Phyllis Keino Explained

Phyllis Keino is a Kenyan philanthropist known for her work with the Lewa Children's Home and the Baraka Farm, which serve orphaned and impoverished children in Eldoret, Kenya.[1]

She was the wife of the Olympian runner Kip Keino with whom she founded the orphanage and farm. In addition to the work with the Lewa Children's House and the Baraka Farm, she serves as the volunteer spokesperson for the non-governmental organization Bread and Water for Africa.[2]

Life

Keino became a registered nurse in 1976 after several years of training, during which time she became committed to improving the lives of orphans and abandoned children living in poverty.[3] In partnership with her husband Kip Keino, she undertook numerous humanitarian efforts including founding the Lewa Children's Home, Kazi Mingi Farm, Baraka Farm, and the Kipkeino schools in Eldoret.[4]

In 1987, she organized with a Benedictine priest to secure funding to acquire 500 acres of land from the Craig family, members of the Lewa Conservatory, on which she could construct a home for orphans and children living in poverty.[5] [6]

In 2003, Phyllis and Kip had significant disagreements which led to their separation and a split between her humanitarian efforts and his foundations.[7] She has given birth to eight children with Kip Keino and has adopted many others.[8] [9]

Humanitarian work

Lewa Children's Home
Keino is the founder and director of the Lewa Children's Home in Eldoret which serves orphans from all over Kenya.[10]

The home provides food, shelter, healthcare, education, clothing, and counseling regularly for over 80 children with three full-time caretakers in addition to Keino and her mother.[11] In addition, over 190 children receive food, clothing and money for school fees through Lewa's home-base sponsorship program annually.[12]

A 2014 profile estimated over 600 children have been housed at the orphanage since its creation.[4] While Kip used his winnings to provide much of the initial funding, he credits Phyllis with maintaining the orphanage saying, "My wife is the one who has organized and made this work."[8]

Kipkeino School
Keino is the founder and director of the Kipkeino Primary School which was founded in 1999 to provide education for the children in the Lewa Children's Home and the Eldoret area.[13]

Baraka Farm
As part of her management of the orphanage, Phyllis is also the director of the Baraka Farm, founded in the mid-1990s, which provides food for the orphanage and the school as well as providing hands-on agricultural training for youth.[14]

Bread and Water for Africa
Keino is the volunteer spokesperson for Bread and Water for Africa.[15]

Awards and honors

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Phyllis Keino. Better By Half. 10 August 2016.
  2. Web site: Abrahamson. Alan. Grand Kenyans. https://web.archive.org/web/20160919025436/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/feb/25/sports/sp-30539/2. dead. 19 September 2016. The Los Angeles Times. 23 September 2016. 25 February 2001.
    - Web site: The Immortals:The Keinos have always set the pace. The Standard. 23 September 2016. 18 August 2016.
    - Web site: Keino's wife has different view of snow. https://www.webcitation.org/6kd5JGDpi?url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0ED02A3D99D9F6CF?p=AWNB. dead. 19 September 2016. USA Today. 23 September 2016. 5 January 1988.
  3. Web site: Interview With Phyllis Keino. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911030353/http://africanrelief.org/2010/06/30/phyllis-interview/. dead. September 11, 2016. Bread and Water for Africa. 10 August 2016.
  4. Web site: Gillon. Doug. Keino's remarkable legacy runs deep in the Rift Valley. The Herald . Scotland. 23 September 2016. 4 April 2014.
  5. Oduol, Malowa, "Against All Odds", African Woman Magazine
  6. News: Zacharias. Yvonne. Orphanage built from scratch: Child abandonment and death from AIDS keeps rural Kenyan sanctuary awash in children. The Vancouver Sun. 24 September 2005.
  7. News: Okoth. Omulo. Domestic Wrangling Rocks Kipchoge's Orphan Children. Africa News Service. The East African Standard. 18 August 2003.
  8. News: Drape. Joe. Special Calling. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 10 March 1996.
  9. News: Dorr Jr.. Vic. Path Less Traveled-In Long Run, Keino Differs from Father. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1 November 2002.
  10. Web site: Lewa Children's Home. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820232328/http://goldertrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/GTO_Snapshot-Lewa_Childrens_Home_and_Baraka_Farm.pdf. dead. August 20, 2016. Golder Trust for Orphans. 10 August 2016.
  11. Sarah Curry and Kelvin Gichohi, Lewa Projects Report, June 2011
  12. Christian Relief Service Charities Annual Report, 2006
  13. Web site: History . https://web.archive.org/web/20160916005028/http://www.kmf.org.uk/history.html. dead. September 16, 2016. The Kazi Mingi Foundation. 10 August 2016.
  14. Web site: Baraka Farm Kenya. https://web.archive.org/web/20100923152258/http://www.barakafarmkenya.org/. dead. September 23, 2010. Baraka Farm. 10 August 2016.
  15. http://africanrelief.org/about-us/staff-a-boards/ Bread and Water for Africa: Staff
  16. Web site: Annual Report. https://web.archive.org/web/20160823003855/http://crscfamily.org/images/CRSC_2006_AnnualReport.pdf. dead. August 23, 2016. 2006. Christian Relief Services Charities. 10 August 2016.
  17. Web site: 2010 World of Difference Award Recipients. https://web.archive.org/web/20160922182842/http://www.tiaw.org/page/2010_award_winners. dead. September 22, 2016. The International Alliance for Women. 10 August 2016.

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