Blessed Generation

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About us

Hoe het begon…

Ria Fennema, a teacher by profession, visited Kenya for the first time in 2000 as a volunteer in an orphanage during her summer vacation. When the orphanage was threatened with closure a year later, she felt called upon to take over the management and decided to leave Hurdegarijp in Friesland behind and settle permanently in Kenya.

In 2004, her husband Fester joined her, and together they broadened their horizons and replaced the orphanage with projects that focused on education, emergency shelter, and foster care.

Today, Blessed Generation is active at three locations in Kenya and offers children education, care, and a future. Together with around 100 qualified Kenyan employees, we are committed to giving vulnerable children another chance. This is done in close collaboration with the Kenyan child protection agency; see the letter of recommendation on the right.

More than just education...

We see education as the key to the future. At the same time, we look much broader than just the child and primary education. We make a conscious choice to continue with further education after primary school, to offer social guidance, and to support families before they fall apart. In this way, we increase social resilience and reduce risks such as crime, radicalization, and teenage pregnancies. We provide support in the form of medical care, housing, and nutrition. Only when there is no other option, and in consultation with child protection services, do we take the child into temporary care.

“True happiness comes from helping others.”

Ria Fennema

Education for over 1,400 children

From kindergarten to university – partly through our own elementary schools and secondary school.

Textbooks & uniforms

Funding for textbooks and uniforms for our students.

Food program

A food program at all BG locations for daily meals.

Outreach program.

Supporting children and their grandparents or other substitute parents and helping them move forward. This allows more children to grow up in their own environment.

Emergency shelter

Providing temporary shelter for children who urgently need a safe place to stay.

Foster care

Providing housing and further support to foster parents who are willing to take children into their families who are under the care of Blessed Generation.

Become a volunteer

Would you like to contribute? With your support, we can help even more children and families.

Become a volunteer

Our work is seen

Interview with Ria on EO Visie

In July 2018, radio producer Zegert van der Linde visited our Blessed Generation and interviewed Ria about her work and vision. Listen to the interview. text-decoration: underline;" href="https://visie.eo.nl/2017/11/het-kan-je-buurman-zijn/" target="_self">podcast to hear her inspiring story.

Albert Schweitzer Award of Excellence

In 2004, Ria received the Albert Schweitzer Award of Excellence from Chapman University in the US. This prestigious award recognizes people who, like Albert Schweitzer, dedicate their lives to serving humanity. read more

Faith as a starting point

Blessed Generation Kenya operates from a Christian perspective. In Kenya, everyone is religious, and having a faith is part of the culture. The country is home to Christians, Hindus, Muslims, and people with indigenous religions. Blessed Generation does not discriminate and helps children and their caregivers regardless of their religious background.

 

Results

Since our foundation, we have been able to help more than 1,400 children and their families. Former students have completed their education and often return once they have a job and family to volunteer or sponsor. For example, one of the first graduates—who now has a family of his own and works at a bank—has been a member of the board for several years.  

Local effect

In total, we provide employment for over a hundred employees, create safe zones, and strengthen the local economy by purchasing food, study and other materials, school uniforms, taxi rides, and construction and maintenance work.

Financial contributions

Donations & volunteers

Financially, we rely on donations and gifts. Fester and Ria do this work unpaid and are supported by donations from their own circle of family and friends.

Fundraising campaigns & visits

From the Netherlands, we receive donations through fundraising campaigns and from groups of volunteers who make physical contributions through sports, church, or their employers, often in connection with a visit or trip.

Construction trips & promotion

These construction trips generate a lot of promotional support in the Netherlands. Participants become attached to our projects and remain involved for a long time.

Partners & cost savings

Thanks to partners in the Netherlands (often companies), we are able to keep costs down. This means that over 99% of every euro donated goes to the children and our support work in Kenya.

Donations & volunteers

Financially, we rely on donations and gifts. Fester and Ria do this work unpaid and are supported by donations from their own circle of family and friends.

Fundraising campaigns & visits

From the Netherlands, we receive donations through fundraising campaigns and from groups of volunteers who make physical contributions through sports, church, or their employers, often in connection with a visit or trip.

Construction trips & promotion

These construction trips generate a lot of promotional support in the Netherlands. Participants become attached to our projects and remain involved for a long time.

Partners & cost savings

Thanks to partners in the Netherlands (often companies), we are able to keep costs down. This means that over 99% of every euro donated goes to the children and our support work in Kenya.

Meet Ria

Ria regularly spends time in the Netherlands. Would you like to meet her or invite her to talk about her work? Please contact Agnes Kuperus, who manages her schedule during her stay in the Netherlands.

And, of course, our ambassadors

We are very proud that Olympic champions Bob de Jong (speed skating) and Mark Huizinga (judo) are our ambassadors. Both have visited Blessed Generation in Kenya and are committed to helping children in Kenya.

Bob de Jong

“As a top athlete, I am happy to be able to contribute in a small way to a better world by being an ambassador for Blessed Generation. I thoroughly enjoyed helping to build the BG High School in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The children can go to school in their familiar surroundings and are well prepared for further education or trained to find a job themselves. ”
bobdejong.net

Mark Huizinga

“Ria, Fester, and their staff are doing amazing work in Kenya, offering comfort, hope, and a future to hundreds of people. Through regular contact with Ria Fennema and my own visit to Kenya, I am completely convinced that the children deserve all the support they can get.”
markhuizinga.nl

Download our official documents below

Stay involved

Would you like to stay informed about our projects, stories, and developments? Sign up for our newsletter. We will send you updates, interviews with students, and invitations to meetings.

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