Beat the Sun Following the huge success of the 2025 fundraiser, which saw 18 cyclists ride from coast to coast to “Beat the Sun”and raise over £19,000, GEF are bringing it back for another year. At sunrise on the 20th of June 2026, a group of cyclists will set off from Peterhead Harbour on an...
Ashvale Race Night Join us for a fantastic evening of fun, food & fundraising in aid of GEF from 7-10pm on Thursday 26th February 2026 at The Ashvale, 42-48 Great Western Road, Aberdeen. A fun-filled evening where you can enjoy thrilling horse races, delicious food, and great company. Get ready to place your bets and...
12-year-old Velma is currently in Class 5 of Primary school but lives with the daily fear of being sent home due to unpaid fees. Despite the challenges, she remains hopeful for a brighter future. She and her family were displaced by the 2007 post-election violence in Rift Valley and later settled in Turkana. They now...
15 year old Teresa has had an incredibly tough life, and due to several reasons, she is now only in Primary 4. Teresa lives at Pavilion Village children’s Home after being rescued due to extreme poverty and neglect. She and her younger brother were out of school for a long time. Sadly, their mother was...
12-year-old Susan lives with her mother Mary, grandmother, and two siblings. The family faced a difficult past – after experiencing mistreatment from their father, Mary moved the children to live with their grandmother for safety. Mary struggles to provide for the family, especially with food and school fees. A later remarriage brought hope, but her...
Oscar was just 6 when his parents left and never came back. He was found alone and scared by his grandparents, who have cared for him ever since — despite being elderly, frail, and unable to work. Now in Grade 3, Oscar is bright, disciplined, and eager to learn, but he’s often sent home because...
15-year-old Lina comes from a humble background and lives with her father and three siblings. In 2021, her dad was involved in an accident that left him with physical limitations. Though he has recovered better than expected, he is unable able to do physically demanding work. He sells plastic utensils to provide for the family,...
Joan is in her final year of primary school and has continued to meet expectations in her tests despite facing significant challenges at home. After losing both her mother and grandmother, Joan was left in the care of her grandfather, Joseph, who lives with epilepsy and mental health challenges. He now looks after Joan and...
Irene is a bright and hardworking student in her final year of high school. She dreams of becoming a doctor and consistently ranks among the top in her class. But despite her strong performance, Irene’s education is constantly under threat. She is often sent home due to unpaid school fees, forcing her to miss valuable...
Francis, his brother and sister are cared for by their grandmother, who struggles to provide them with food, clothing and an education. Tragically, their mum was the victim of rape, and from that Francis’ 2 siblings were born. Since the attack she has faced mental health challenges which make it difficult for her to care...
At just 14, Dorcas has faced more hardship than any child should have to. After losing her mother to cancer in 2020, she was briefly reunited with her absent father – only for him to disappear again. She now lives in a single-room mud house, sharing the space with her brothers, without beds or basic...
Calvin’s father died because they couldn’t afford the medication he needed. After an epileptic seizure and fall in June 2025, the family couldn’t pay for proper care—or even his burial, until the hospital waived part of the bill. Now in Grade 5, Calvin carries that pain with purpose: she dreams of becoming a Doctor so...
12 year old Ashley is a bright and determined student who loves education, despite facing significant challenges. She lives with asthma which occasionally affects her ability to learn and attend school. She is often regularly sent home due to a lack of fees. However, she remains committed to her studies and does her best to...
Before receiving support from GEF, Abigael and her brother Francis lived with their grandparents in a crumbling home – broken furniture, holes in the roof and walls, and no protection from the rain. They often had to sleep under umbrellas just to stay dry. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, including contributions from last...
This is the story of me, an 18-year-old girl travelling to Kenya alone with, a bright orange t-shirt, a suitcase full of tools and a false belief that I would be handy with a hammer. It may seem like a recipe for disaster, but really, it turned out to be the best experience I have...
Volunteering can be a transformative experience, offering individuals the chance to make a tangible impact on the lives of others. The Gathimba Edwards Foundation (GEF), a charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable children in Kenya, has attracted volunteers from all walks of life. In this article we hear from two of the charity’s loyal volunteers on...
Part 1 can be found here With the children staring at us and our bags, wondering what was inside, I decided to open a couple of donated board games – Connect 4, Snakes & Ladders and also some jigsaw puzzles. Excitement levels went through the roof. They pushed and shoved to be the first to...
A series of events over a number of years led to myself and GEF Operations Co-ordinator, David Sagida spending Monday night on a mud floor in a house with no electricity or furniture. Here’s how it all came about. We first met 19 year old Zeddy Chirchir from Kibendo in April 2015. Two years earlier,...
Leave a Legacy By leaving a gift in your will to GEF you can help ensure that the vital work we do in Kenya and north-east Scotland continues to make a lasting difference for generations to come. If you already have a will, you can easily update it by working with your solicitor. Whether you...
In north-east Scotland, families with disabled children are forced to choose between covering basic bills and essentials or providing the specialist equipment and therapies their loved ones urgently need for a quality of life we all deserve. £50 a month can play a vital role in ensuring they no longer have to make that impossible...
Lunch and Learn In addition to our Group Presentations, we also deliver inspiring and informative Lunch & Learn sessions at your place of work. These focus more specifically on the work we do to support children and their families in Kenya and north-east Scotland, the challenges they face, success stories and how you can...
From his family being homeless in 2015 to graduating with a degree in Economics and Finance in 2024, Gibson’s story is one of self belief, resilience and selflessness. In the face of adversity, his mum Lucy has single handedly raised 6 wonderful children who each have great attitudes, humility and potential. GEF volunteers were honoured...
We are incredibly proud of our 51 volunteers who in October 2015 helped us build a new 16 bed dormitory for the children at the Pavilion Village children's home and a 3 bedroom house for Judy and her family in Iruri. This wouldn't have been possible without the support of Stewart Milne Group who flew...
Eight year old Melvine dreams of becoming a teacher one day but she is at risk of never completing school. Since losing her dad life has become very tough. Melvine, her mum and two sisters living an arid area of Kenya where access to food and water are limited. On top of this she is...
Whitney and her two younger brothers lost both their parents in 2018 and are now cared for by their aunt, who also has two secondary school aged children. The six of them stay in an extremely small single room house struggle to afford regular meals. Whitney’s aunt does all she can for the survival of...
Wendy is regularly out of school and has limited access to food and water due to living in an arid area of Kenya. Life then became even tougher when she lost her dad, whose job had brought in vital income for the family. Wendy’s mum suffers from ill health which requires medication, and this not...
Samuel lost his mum at a young age and now lives with his grandmother. Due to poor health and her elderly years, his grandmother is unable to work, which means they often go to sleep hungry and struggle to afford other basic needs. Samuel is in Primary 1 and really enjoys school when he is...
Brian lost his dad during the Covid-19 pandemic and since then life has been very difficult. He is currently at a crucial stage in his education, preparing to complete Junior Secondary, but is regularly being sent home due to a lack of fees and other school requirements. Due to health challenges, the work opportunities available...
Six year old Yona often goes a full day without a meal and his family are regularly locked out of their home by the landlord due to them struggling to make rental payments. Yona is in Primary 1 of public school but only spends around half of the time in school due to being sent...
After contracting meningitis as a baby, Abigael has lived with cerebral palsy, being non-verbal and unable to walk. For many years her parents had to carry her everywhere due to being unable to afford a wheelchair. However, thanks to one-off donations from GEF supporters, last year we were able to provide a wheelchair, beds and...
Despite his young age, Kevin has had a traumatic life. Following the death of his dad, Kevin’s uncles treated him, his siblings and mum badly, resulting in them being forced out of the family home. They moved in with their grandmother who sadly passed away soon after. All of this, in addition to their mum...
Abigael and her two siblings lost their mum suddenly in 2023 and are now cared for by their grandmother. Despite being regularly sent home from school due to a lack of fees, Abigael is determined to do well at school and doesn’t let her situation diminish her dreams. Abigael’s grandmother said: “I decided to support...
Jefferson loves secondary school, but he is close to being sent home if we are not able to find a sponsor to support his school fees. Previously, the family endured some very difficult times as a result of domestic violence. However, we are delighted to say that they are now living in a safe new...
Joy lost her dad during the Covid-19 pandemic and since then life has been very difficult. Due to health challenges, the work opportunities available to Joy’s mum, Lucy, are limited and when work is available, long days pay the equivalent of £2. This makes it extremely difficult for her to afford Joy and her 2...
Philomena lost her mum in a tragic road accident and ever since then has been regularly sent home from school due to a lack of fees and often goes to sleep hungry. Since losing their mum, Philomena and her four siblings have lived with their grandmother and depend on her small income from irregular jobs...
In July 2023, our group of 39 local and international volunteers along with 8 members of the GEF team build three new fully furnished, solar powered homes for three families in five and a half days; a record fast time for a group of GEF volunteers. Having previously experienced domestic abuse and homelessness, these three...
John is the perfect example of both determination and the power of education. With GEF support he recently completed a BSC in Clinical Medicine at Jomo Kenyatta University and is working as a Doctor in Karatina. His journey was not easy. John’s mum and dad work hard as coffee farmers but struggled to earn enough...
Tyler is an inspirational young boy in Aberdeenshire who suffers from spina bifida. So far we have supported Tyler with a specialised bath seat and up seat/walker thanks to sponsorship from the Westhill and District Roundtable group. In addition to this we have been able to purchase the below custom built bicycle for him to...
5 year old Anna has a condition which affects her mobility, and uses a wheelchair to get around. She also has a blood condition which means it can be dangerous if she gets cuts and scrapes. Anna and her Mum Lyn were living in a flat without flooring, with exposed rough areas making it dangerous...
These wonderful Twin sisters Elsa and Ella both have cerebral palsy. They both face different challenges relating to their diagnosis, but they both require a wheelchair to get around. When we met them, their Mum, Nicole, was often trying to manoeuvre two heavy wheelchairs on her own when walking the girls to nursery, while big...
Evie suffered from cerebral palsy, severe dystonia and resistant epilepsy which brought huge challenges to her and her family. We have had the pleasure of getting to know them since first meeting in 2018. The love, patience, happiness and reluctance to ask anyone for help humbled and inspired us to do something to make their...
MJ sadly passed away aged 11 in October 2023, but throughout his life he smiled in the face of pain and adversity. He was strong, sweet, positive and determined and lit up every room he was in with his beautiful smile. MJ was born in 2011 with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. This meant that he was...
Stoyan is autistic and has global development delay. He thrives on sensory feedback. His Mum applied to our Neil Jaffrey initiative for a specialist swing for their garden so Stoyan could experience the delight of play and inclusion as he has outgrown most of the things he enjoyed at the park. The swing brings Stoyan...
Seth and his two sisters live in Kenya’s arid area, Turkana, where droughts and water shortages are frequent. They live in a temporary built 2-bedroom house on a small piece of land owned by the family, their mother works hard to ensure they all have something to eat at the end of the day, but...
Velma and her parents settled in Turkana after being displaced following the 2007 post-election violence in Rift Valley. Velma and her 5 siblings now stay in an ancestral home with 2-rooms, while it is small they are lucky they have no rent to pay. The parents share one bedroom, their 18-year-old son sleeps in the...
Caxton's father sadly passed away a few years back, he was a great supporter of GEF, volunteered several times during the construction of houses built by our team and local community, and he was very committed to providing his children with an education. Sadly when he passed the family's situation changed greatly as his job...
Mel started working with us part time in January 2024. She is responsible for grant applications and coordinating our north-east Scotland activity which supports local disabled children and their families. We were very lucky to receive support through GEF for my disabled son Matthew, and the difference it made to our lives was incredible. We...
Before GEF support, Brilyn lived with her mum and brother in a single rented room without electricity. She shared a bed with her mum and her brother slept on a basic couch and was often sent home from school due to unpaid fees, which meant she missed many crucial classes and her grades suffered. Through...
Education has been at the heart of GEF since 2014 and was also the theme for our 10th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday 18th May 2024 at Thainstone Centre. Funds raised from the event, which is headline sponsored by Phil Anderson Financial Services Ltd, will go towards: Paying the school, college and university fees of children...
My name is Bilha, I was born in Uasin Gishu County but later relocated to Nyeri County after the post-election violence in 2007. During this time our life really changed since the lifestyle we had been living before changed and we had to adapt to the new life because we were living in a camp....