Hutton Dabaso Twinning Association was set up in 1999 as a result of a friendship between Mark Orchard and Geoffrey Chege. Chege took Mark to visit the village where he lived and Mark noticed that many children were sitting outside classrooms rather than inside. He was told that there was not enough room for everybody and that although the community was fundraising for another classroom it would take another 10 years to achieve their goal. Mark returned to the UK but went back shortly after with a team of builders and built not 1, but 3 new classrooms. During this trip Chege suggested that the 2 villages should be twinned and in November 1999 this idea became a reality.

Links have been created between the churches in Hutton & Dabaso as well as between the 2 primary schools. A medical post and library have also been built and these are now supported and staffed. The medical post has a nurse who is funded by Dr Pete Mak who visits whenever possible and holds surgeries. The library is staffed and funded by the Akili Trust a separate charity that we work with quite closely.

We believe that education is the key to the future and have provided a number of bursaries over the years. Currently we fund 1 child and are planning to create another bursary at the beginning of the new Kenyan academic year. We have continued to build additional classrooms when needed and have built new and refurbished existing toilet blocks. Canon Mweri Secondary School has been established and we have assisted by funding the building and fitting of several classrooms.

With the medical post we have funded medicines and assisted during the surgeries run by Dr Mak and his colleagues. During these surgeries we have issued mosquito nets to those with young children hoping that they will not become infected with malaria.

We are a small group of volunteers and our aim is to ensure that as much of the money raised reaches its intended destination as possible. Any visits are paid for by ourselves and expenses kept to a minimum.

registered charity number 1104624