For Georgie Hallett, who is just weeks away from swapping Kea for Kenya, it was never an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ it was that she was going to live and work as a missionary in Africa.

Georgie is preparing to take on the role of manager of the Marejesho Family Project in Kisumu which aims to restore dignity and stability to vulnerable children. The project believes that children belong in families, and it has developed four projects to see this happen: family preservation, foster care support, family-style homes and evangelism and discipleship.

After years of visiting various orphan care institutions in different parts of Africa, Georgie began questioning the traditional model of orphan care. "I was really aware that there were lots of people wanting to help orphans in Africa but there was something missing."

It was not until she had completed her degree in international education at Bath Spa University that Georgie returned to Africa and fate landed her in the town of Kisumu. She was staying with a pastor in Nairobi who fostered orphaned children and it was on their return journey from Kitale that they were forced to pull over due to flooded roads and impending nightfall. Finding themselves close to the area he grew up in, Pastor Samuel decided they would spend the night in Kochieng near the town of Kisumu.

“We drove in and something clicked, it was just as I’d imagined it would be, even down to the layout of the compound," said Georgie.

She spent a few days in the town and it was then that Pastor Samuel mentioned that members of the project, that was currently in its early stages of development, had been praying for a manager and he asked her if she would consider taking on the position.

“Even from the age of 11 I knew I was going to be a missionary," said Georgie. "I knew I wanted to work in Africa with children so looking back, my whole life, education and pre-school work has been geared towards me working on a project like this.”

Georgie is no stranger to Kenya. She was just 17 when she first went to the country to volunteer with the Mercy Rescue Trust who work with babies and young children that have been abandoned or abused in the Kitale region and she is looking forward to the new challenges ahead of her as she prepares to return.

It will not all be plain sailing with Georgie’s new project though. Practically she has a lot to overcome. Her managerial role requires her to learn many new skills on the job. Despite being able to speak some Swahili, she will need to get to grips with the Kisumu tribal tongue of Luo as well as having to leave the area for a short period of time, just as the project gets going due to the looming elections in the summer. Kisumu is seen as the political capital of Kenya and has previously experienced deadly riots during the election season so it has been deemed too dangerous for Georgie to stay in the area at this time.

As well as packing up her life in Truro, Georgie is currently fundraising for the project, initially trying to cover her living costs. Once she has done this, it will enable her to start the building work for the project.