27/11/24 update:

We have now safely returned to London and I will continue my sabbatical travels. On my return, in the new year, I look forward to meet as many of you to tell you in person what I have seen and experienced.

In the meantime, we aim to reach £10k so that the mission can accelerate the build of an extra classroom building and take more children earlier.

24/11/24 update:

I set off today for my three-day return journey to London. I leave with my heart aching for the extreme poverty I have seen with my eyes. And yet, I leave with an immense sense of joy, which these children have communicated to me through their contagious smiles, despite their simple life. Or, maybe, thanks to their simple life.

But I also leave with a sense of gratitude, for having had the opportunity to come to Turkana, see a different way of life, meet these extraordinary people and their missionaries, and for having so many wonderful friends who have shown sincere empathy with their donations or simply with words of support: from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Thanks to you, the school will be able to meet its immediate expansion target to grade 2, but this fundraising will stay open to help the school to expand to grade 6.

23/11/24 update: You have made it possible: the school will be able to take 50 more children and expand to grade 2 in January 2025, when the new academic year starts. Amazing, thank you!

But we are not stopping here! Please continue to donate as the mission needs funds to build new classrooms and expand the school up to grade 6 and take even more children.

This is wonderful and I can see with my eyes the positive impact on the life of these children. I can’t thank you enough for your generous donations. Thank you!

Check further updates at the bottom of this page, and near-live itinerary with more photos here.

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I am travelling to Turkana, a remote region in north Kenya and the poorest, to visit the Lady Queen of Peace Todonyang Mission, which runs a nursery and a primary school and other projects in the area.

I am fundraising to support the Mission’s projects and, in particular, the St. John Paul II Nursery and Primary school.

The school provides food and education for 156 children (boys and girls) aged between 4 and 7 years old. In addition to teaching, the school provides two meals a day to children, who would otherwise have nothing to eat.

It costs less than £100 a year to maintain a child at school. Can you help me support more children?

I’ve known this mission for twenty years and always wanted to visit them. Also, New Ways has been partnering with the team in Turkana for over 25 years and supporting their amazing work.

I am grateful that I can now go on this trip together with my long-standing friend and spiritual guide Fr Pat Browne. I want to see with my eyes the life that these children live and bring some help. We will visit different villages in the region and see the work of the Mission in action. We will bring suitcases full of useful things for the children, kindly donated by the parishioners of Holy Apostles Pimlico, but I want to make a stronger impact and provide substantial funding to support more children in nursery and school.

Thank you!

Manlio

N.B. Our trip to Turkana is self-funded and your donations will go fully to help the Mission.