The Giriama Fund was founded in 2023 by Jonathan Eden, who has spent many years previously working to improve the quality of life for individuals living in Kenya, and in particular to make the Bible available to Giriama speakers in their own language.

As the world evolves, the Giriama Fund was established to ensure the culture and language of Giriama are not only conserved, but celebrated. The Giriama community has been paramount in the development of modern-day Kenya and the Giriama Fund seeks to not only instil pride in the contributions of the community to date, but to empower the next generation to carry through the customs and traditions that define a way of life for over a million people.

The principal aim of the Giriama Fund is that the Bible shall be Bought, Read, Understood, Believed, and Lived.

This objective should be used to advance Christian teachings. This could extend to the translation and distribution of the bible and other literature. Funds can be used to facilitate gatherings or to provide a meeting place to study or practice Christianity. The trustees may consider making payments to fund transportation to gatherings or meetings or for the celebration of Christian holidays and festivals. Grants can also be made to small rural churches who are keen to read the Bible in their own mother-tongue of Giriama. Funds can also be made available to these churches to assist with their own charitable work within the community, in furtherance of Christian teachings.

This objective has a wide scope and may also be tied to the relief of poverty. Grants may be made for the benefit of individuals to pay for school expenses, such as fees, books, uniform and transportation. Grants may also be made to educational providers to pay towards the improvement of facilities and resources. The trustees may decide to focus on aspects of education that teach the language, history and culture of Giriama. An example would be funding the purchase of primary school books, which are taught in Giriama. The trustees should consider making grants to fund higher education, in particular where courses relate to the study of Girima.

The term ‘education’ should be considered holistically, and should not be restricted to formal educational settings. The trustees may consider funding vocational courses that will promote and enhance employability for those living in the Giriama regions. The courses in question may help to prepare individuals for employment, and improve their standard of living (and this may be linked to the relief of poverty). For example, the trustees may consider practical skills such as home economics and horticulture.

The trustees may also wish to consider making grants to support the general maintenance of those in education. For example, they may wish to make payments to support living expenses and childcare fees while an individual embarks on education.

This object may be widely interpreted by the trustees. The trustees may consider making grants to support those facing financial hardship, with a particular focus on those living in the Giriama region. The trustees may address this purpose by dealing with urgent requests for funding; they may also consider how funds can be used to improve the quality of life for those living in poverty for the longer-term duration. For example, the funds can be used to improve facilities and access to the same.

The trustees should consider working with the local churches and Christian practitioners to supplement charitable giving, such as ‘soup kitchens’ and reaching out to those in need within the Giriama community.

The trustees may wish to make funds available to those who are unable to fund supplemental activities that improve their overall quality of life, or provide opportunities beyond their usual lifestyle. For example, the trustee could make grants of money to assist talented individuals with accessing sports or art facilities. The trustees can also consider how these extracurricular activities can improve the overall health and wellbeing of those in need.