Our StoryOur Story

Our story begins in 2009 in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

Patrick Achola and his siblings were left orphaned in their childhood. Being the eldest, Patrick worked multiple jobs to provide for himself and younger siblings, and ensured they could stay in school. This was at the detriment of his own education; he was sent home from school frequently and unable to study properly. By chance, Patrick mets Rob, a young man from the UK on a gap year. With Rob's help, Patrick was able to resume his schooling, complete a tertiary degree and land a stable job.

Rob's act of kindness got Patrick thinking how he could pay it forward. So with a couple of friends including Susan, he informally started supporting a few neighbourhood kids in Kibera. He supported the kids in multiple ways, from mentorship to covering their school fees. However, the more Patrick, Susan and his friends engaged with their community and realised the scope of need, the more they felt called to commit to this cause in a greater capacity. They felt that in doing so, they could make profound change for the next generation.

It's 2010, enter Rosalie, a young woman from Australia who was traveling around Africa for a couple of months with some friends. Rosalie was introduced to Patrick and Susan through a mutual friend, and upon hearing about the struggles children in the Kibera slums face, had her heart stirred to commit to supporting Patrick and Susan's vision. She saw the work they were already doing and its potential for formality and expansion. Spur Afrika and its vision - to create sustainable impact in the Kibera slums - was born.

Today, Spur is an organization that runs between Nairobi, Kenya and Melbourne, Australia.

Ten years old and counting, Spur engages more than hundred sponsored children across a variety of unique programs that are locally led and designed. It's run by a team of paid workers in Kenya, and a team of committed volunteers in Australia. Over the years, we've shared in both great challenges and profound success, but continue to be inspired by our capacity for growth and impact every single day.

Kisumu - a new vision in Western Kenya

The vision for Kisumu started in January 2020 with Patrick and Susan. With Spur Kibera running well, they began thoughtfully seeking the next challenge. In the Kisumu County of Western Kenya is a rural settlement called Holo. It is located in the boundary of Seme and Kisumu West Sub-Counties, and is home to more than 2,000 people. Holo is about 42km from Kisumu City CBD, and 2km offshore of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in East Africa. In Holo, about 60% of residents live in extreme poverty, compared to the national poverty average of 46%.

The social issues described in the above video drew the attention of Patoh and Sue. They felt that the Spur model could be a good fit in meeting the needs of the community in Holo.

In 2022, Spur Afrika expanded into rural Kenya, Kisumu. With the support of Rosalie and David (Australian team), Susan and Patrick were able to establish a second office in Kisumu. Patrick was able to find a local champion, Andrew, to further explore the local needs and create a local team in Kisumu. After a successful needs analysis, pilot program and visitation from the Australian team, Spur Afrika embarked on this exciting new chapter.

And now...

Spur Afrika has officially expanded to Holo village, Kisumu. This means Spur Afrika has two offices, one in Kibera, Nairobi and another in Holo village, Kisumu. Both offices are run by local workers to meet local needs. Spur is well established in Kibera with a developed child sponsorship program and local team, while in Kisumu we are establishing not only the child sponsorship program but also developing a teen mother's program. Spur is constantly growing to meet the community's needs and we are always looking for more people to join us in our endeavour to change the world for the better!