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Removed
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This charity was removed from the register on 23 Apr 2018
Public benefits
1. The charity's first purpose is to facilitate and support humanitarian and Christian projects in Kenya, in particular the region of Kikuyu. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include an increase of educational attainment and increased self-esteem and confidence. These are achieved via the provision of classrooms and dormitories for
the schooling of deprived children. The funding of medical expenses for deprived children who could not otherwise afford them and the provision of bedding, clothes and food for deprived children who could not otherwise afford them enhances their health and well-being. The provision of Bibles for deprived children who could not otherwise afford them increases their knowledge and understanding of the Bible. These benefits are demonstrated through feedback from pupils and staff in these schools and by independent evaluations such as schools performance in national examinations and ongoing evaluation by the US Outreach Foundation. From time to time, trustees also visit Kenya to directly inspect outcomes on the ground. The charity believes there is no element of potential harm involved in these objectives and activities. The charity’s beneficiaries are mainly poor and deprived school pupils in the Kikuyu area of Kenya. School staff are also part beneficiaries because, in some cases, they are able to continue in teaching careers as a result of the charity's provision of classrooms and dormitories and other necessary school materials (which would not be provided otherwise). Volunteers who go to Kenya on the charity's teams also benefit by a greater understanding and appreciation of the needs of deprived children in Kenya, usually returning to NI with an enhanced enthusiasm to support the work in future. While trustees of the charity may be reimbursed for necessary personal expenditure incurred to further the objectives of the charity, there is no private benefit to trustees. 2. The charity's second purpose is: Other charitable activities that the trustees may at their discretion from time to time determine. A recent development is the charity's emerging involvement in Christian outreach to prisoners in the Kenyan penal system. The direct benefits which flow from this include providing an element of rehabilitation and hope to prisoners through a Christian faith. This is facilitated by the provision of literature in support of medium-term Bible study courses, including course completion certificates. The beneficiaries of this work are inmates in Kenyan prisons who are mostly held for lengthy sentences in very austere conditions with little hope or purpose in their lives. The benefits of this new area of work for the charity are yet to be measured but, in the future, could be evaluated perhaps by examining re-offending rates by prisoners and/or the activities that prisoners engage in on their release. The charity believes there is no element of potential harm involved in this purpose and activities. While trustees of the charity may be reimbursed for necessary personal expenditure incurred to further the objectives of the charity, there is no private benefit to trustees.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The charity raises funds for the construction, in Kenya, of classrooms and dormitories for deprived children. Such fund-raising is via specific charity events (sponsored walks, coffee mornings, etc) and the trustees seek to promote this aspect of the charity's work by speaking presentations to churches and other groups. The charity sets up teams
of volunteers from Northern Ireland who also participate in fund-raising efforts and who go to Kenya at their own expense to help "finish off" the construction of school buildings that have been funded by the charity. Asterias provides child sponsorship (funded by NI donors via monthly standing order) which is used for education and living expenses at a childrens' home/school. The charity also provides funds, from time to time, for other aspects of benefit to deprived children in Kenya such as food, clothing, school books, Bibles, toiletries and medical expenses for some sick children. In all cases, these deprived children could not otherwise afford such items. Many of the children the charity assists have been orphaned and traumatised by civil unrest in Kenya and the charity has provided funding for medium to long-term counselling of such children. From time to time, trustees have provided teaching sessions to school children on personal hygiene and sex education, in the hope that such sessions will improve the general health outlook for these deprived children. The trustees work closely with The Outreach Foundation, a US Christian organisation - in particular its East Africa coordinator Stu Ross (http://www.theoutreachfoundation.org/ross-stu-and-linda) whose staff in Kenya facilitate the charity's work in Kenya as described above. This area of the Outreach Foundation website contains links to PDF documents which list churches and schools constructed, including for the latter those funded by Asterias.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of religion
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- Children (5-13 year olds)
- Ex-offenders and prisoners
- Youth (14-25 year olds)
How the charity works
- Accommodation/housing
- Counselling/support
- Education/training
- Relief of poverty
- Religious activities
Charitable purposes
The Charity's objects ("the Objects") are (a) To facilitate and support humanitarian and Christian projects in Kenya, in particular the region of Kikuyu. (b) Other Charitable Activities that the directors (hereinafter referred to as "the trustees") may at their discretion from time to time determine.