Support from the Christmas raffle reaches sponsored children in need in Kenya

Thanks to Dentists for Africa’s 2025 Christmas raffle, urgently needed supplies were once again distributed to particularly needy sponsored children in Kenya. Even during the pre-Christmas period, supporters and donors—though in Germany, “donor” is sufficient—had already funded school uniforms, shoes, bags, learning materials, mattresses, bedspreads, and other essential everyday items.

“The original plan was to distribute the gifts from the voucher campaign in late December or early January, when the students were on vacation and could come to the sponsorship office in Nyabondo,” explains Francis Mwai Opyio, a staff member at Dentists for Africa’s Kenyan sponsorship office. “However, since school started earlier than expected this time, the team was unable to get the campaign up and running in time.” As a result, the distribution took place during the Easter break in April. Many children therefore affectionately referred to the support packages as their “Easter gifts.” “The children were very aware of the support—and so was the local team. The gratitude was clearly palpable,” reports Francis.

Distributions were carried out through the sponsorship office in Nyabondo, directly at schools, or via individual mailings. Some students received M-Pesa transfers in the amount of the voucher so they could purchase necessary supplies themselves and keep transportation costs as low as possible. “In the end, we were able to reach every single child who was supposed to receive a package,” says Francis.