SAWA-Someone A World Away

Background Statement

In 2013, SAWA founder Cara Lawler decided to pursue her dream of travelling to Africa. She volunteered for 3 months at El Shadai Grace Centre in Nairobi Kenya. On her first day, she met the 25 children dressed in old, torn clothing. They slept 3-4 to a bed in a dilapidated rental home with no running water or electricity. Despite their state of poverty and their horrifying pasts, the kids smiled, sang and danced. She was moved by their strength and resilience and the pure joy in their hearts. She and her fellow volunteers immediately went to work to improve the living conditions at the orphanage. They killed bedbugs, painted rooms, fixed the roof and the staircase, bought mattresses and pillows and new backpacks for the kids. But it was clear that there needed to be an effort towards a permanent solution. When Cara returned to the USA she founded SAWA-Someone A World Away, to support the children at the orphanage. Funds were raised for rent, food, clothing, education, school supplies, and medical care. But most exciting- SAWA purchased a plot of land in 2015 and started building them a new home. Construction of a safe, new orphanage for these children (and many more in the future) was completed in November 2019 and today the children enjoy the comfort and safety of their new home. For many of the children, it was their first experience of running water, indoor plumbing(their first warm shower!), electricity for lighting when they work on their homework after dark and their very own bed with a clean mattress, sheets and pillow. Today, SAWA continues to provide funds for utilities, maintenance of the orphanage, medical care and other recurring expenses. However, from the beginning, SAWA has made the children's education a priority. School fees, uniforms, school supplies and books are covered by donations. The goal is to support the education expenses of the children at least through completion of secondary school. This year, SAWA has been able to initiate assistance for the graduated young adults in continued education or job training. The process involves helping with accessing records, submitting applications, researching housing and providing temporary financial help. Completing secondary school will be meaningless if the children cannot transition to independence outside of the orphanage. We are excited to continue to explore the possibilities of this next phase of support.