Our Mission
Mission Kenya
About Mission Kenya
From 1990, Mission Kenya supported children’s education, clean water access, and community development in Mtwapa, Kenya. Founded by Anne and Ian Gyde, the charity brought together UK volunteers and Kenyan partners to work hand-in-hand—offering practical support, friendship, and lasting change at the heart of the village.
This website preserves the story of that journey.
About the Book
A Sea of Hands is a memoir by founder Anne Gyde, tracing the heartfelt, sometimes chaotic, always faith-driven story of Mission Kenya. With warmth and humour, Anne tells how a dream holiday became a calling—and how ordinary people came together to make an extraordinary impact. Click here to get your copy today, all proceeds go to 'Reach Beyond', Registered Charity.
‘…….an old wooden sign, half-hidden in the long grass. “It is better to
light one candle than to curse the darkness”.’
An incredible story was about to unfold, touching lives on both sides of
the world…
"At the start, we called it ‘my Africa thing’ but in truth it
was always God’s ‘Africa thing’. This is His story. I’ll do
my best to put it into words"
-Anne Gyde
It started in the most unlikely way. An ordinary couple, having fun on
their dream holiday in Kenya, back in 1990.
Little did they know, their world was about to turn upside down…..
‘Never again would we take for granted the gift of clean water, or
soft white sheets, or electricity.’
Unable to ignore what they’d seen, Anne and Ian took a first, rather
shaky step of faith – and their Christian charity, Mission Kenya, came
into being.
From its base in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, a group of enthusiastic
volunteers joined hands with a dynamic team in Kenya, determined to
make a difference.
‘My dear Esther. Praise the Lord! We’ve got the money
to start our Mission Kenya charity. Please tell the children
they can go to school.’
Annual garden parties went from strength
to strength (take a look on our ‘Video Memories’ page) enabling Mission Kenya
to help more and more children through education.
Besides education, other needs in Mtwapa led to additional projects,
and these were funded in a variety of ways.
’We believed that fundraising should be fun for everyone, helpers as
well as guests, and Mission Kenya events were terrific, if slightly off-
the-wall!’.
From fundraising in England to exciting results in
Africa, being a part of Mission Kenya would turn out to be the
experience, and privilege, of a lifetime. ….
UK Trustees
The Africa Team
Anne Gyde’s memoir, ‘A Sea of Hands’, unveils the charity’s evolution,
drawing people together in loving friendship, to make a difference.
The narrative spans two continents, with tales of kindness and
generosity, sprinkled with laugh-aloud humour along the way. And
underpinning the entire story, the extravagant grace of God.
Proceeds will be gifted to Bradford registered charity, Reach Beyond, for projects in Africa.
Thank You
If you have any queries or wish to get in touch with the author of A Sea of Hands please do not hesitate to get in touch through email at admin@missionkenya.co.uk