Axelsson and de Bruyne became aware of the poverty that enslaves the aspirations of orphaned children in Kenya during an anthropology class taught by Debra Curtis, an assistant professor in Salve’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
The duo and other Salve Regina students spent their summers volunteering at an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. “Salve Regina is a Catholic university and it is mission-driven. We traveled to Kenya, and we have never looked back,” said de Bruyne, raised in Cambridge, England.
Axelsson, raised in Cape May, N.J., and de Bruyne said they were frustrated by the substandard conditions of the orphanage in Nairobi. In an effort to address the poor lives endured by many Kenyans, they united with Toby Storie-Pugh, de Bruyne’s childhood friend from England, and developed the nonprofit organization Flying Kites in 2007.
De Bruyne, executive director of Flying Kites, said she felt like the By Grace orphanage where she had volunteered at “was just raising money to put food on the table, and it is no longer permissible for children to be warehoused and just eating rice.”
“Our philosophy at Flying Kites is to do the best we can for the children. These children have been thrown away, and we have an obligation to give them the best of everything,” said Axelsson, director of development at Flying Kites.
Flying Kites has 16 orphans from the ages of 3 to 13 living in its home, and 50 children attending its school, which is on about 10 acres of land in the Kinangop region of Kenya near the Aberdares Mountains.
“We are aware of human dignity. We insisted on having running water for the children, and want to make sure the children are always clean,” said Storie-Pugh, chairman of Flying Kites.
The vision for Flying Kites became a reality when Storie-Pugh, de Bruyne and Axelsson were introduced to Kenyan businessman Benson N’Deritu in July 2007.
N’Deritu, who owns a country home in Kinangop, which sits atop a valley of six acres of well-irrigated land, had a passion for orphaned children, and he agreed to donate five acres of his land and became a partner with Flying Kites.
According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children Report (2008) there were 46.6 million orphaned children in sub-Saharan African in 2007. Kenya has between 60,000 and 80,000 children living on the streets, and more than 2.3 million orphans according to Flying Kites.
To raise awareness about the persistent problem of abandoned children in Africa, Flying Kites produced a short video that displays the squalid conditions in the slums of Nairobi.
De Bruyne narrates the 15-minute video, “Dear Professor Curtis: A letter home, from the real world,” and emphasizes the need for Flying Kites’ mission to nurture orphans in Kenya.
Loose chickens, dirty markets and a man frying fish on a roadside paint a scene of the unsanitary conditions, which are ripe for disease.
Axelsson and de Bruyne are then seen caring for a boy with AIDS who is looked after by an older brother whose parents died of the disease. “I barely passed biology, and I’m this child’s best shot. The best care this boy gets is two blondes,” says de Bruyne during the video.
The video takes a grim turn when de Bruyne discusses the plight of a child found behind a cardboard box who she and Axelsson care for. The orphan had measles, a fever and rotting gums, and could be heard crying as his teeth were pulled.
De Bruyne then remarks how unbelievable it is that there are no vaccines available for measles, malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis for orphans in Kenya.
De Bruyne notes that the Kinangop home for children has the fish tilapia, orchards with pears, plums and honey, running water and clean air. “We are focusing on excellence, not a short-term strategy. We must stop calling these children orphans, and start thinking of them as children,” says de Bruyne.
Storie-Pugh then says “if Africa is going down, it’s going down with one hell of a fight,” as the video ends. The video may be viewed on the Rhode Island Catholic Web site at www.thericatholic.com keyword: Kenya
He said it costs about $2,000 a year per child at Flying Kites’ home for children, and there is a staff of 11 Kenyans at the home and school in Kinangop. Storie-Pugh and de Bruyne split their time between Newport and Kenya as well.
Flying Kites hopes to eventually have 150 children living in 10 houses in its rural settings, and prepare its students for universities worldwide.
"In a huge orphanage you're just a number. Imagine if you're a five-year-old, and you can't show anyone your drawing. These children have faith in life and they love God," said de Bruyne.
Flying Kites kicked off a $1.5 million capital campaign last Wednesday with the premiere of its documentary, “Flying Kites: They Dared to Dream. We Dared to Listen,” in Newport.
The film chronicled former Salve Regina students as they aided orphans in Nairobi’s slums. Flying Kites plans to have the film for sale on it Web site at FlyingKitesGlobal.org this month.
Storie-Pugh said Flying Kites recently received a $60,000 grant from Rhode Island philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein for its school project in Kinangop. Those seeking additional information, such a internship or volunteering opportunities should visit Flying Kites Web site or call its Thames Street office at (401) 619-5919.
