Working in partnership with Green Olive Foundation Kenya to fund education for young people in poverty in rural Kenya

Bronwyn has had links with Friends in Kakamega district in Western Kenya since 2005. At the time, she was working for Quakers Internationally as secretary to the Europe and Middle East Section of Friends World Committee for Consultation.

She started helping one Kenyan student by contributing towards his fees; other requests for help followed. In 2013, she and Bob visited Kenya to meet students and their families, visit schools and explore with Kenyan colleagues the possibility of setting up a formal structure of UK support.

Working life prior to FWCC was mostly involved in developing a housing association and other voluntary organisations in Scotland providing services for adults with learning disabilities. She is mother to three, grandmother to four and enjoys friendships with friends in many countries.

Robert (Bob) did his undergraduate and doctoral study at Imperial College and Bob’s career has been as a lecturer and researcher in meteorology, initially at Oxford University (1969-1976), followed by Edinburgh University from where he retired as professor of Atmospheric Science in 2007.

Bob’s interest in supporting education in Kenya arose through Quaker links. This prompted a visit to the country in 2013 which led to his becoming one of the founding trustees of the Green Olive Trust with the role of treasurer.

Bob's current principal hobby is novice-level wrestling with the accordion.

Tessa grew up in Nottingham in a Quaker family. Tessa went on to have a varied career teaching in both primary and secondary schools, including a Quaker boarding school, culminating in teaching in a pupil referral unit in Newham. Her desire for children to be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential has always been the core of her teaching philosophy.

Working in the heart of the London, she became a games maker for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics upon her retirement. 

Tessa and her partner moved to Lewes just after Bronwyn and Bob had returned from their visit to Kakamega district. Their talk inspired Tessa to help set up a UK support for the Green Olive Foundation in Kenya, leading to the Green Olive Trust UK being formed.

Ken is an Anglican priest, married with two children and five grandchildren. 

Ken was a Curate in a Paddington church from 1963 in a major housing crisis when he helped to set up a housing association to convert local houses into low-cost flats for local people. Ken then worked with colleagues to create a national Housing Association network and negotiate a government subsidy system. The new campaign SHELTER and the Notting Hill Group Ministry gave critical assistance to this work. 

Ken moved to the Housing Corporation in 1979, initially as Policy Director, later Assistant Chief Executive. In 1991 Ken became an adviser to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Later he became Chair of the Hanover Housing Association, and Chair of a redevelopment program in Tower Hamlets. 
In his leisure time, Ken plays violin and piano. 

Fiona has been a trustee of Green Olive since 2018, having retired from a career in the probation service and in providing social work services for children in the UK. 

Fiona loves now having the opportunity to be involved in international projects. Trying to counter all forms of inequality and discrimination is Fiona’s passion. She believes that helping to enable young people to find creative solutions to multiple problems facing all parts of the world brings hope in very difficult times.

Fiona would be happy to talk individually with anyone who would like more information about Green Olive Trust's involvement with communities in Kakamega county, in rural Western Kenya.

Gina is the most recent member to join the Green Olive trustees, having come on board late in 2020. 

Gina became interested in the Trust following conversations with Fiona about its focus on relieving poverty in Western Kenya through local, community driven work. 

Green Olive’s emphasis on supporting sustainable projects rooted in education is of particular interest to Gina, having worked as a primary school teacher for 25 years,16 of which as headteacher at three primary schools in Brighton. 

Now retired, Gina enjoys spending time on various family activities, including care for the younger members of her five grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic Brighton and Hove Albion fan.