This year's Junior Boys' Brigade project, ‘Reaching Higher’ will set its sights on raising funds to help build a nursery school for children living in the mountains of the Maasailand heartland in southern Kenya, the Presbyterian Boys' Brigade World Mission Committee has announced.

The Boys' Brigade is one of the biggest Christian youth organisations in UK and Republic of Ireland and has a long association with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI). Working with over 200 Junior BB sections, each year the Project, which is for 8 to 11 year olds, gives BB companies in PCI congregations the opportunity to help raise funds in support of an overseas project.

Launching this year’s project Rev Dr Jim Campbell, chair of the Presbyterian Boys' Brigade World Mission Committee said, “‘Reaching higher - Kenya’ aims to raise funds to build a nursery school for children living in the mountains in the Maasai heartland of southern Kenya.

“The Maasai people in Kenya traditionally are a semi-nomadic community, however in recent times many areas of Maasailand have been demarcated and with each adult male being allocated land, and this has encouraged many to settle in one location. Some have settled high up in the mountains in a remote area called Siana, where there are very few facilities including schools. There is currently no school in the area around the village of Elemisigio. The nearest is some distance away and it is dangerous for children to get to due to wild animals, including elephants and lions,” he explained.

“Presbyterian global mission workers, Gary and Mary Reid in southern Kenya, know this area and the people around Elemisigio well, and have set up a small church in the village. The local people have asked them for help in building a nursery school for their children. They also intend to use the small building on Sundays for church services, as the people currently gather to worship each week under a tree,” Mr Campbell said.

Speaking in Assembly Buildings in Belfast, when they were home from Kenya recently, Gary Reid said, “The children around Elemisigio are very excited about the prospect of being able to go to nursey school where they can learn to read, write and count.” Mary Reid added, “We really appreciate this opportunity to partner with Presbyterian Junior BBs to build a school for the precious boys and girls around Elemisigio.”

A small percentage of funds raised by the project each year is given to the BB Global Fellowship to support the worldwide work of the Boys’ Brigade. Dr Campbell said it was a privilege to be able to assist people in need and was confident that this year’s project would be well supported.

While companies are free to choose how and when they raise funds for the project, the aim is to have all contributions gathered in by the end of June in the following year.

Talking of last’s year’s appeal, Dr Campbell said that he was, “delighted by the very generous response to ‘A Place to Play - Jordan’. Over £8,000 was raised to construct and equip a playground at a church-run school for refugee children in the town of Fuhais in Jordan, where a local church provides free education to 32 children, aged 4 to 13 years old.

“Preparations are underway to purchase the equipment for the playground and we hope it will all be in place in the coming months. There are currently 35 pupils at the school in Fuhais mainly from Syria and Iraq with a couple from Egypt. They are all very excited at the prospect of having a proper playground at their school.” 

The head-teacher of the school in Fuhais commented, “We are so thankful to the Lord to receive such a generous gift from members of the Boys’ Brigade in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It is wonderful to know that boys in Ireland have such love and care for refugee children living many miles away here in Jordan.”

Receiving the cheque for the money raised, Dr Campbell said, “Boys from 4th Newtownabbey BB Company, which meets in Carnmoney Presbyterian Church, raised over £1,700 for the project - the largest amount raised by any one company.

“On behalf of all those who raised funds for last year’s Appeal, the Junior Section boys from Carnmoney BB handed over a cheque for £8,500. The efforts of the boys, officers, and parents, was greatly appreciated and we hope our new project for the incoming year will also be well supported.”

You can find more information on 'Reaching Higher - Kenya’, the 2019/2020 Junior Boys' Brigade project here. You can also watch a short video on Siana's Elemisigio Nursery Development here.

Photos (1) Members of the Elemisigio community where they currently worship God - under a tree (2) PCI Global Mission Workers Gary and Mary Reid with Rev Dr Jim Campbell (3) Presbyterian Moderator, Rt Rev Dr William Henry, receiving a cheque for last year's appeal from members of 4th Newtownabbey BB Company (left to right) Tsai, Dino, Ben and Lee with  Dr Henry.