About us
The Red Rubber Ball Foundation is an independent, UK registered charity, with no political, tribal, or religious allegiance.
We have supported boys and girls from all backgrounds in 33 of the 47 counties of Kenya.
Our only criteria is that they need our help.
The Red Rubber Ball Foundation was set up by Neil Kirby – here he explains why we do what we do.
Our efforts are all voluntary – Neil gives 5% of his business income to the Foundation and an even greater percentage of his time.
This means that all fundraising, governance, and administration costs are fully covered.
So we can guarantee that every penny donated goes 100% to our projects.
Our Trustees
Our Trustees meet regularly to oversee all aspects of our work, our strategy, and our activities.
The Trustees are all voluntary and receive no payment for the time and energy they put in to making sure that we do what we say we will do and that the funds you provide are used in the right way.
And we have a Kenya Board which meets each month to oversee our projects and advise on local needs and priorities.
This Board is representative of the community, with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and experiences.
Here is a little more about our Kenya Board members.
Read the Red Rubber Ball Philosophy.
And we are grateful for the support of two amazing women.
Grandma Sarah Obama
Grandma Sarah was a strong believer in education having seen the impact first hand. She raised Barack Obama Snr before he won a scholarship to study in America. As we all know, his son went on to become President of the USA and the deep affection for his Grandma is clear in his book, “Dreams from my Father”.
Grandma Sarah lived in Kogelo near to our Education Farm and always took a close interest in that project and our scholarships, caring for orphans and supporting nearby widows & grandmothers.
Jane Obinchu
Jane Obinchu was the primary school head teacher whose story was portrayed by British actress Naomie Harris in the film “The First Grader”.
Jane was our keynote speaker our workshop in Nairobi in 2014 and told how Kimane Maruge turned up one day demanding his free place at school. Maruge was 84 years old – not the typical age for a primary school pupil!
Despite opposition from within the education system and local community, Jane gave Maruge the chance to read and write and news of his case gained worldwide attention. Maruge was invited to speak to the United Nations in New York.
Jane cares deeply that all children should receive an education, giving them the chance to escape poverty and we are honoured that she has chosen to bless the children we sponsor and provide encouragement to our projects by becoming our Patron.
It’s so good to have an encourager who walks the talk
We are delighted to be following their example and with Grandma Sarah and Jane’s encouragement we have grown our scholarship programme.
Beginning with John in January 2011, we have now helped 243 young Kenyans to attend school and receive an education.
Why this work is so important
A recent study showed that almost 40% of men and women aged 20 to 35 in Nyanza province are HIV positive.
The HIV/AIDS rate combined with malaria and other diseases leaves many orphans and families so poor that education becomes a luxury they simply cannot afford. We can do something about that.
This is why Grandma Sarah supports our work. Would you like to?