'I still get weepy': The emotional impact of 15 years of charity
'In the last 12 months we fed over two million meals to kids'
As Ted Grant reviews 15 years of work of the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation, he has a hard time not getting emotional.
"I still get weepy when I see some of the slides of some of the people that I was engaged with, and so it's just wonderful memories," said Grant.
"Just knowing that I'm able to, with the help of all so many volunteers — wonderful volunteers and donors and businesses that supporters and so on — that we're truly making a difference."
Grant is the co-founder and president of the foundation. Founded on P.E.I. 15 years ago, the foundation works to alleviate the effects of poverty in the Mikinduri region of Kenya. Their projects focus on increasing access to clean drinking water, availability of food and education, and increasing the health and wellness of the people.
The organization also hopes to provide the population the tools they need to help themselves in the future as well, said Grant. Mikinduri Children of Hope has built classrooms in the region and created a scholarship program for children to finish their education.
"We have a lot of stuff going on," he said.
Very rewarding work
It's easy to see the results of the foundation's work in the region, said Grant.
"We can feed a child for 10 cents. And so, when you talk about what impact, in the last 12 months we fed over two million meals to kids at school feeding programs," he said.
One of the Mikinduri's projects was the creation of a rehabilitation centre for people with mental and physical disabilities, and Grant said watching those people get the treatment and help they needed was extremely rewarding.
"It just gives you a good feeling that somehow or other with all the people around you and so on, that we as an organization are able to make a difference," he said.
Grant and his wife Rita first learned about the situation in Kenya when they encountered a charity that was sending clothes to the region, compelling them to help the cause.
"We just felt that we somehow should be involved to try and raise a few dollars, just to feed kids," he said.
"It just seemed like it was the right thing to do. And it grew, and grew."
The organization is funded by just $250,000 a year. Grant credits the success of the organization to the numerous volunteers who helped with their projects over the years.
For its newest project, the foundation has moved outside of the Mikinduri region to western Kenya. The organization moved there three years ago to build a classroom in the region. The foundation hopes it will be able to create as much impact there as they did in the Mikinduri region, said Grant.
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With files from Mainstreet P.E.I.