Mama Charity has spent years building a family for children who have nowhere else to go, including newborn babies that many other institutions are unable to accept.

As the family grew, so did the need for more space, reliable food, education and a sustainable future.

Hand-in-Hand has disbursed $62,729 to Mama Charity’s work, supporting priorities including land purchase, tuition fees and teachers’ salaries.

The development of Tove marked an important new chapter.

Agricultural land created the possibility of growing food. A deep borehole opened the way for year-round agriculture, livestock and permanent settlement. Classrooms and accommodation followed, and 50 older children were able to move from the increasingly crowded orphanage in Lomé to Tove.

The long-term vision is for the community to increasingly grow its own food while agriculture and animal husbandry generate income for its future needs.

In Western Kenya, the Orphans and Vulnerable Children programme began developing enterprise as a way to connect food security, practical skills and education.

Hand-in-Hand has invested $41,435 in the project.

Funding has supported the hatchery and pig enterprise, tuition fees for nursing students at St. Elizabeth Medical and Technical School, and a knitting initiative creating employment opportunities for deaf adolescent girls and widows.

The poultry and livestock projects have generated food, income and valuable practical experience. They have also taught important lessons about feed costs, animal care, market conditions and the realities of building sustainable small enterprises.

For Hand-in-Hand, sustainability does not mean that every idea works perfectly from the beginning.

It means learning, adapting and continually asking where resources can create the greatest long-term value.