Our Origin story
Giving Opportunity, not Charity.
WHY DO WE EXIST?
Sarah Hicks (known as ‘Boo’ to friends and family) lost her life to cancer in October 2002 at the age of 36. Sarah was a gentle, determined and caring person, with a wonderful spirit.
Sarah showed vast amounts of strength and drive throughout her later years as she searched for alternative treatment for her illness in Kenya. During that time she made many friends who were touched by the compassion and love she had for those less fortunate than herself. The impact Sarah had on countless people’s lives is hard to put into words.
Sarah would be proud to know that twenty years after her passing she has left an extraordinary legacy in Kenya which has helped provide a future for over 600 young ladies through the development of valuable life skills. This has led to some amazing stories of incredible young people coming out of poverty to establish their own successful businesses and enterprises. By helping children and young adults in a sustainable way the ‘Boo’ charity has made Sarah’s wish come true.
During Sarah’s time in Kenya she was touched by the emotion by two such young people Amos and Elisha.
“Don’t just give me a fish, teach me how to fish.” —
An orphaned youngster we met on our first trip to Kenya, 2003
Our ethos
The aim of Boo is to help Kenyan children who are disadvantaged through economic poverty. Projects include the provision of food, education, life-skills and emotional support. The overriding principle and ethos of Boo is to provide children with care, whilst nurturing and developing opportunities to lift them from poverty so that they no longer need to rely on charity.
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Boo is a virtual, internet based, low running cost charity. We have no processes that incur unnecessary costs, as this would divert money away from the children who need it the most. We believe in rewarding our supporters with openness and transparency in respect of all of our processes, operations and administration costs.
Our values
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Education
Education is the number one way to break the poverty cycle in Kenya. That’s why we support 3 early years projects in both the slums and rural areas - ensuring 4-6 year olds have the access to learning materials and food, as well as subsidising teacher’s and cooks wages. As well as funding our very own Life Skills Training Centre.
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Empowerment
Through empowerment classes, mentorship programs and sports, our students are provided with the knowledge and tools to take back control of their bodies, lives and futures. Our Kibera Football program not only encourages children to stay off the streets, it fosters community engagement, promotes healthier life choices and encourages children to attend our afterschool homework club.
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Employment
We have impacted over 20,000 young people in Kenya, from babies through to adulthood. Our Life Skills Centre’s sole purpose is to provide young adults with the trade and business skills they need to secure future employment. Not only have hundreds of students gone on to secure jobs in prosperous industries, we have seen over 100 independent businesses established across Kenya.
Our inspiration
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Elisha
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Amos
From the archives
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Boo has already made a huge impact on the lives of children in Kenya. However, every day, over 2 million children still go without food, clean water and education. We have the power to change lives, through education, empowerment and creating employment opportunities.
Please help us make a difference, one person at a time.