Raise the Roof Kenya was set up three years ago by Holly Bantleman, a camera operator for Sky Sports. She is from Hanwell so is also local. 

 Holly had been on a sabbatical to travel and ended up in Kenya, in an area called Nakuru, a couple of hours north of Nairobi. While there she met, worked and fell in love with people living in communities on dump sites. There were no shelters and they were going into a stormy season living under tarpaulin or in cardboard boxes. 

 She came home with the aim to raise just £500 to provide tin roofing for shelters. But once she completed that, and had returned to spend more time there, she began to feel there was more she could do. There was no education available and children looked forward to little or no prospects. For boys it could literally be shovelling sand for 30p a day and girls found themselves washing clothes for little return. 

 She began to ask what else was needed, and three things came up:

- educational facilities and teachers

- medical facilities for all the family

- training in entrepreneurship - agriculture and tailoring being two examples. 

 In February 2013, Holly and her team opened The Barut Youth Development and Sports Centre to its first 50 young people. Students have to work hard to graduate but they are now graduating and with more skills and better prospects than ever before. You can find out a bit more here: www.raisetheroofkenya.com and hear Holly's story here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6VIgPQMKdQ&feature=player_embedded

 All because one person decided to help and other people decided to help her help. 

 Recently there have been very bad storms and the roofing has been ripped off the school building in 100 mile an hour winds. While they've managed to keep classes going in a neighbouring unfinished building, it's been a huge knock after three years gritty persistence to get the centre open this year. It's going to cost £10k to get a new roof on that building. 

Here's where I come in. Holly joined our Ealing Athena group over the summer and when she came back in September I was shocked at how tired and down she was (not Holly at all). When we found out what had happened we decided to get together as a network and help.

 “The Athena Network (www.theathenanetwork.co.uk/JoanneSumner)  is all about women who decide to get something done supporting, inspiring, and helping each other – whether it’s set up a business, meet a new need in the market, or make things happen for charity.

That’s why we decided to make Raise the Roof ‘our’ charity. And now we’re asking you to help! Please donate, whether it’s your time, your money, or your skill. All three are needed.

Donations can be made right here…

Your own fundraising activities (like the gorgeous Tom and Andrew running half marathons in aid of Raise the Roof) can be connected to us via our team page here.

https://www.justgiving.com/teams/theathenanetworkwestlondon

Your time and skill can be donated by getting in touch with Holly  to see how you can help.  ( holly@raisetheroofkenya.com) 

xx