Some might say that Sarah Hillman is living a double life. A Liberal Democrat town councillor from Frome, a mother of four, and the owner of a mobile catering service that serves Kenyan food at festivals such as Glastonbury, she is a more-than-familiar face in her home town. | "They have been out there and have actually seen what life is all about. It's not actually a story for them now - they were seeing it live." | | Sarah Hillman |
But Cllr Hillman is also the founder of an orphanage and charity based in the Eastern Province of Kenya. Mama Trust, founded in 2003, has 18 children in the home and 31 outside, and provides children with school fees, shelter and food. Its main aim is to help children affected by Aids across the region. It is a charity that is dedicated to making opportunities for those with little. Born and raised in Kenya, Sarah is all too familiar with the way of life for some of the children in the east African country. But in a move to raise awareness in her local community, she decided to take a group of pupils, teachers and social workers from Frome in April 2006 to see the reality of poverty in the developing world in a region where HIV affects 80 per cent of children.
"The idea of taking the group out to Kenya was for them to see it first hand - for them to see what my vision was and for them to have that experience themselves. "They have been out there and have actually seen what life is all about. It's not actually a story for them now - they were seeing it live." Kitui, where the orphanage is based, is in the Eastern Province of the country, a poor area where the red earthy roads are rarely met with fresh tires of western travellers' trucks exploring the region. Westerners normally choose the dusty road of safari parks in Kenya. But this less-trodden path provided them with a therapeutic experience, which was a real eye-opener. As the group travelled under the seemingly endless skyline and through the limitless horizons that stood in front and behind them, they saw a side of Kenya that was removed from the typical postcard images.
The group found no running water, no electricity, and none of the luxuries and things that they considered essentials in their life were nowhere to be seen. A typical day consisted of spending time with orphans in their simple lives who had to deal with the tragic deaths of their parents. But despite the desperation of the children's situation, the group found a surprising generosity and willingness to share. "Everyone there were so happy," said Morten Mitchard, a student from Frome College. "If you took an English person and made them live here, they would be sad all of the time. But they are always happy. It is surprising considering their circumstances." "It was so sad. We have everything and they have nothing, but they are still happy," said Evette Hillman, the youngest of Sarah Hillman's children.
Muli David, a nine-year-old child who has lived at the orphanage since his mother passed away from Aids, is one of the best examples of the charity's work.
Too young to understand what was happening when his mother was ill, he stayed with her dead body for three days unaware that she had died. But the boy, who is dressed from head to toe in clothes passed down through the charity, has a sense of appreciation that is uncommon from children in the UK. Within the blue walls of the orphanage, one could see an appreciation for the simple things: the pleasure they gained from completing chores, from a wheelchair that the children used in a game to push each other around, and a toy car made only from a sheet of scrap metal and bottle caps for wheels, which would hardly meet health and safety standards in the UK. All of these things added to the charm of a place where children were stuck in poverty. Pete D'arby, a schoolteacher from Frome, said: "It has been an honour for me to some out here. The pupils are so welcoming and the culture is amazing."
The charity successfully set up a new nursery school for the very young who could not afford to pay for the first step of their education. In Kenya, although primary education is now government funded, children must first pass through nursery education, which is not free. This creates an obstacle for many children and is something that the charity wishes to address. Mama Trust wishes to continue taking groups from Frome to Kenya as volunteers and is planning the next trip in April 2007. Alan Tyson, a member of the charity, believes that people need to see the problems in order to understand that "many children are still being left behind". Commitment from the charity has helped to improve life for the children. "Sometimes I just sit here now that I am back and think, my God, how much we take for granted.
"I have learnt so much out there, and I will continue to learn so much every time I go out there. "I say that everyone in the group I take out will learn, but to be honest it is me that learning each time I go out as well." Chenzira Williams, 13, from London, added: "I hope that people in the UK can stop being selfish and help people in the poorest parts of the world." To those who thought Sarah Hillman was living a double life and travelled with her to Kenya, they learnt that both Kitui and Frome were under the same sky. Maybe the experience brought the world of poverty and simplicity just that little bit closer to home. Watch films about the visit: For more information on the children's home, and if you are interested in volunteering in Kenya, please visit this website: | 
