technician for the Rainbow Community Care Charity in Malindi, Kenya where he has worked for 8 years. However, he also liaises with the Tinga Tinga artist and co-ordinates quality products on behalf of ethically sourced. Safari earns a percentage of commission for each purchase he manages.
While Sarah and Edd were working at the charity they helped Safari to develop his IT skills, specifically Excel. He has now been able to successfully implement a spreadsheet based stock control system for the hospital pharmacy.
Safari (meaning ‘excursion’ or ‘trip’ in Swahili) is 37 years old. He is not married yet but he comes from a large family who he supports. He lives in a traditional African mud house with a grass roof
“Safari is a very good person in every respect” – Dee Knott-Mtile, Founder and Director, Rainbow Community Care
4) Rainbow Community Care – Malindi, Kenya - the recipients of the donations
This charity was set up by English nurse, Dee Knott-Mtile and her Kenyan husband Sammy Mtile 15years ago. Dee had been shocked by the poverty and lack of education in Kenya when visiting on a ‘holiday of a lifetime’, despite being one of the most developed countries of Africa. This inspired her to devote her life to helping the community in the ways she had identified they were in most need. Below is the hospital building and some of the Rainbow children.
The charity runs a school, hospital and orphanage. There are nearly 1000 children at the school. These children also have access to the hospital. The orphanage homes over 80 children. Edd and Sarah stumbled across this wonderful charity in Malindi, Kenya in February 2009 and wanted to help. They spent 4 months managing the build of 2 more classrooms, helping to improve the administration system for the school and teaching some IT skills to the charity’s employees. They do however feel that the work they did was only a very small part of the huge achievements this project has made.
Photos showing the first month of the classroom construction an the left and the week of completion on the right
Left: Edd discussing the new classroom roof with Sammy (Charity director - rigt) and Alfonce (Building foreman-left)
Right: Sarah teaching Elizabeth some additional IT skills in the administration office
Written on the hospital wall: “People really need help but they may try to fight or attack you back after. Help them anyway”.
Harry
Rainbow looks after over 80 children in the Orphanage. One of the children, who is being raised by Dee personally, is Harry. He was born with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This is caused by the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. This has given Harry the following problems: Missing arms, blocked tear ducts, heart murmur, brain damage, hernia, genitals grown internally.
This is how Dee describes how she became the guardian of little Harry:“Harry is now 2 years old. He has been with me from the age of 2 days old, I first met him at 1 day old, and at that time advised his mother to take him to the district hospital. I found his home in a village the following day, where his mother was feeding him black tea. I asked his mother if she had taken him to the hospital, she said that she had not. I asked her what she wanted me to do. She told me that she wanted me to take the baby. I asked her when and she said ''now''.
I brought Harry back to Rainbow, where I hoped that he would survive. The mother of Harry had had 3 other babies which all died, most likely with the same condition as Harry has, as the mother drank a lot of alcohol. A few months after Harry was born and living at Rainbow the mother became pregnant again. I told her that if she continued to drink then this 5th baby would also be born with FAS. Luckily she listened and stopped drinking. She gave birth to a normal baby boy. She came to thank me as she had believed that it was witchcraft and not alcohol that was doing all this to her babies. Now she believes and has stopped drinking.
Harry will continue to have problems all of his life, due to the effects of alcohol which damaged him before birth. To me he is a wonderful little boy, I will always continue to do as much as possible for him, and even though he will never be able to live independently I pray that he will have a great life. We love him very much” Dee Knott-Mtile – Founder and Director, Rainbow Community Care.
Often children who are born disabled in Kenya are not accepted by their families or the community as they believe they are created by witchcraft. Dee’s education and personal experiences in Malindi have helped the communities understand why this can occur and to accept the children as they are.
5) L'Isola Che Ce - Guinea-Bissau - inspirational project
Although not a beneficiary of ethically sourced, this was the first volunteer project undertaken by Edd and Sarah and provided inspiration for the company. The charity L'Isola Che C'e, was founded by an Italian doctor. The aim of the project is to provide an orphanage in the isolated jungle community of Biombo, Guinea-Bissau. The project is funded by donations from Italy and the affiliate tourism project. Edd and Sarah spent 4 months living in the jungle to project manage the build of the orphanage and help develop a sustainable plan for the future. During their time they had to contend with the severe cultural differences, being woken during the night by AK47 gunfire and several medical issues including: giant facial boils, malaria and maggots burrowing in to their feet. However, they certainly achieved what they set out to do: 1) Give some help and 2) Have an adventure!
Here are their two favourite children from the local village in the Biombo jungle: “Naka” and “Femia”.
Naka (left and Naka's family - right) is a very happy 5yr old boy, who loves climbing trees and the jungle is his kingdom. Edd and Sarah delivered his new baby brother in the back of a 4x4 on their hurried trip to try and reach the hospital. His mother named him ‘Edu’ after Edd. Edu’s father works in Senegal, the adjacent country, and Edu was 1 month old before his father could make it back to meet him. He is in his mother’s arms in the photo right. If you want to read this inspirational jungle birth story in full, click here
Femia (meaning ‘female’ in Creole) is 8 years old and quite a sad little girl. She is somehow very aware of her situation and her lack of opportunity to do anything other than what everyone else in her village does. When Edd and Sarah were there they sponsored her for 2 years of school so she could at least join her friends and try to develop her education, although giving obvious help like this is not as easy as it sounds. Edd and Sarah hope Femia can find a way to be happy in the future.
During their time in Kenya, Edd and Sarah came across the style of art that originated on the east coast of Africa called Tinga Tinga. In Malindi, near to the Rainbow project, they discovered a fantastic artist. He paints this style of painting with his own very unique slant. The paintings are so quirky and individual that an opportunity was identified to continue helping Rainbow, its members and the talented artist with a small trade business. 
