Mary beats the odds to bring 10 years of Double Joy to Kenyan Aids orphans

An article by Judith Coyle

TEN YEARS ago Mary Hinde was due to retire. She had spent 20 years teaching in Africa with her husband, Maurice, borne two children, adopted two others and, latterly, become widowed.

But she didn’t retire. Instead she decided to help children orphaned by the AIDS crisis in Kenya, where around 500 people die each day from AIDS and around 730,000 Kenyan children have become orphans because their parents have died of the disease. She wanted to build Double Joy orphanage to: “Double the children’s joy and halve their troubles.”

Her ideas and enthusiasm were met with scepticism and hostility – even from the people of Bondo village, West Kenya, whom she sought to help. What, they asked, could this fifty-plus English woman do to help those in this isolated, poverty-stricken, drought-ridden land, 65 miles from the nearest city, where the death toll was spiraling every day? Even major charities turned her down.

But Mary, born in Lancaster, Lancashire and educated at Morecambe Grammar School, was very determined and now Double Joy is entering its second decade and Mary, her children, all those who work there and those who support it across the globe, are truly saving lives.

Chrissie Hinde, Mary’s daughter, who now lives in Sheffield, helps run the Friends of Double Joy, which fundraises for the life-saving work. She said: “Double Joy Children’s Farm is now the area’s largest employer; people aspire to work there. Firstly, because it really is a happy place, but also because the monthly wages - £60 for a teacher, £55 for a house parent – make such a huge difference to the quality of life there, not just for employees but for their families and extended families.”

She added: “The Children’s Officer visited Double Joy in 2005 and has declared that it should be held up as a national example of how an orphanage should be run. Studies have shown that children who attend Double Joy are healthier and more successful than other local children who do not.”

The orphanage’s success comes out of its policies: an emphasis on individualism; a non-competitive atmosphere where the children help each other; positive reinforcement and a sparing use of punishment. Underpinning these is a commitment to family life. “The children live in houses on the complex and we always house siblings together. Our staffing ratio is excellent too – one teacher to two pupils – and we run small classes.”

Among the success stories are Christopher Odera, now in his 20s, who runs a carpentry business locally, and David Onyango, who is training to become a priest. Some of the girls have gone on to secondary education while others run tailoring businesses.

So how did Mary, now in her late 60s, turn what seemed like a hair-brained scheme into the success it is today? She used a small legacy from her father, engineer Geoffrey Alston, to buy a small piece of land, then she sought out funding wherever she could.

Her single-mindedness and the fact that she had previously built a school in Africa began to convince people. Money came from churches in America, Kenya and Great Britain, from Lancaster churches such as St Paul’s Scotforth, The Quakers and St Peter’s Cathedral. The rest came from admiring friends and relations who soon formed the Friends of Double Joy (FoDJ). Building began and the children began to arrive in Spring 1995.

Double Joy’s latest achievement has been the installation of electricity which is nearly up and running. “Our next goal is to get a telephone line that works consistently.”

Meanwhile fundraising continues, especially in North Lancashire, where Mary still has many friends, and through her adopted son, Eric Roseden, a learning disabilities nurse from Newsham Road, Lancaster.

Eric said: “We’ve had sponsored belly-dancing; people giving us money in lieu of wedding and birthday gifts; church collections; proceeds of craft work and car boot sales, donations in lieu of lunch at training events, work-place collections; fundraising by several schools and Scout Groups, Christmas Carol singers, fundraising gigs, Green Party Fairs, jam sales and many others. These events raised £12,610 just this year!”

Lancaster singers, Gladly Solemn are donating 50 per cent of proceeds from the sale of their CD and FoDJ has just introduced gift tokens which begin at £5.

“People like giving to smaller charities,” said Eric, “and gift tokens are an easy way to help the children.”

This article was written by Judith Coyle, a partner in Becker & Coyle, who undertake journalism, PR and editing and who support Double Joy. Contact Judith on:

Telephone: 01524 60383
Mobile: 0778 177 0324
E-mail: judith@judithcoyle.co.uk