THE FLAMES OF THE 70s FELLOWSHIP

MARCH 2009

Task: Establishment of a Senior Citizens Community Dwelling

Task force: Mrs Jacinta Karita

&

Mrs. Mary Cheruiyot

FLAMES OF THE 70s

Establishment of a Senior Citizens Community Dwelling

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

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Abundant Life Gardens is to be established by a group of Christians
who accepted and/or served the Lord while at the University at some point
in the 1970s – now known as “The Flames of the Seventies”. This group of
Christians recognises that time is passing and that they are slowly but
surely moving towards that stage in life when a number of age related
challenges arise. They recognise that a time does and is coming when
sight will get dim and moving may be a challenge; when they will stretch
out their hand for another to lead them. In preparation for that time and in
order to provide for some appropriate level of comfort, these Christians
now wish to establish a Senior Citizens Home hereby referred to as The
Abundant Life Gardens in which they may live together communally.

This paper broadly looks at a variety of things that need to be considered

in establishing a dwelling for the Senior 70s from the Flames of the 70S
fellowship.

Process

In developing the paper, we did involve a group of brethren (within the

70s range) in a brain storming session in order to gain a perspective and a
sensed areas of need. The suggest

Possible Name

The first thing that the Centre considered important was to identify a
name for the centre. The team recommends that the fellowship adopts
the name Abundant Life Gardens. The name is consistent with the
purpose of the coming of Jesus to the earth which in His own words was
“that you might have life and have it more abundantly”

Should the fellowship consider any of the other names or any outside of
those suggested, we recommend that names / terms that have negative
connotation like “Old people’s home, Centre and such like be avoided. The
addition of the term “Gardens” seemed to suggest life to us.

The suggested possible names include the following:

i. Abundant Life Gardens

ii. Honourable Living Gardens

iii. Evening Walk Gardens

iv. Dawn Home

v. Quiet Waters

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 vi. Heavenly Dawn Gardens

1. VISION

A community of God loving senior citizens living their older life in an

honourable and fulfilled way

2. MISSION

The Ever Living Gardens exists to provide a comfortable, friendly and safe
living environment for senior citizens who live close to each other hence
giving each other company and love as they share resources.

3. APPROACH

Abundant Life Gardens is communally established by Christians who

know each other.

4. CORE VALUES

• Faith in Jesus as the source of Eternal life

• Aging honourably
• Friendship and Companionship
• Safety
• Care and Caring
• Well being
• Fellowship
• Being a brother’s keeper

5. OBJECTIVES / PURPOSES

6. OBJECTIVES / PURPOSES

The establishment of Abundant Life Gardens is to meet needs identified as

common among the senior citizens.

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Based on the currently felt needs, establishment of the Ever Living
Gardens is to meet the following objectives;

5.1 Provide a safe living environment for senior citizens at a time when
they may not have family members who would be able to take care
of them

5.2 Provide a friendly environment where the senior citizens have

company and companionship

5.3 Provide support systems to senior citizens who are no longer strong
enough to be up and about most of the day

5.4 Provide spiritual care and nourishment to senior citizens who share
a common faith

5.5 To procure property in a good suburban area and develop

living/accommodation facilities

5.6 To develop auxiliary facilities and amenities to enhance the quality

of life of the senior citizens

6.0 NEEDS

This section identifies various possible needs for the Senior citizens

7.0 ESSENTIOAL FACILITIES

This section identifies facilities that would be essential to meet those

needs

8.0 MANAGEMENT

This section seeks to discuss ways of managing the centre

Other sections in the paper include the following;

9.00 FACTORS TO CONSIDER

10.0 FINANCE & PROPERTIES

11.00 ESSENTIAL RECORDS

12.00 ACTIVITIES

Introduction

Abundant Life Gardens is a Centre established by a group of Christians

who accepted and/or served the Lord while at the University at some point
in the 1970s – now known as “The Flames of the Seventies”. This group of

4
Christians recognises that time is passing and that they are slowly but
surely moving towards that stage in life when a number of age related
challenges arise. They recognise that a time does and is coming when
sight will get dim and moving may be a challenge; when they will stretch
out their hand for another to lead them. In preparation for that time and in
order to provide for some appropriate level of comfort, these Christians
now wish to establish a Senior Citizens dwelling hereby referred to as
Abundant Life Gardens in which they may live together communally.

Other possible names include the following:

i. Abundant Life Gardens

ii. Honourable Living Gardens

iii. Evening Walk Gardens

iv. Dawn Home

v. Quiet Waters

vi. Heavenly Dawn Gardens

In choosing a name, the Taskforce considered the need to have a clear

identity. The team recommends that the fellowship adopts the name
Abundant Life Gardens. The name is consistent with the purpose of the
coming of Jesus to the earth which in His own words was “that you might
have life and have it more abundantly”. We desired to have a name that
denotes our eternal life through Jesus Christ and the addition of the term
“Gardens” seemed to suggest life to us.

Should the fellowship consider any of the other names or any outside of
those suggested, we recommend that names and terms that have
negative connotation like “Old people’s home, Old people’s Centre and
such like, be avoided.

1.0 VISION

A community of God loving senior citizens living their older life in an

honourable and fulfilled way

2.0 MISSION

The Ever Living Gardens exists to provide a comfortable, friendly and safe
living environment for senior citizens who live close to each other hence
giving each other company and love as they share resources.

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3.0 APPROACH

Abundant Life Gardens is communally established by Christians who

know each other. Those who are members of the Flame of the 70S
Fellowship will contribute resources, acquire a property in upmarket area
of the city of Nairobi ( and may be other cities / towns) in which to develop
cottages to dwell in within, develop auxiliary facilities that the community
would need.

4.0 CORE VALUES

• Faith in Jesus as the source of Eternal life

• Aging honourably
• Friendship and Companionship
• Safety
• Care and Caring
• Well being
• Fellowship
• Being a brother’s keeper

5.0 OBJECTIVES / PURPOSE

The establishment of Ever Living Gardens arises to meet needs identified
as common among the senior citizens. These are to be established and
verified from time to time among those who are tending towards there
and those who already can be placed among this group.

Based on the currently felt needs, establishment of the Ever Living

Gardens is to meet the following objectives;

5.1 Provide a safe living environment for senior citizens at a time when
they may not have family members who would be able to take care
of them

5.2 Provide a friendly environment where the senior citizens have

company and companionship

5.3 Provide support systems to senior citizens who are no longer strong
enough to be up and about most of the day

5.4 Provide spiritual care and nourishment to senior citizens who share
a common faith

5.5 To procure property in a good suburban area and develop

living/accommodation facilities

5.6 To develop auxiliary facilities and amenities to enhance the quality

of life of the senior citizens

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6.0 NEEDS

The currently anticipated needs among the senior citizens or those

tending there may include but not be limited to the need for:

6.1 Companionship

6.2 General Care - Washing

- Cleaning

- Need to be checked on for well being; calling by

- Cooking

- transport e.g. being driven to places

- being walked especially if sight is diminished

- being “walked” around especially if on mobility support

such as wheel chair, crutches.....

6.3 Support Systems for various needs

- Emotional - Visits, walks,

- Spiritual – prayers, special services within ones cottage

- Physical – Cleaning services

- Driving services

- Being wheeled or taken for a walk

6.4 Security and safety

6.5 Health Services

6.6 Entertainment

6.7 Facilitation e.g., banking, errands

6.8 Managing of own resources – checking on

7.0 ESSENTIAL FACILITIES

In order to meet the above listed needs and to achieve the objectives, the
Task Force identifies the following as facilities that will be needed;
7.1 Houses for individual or couples (appropriate size)

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7.2 Facilities for receiving visitors (e.g. children with their families)

7.3 Chapel

7.4 Dispensary / Health Centre

7.5 Recreational and Entertainment facilities

7.6 Health insurance cover for the seniors

7.7 Wheel chairs

7.8 Library

7.9 Generator

7.10 Bore hole

7.11 Common transport

8.0 MANAGEMENT

How will it be managed? Should there be a Centre management? Will

there be a regular fee? How would common services be financed? Possible
options/approaches are listed below:

8.1 Out source cleaning services

8.2 Hire a trusted gardener but employ house help / cleaner as per
individual needs
8.3 Hire a trusted house help / cleaner to do work on specific days
8.4 Hire communal security guards and collect monthly fees from fellow
seniors

9.0 FACTORS TO CONSIDER

9.1 Since land tends to get scarcer, it is essential that land for
establishing such a centre be obtained shortly
9.2 Those interested should register. A registration fee of about
__________________ recommended
9.3 Since water is also becoming scarce and forecast indicates that
there is likely to be a severe water shortage in Kenya by 2015, the
Task force recommends that a borehole be sank in such a land to be
the main or alternative source of water
9.4 Since old age is often accompanied by deteriorating health, it is
essential that the Centre should not be established far from the
potential health facilities. Alternatively or in addition, a Health
facility such as a dispensary should be established in the Centre.

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9.5 Ideally, arrangements should be made to ensure that such a health
Centre is able to treat the sick from the Centre without requiring
prior payment at the moment of need i.e., a medical cover scheme
should be established to allow for basic medical attention without
demanding for payment at the moment of need.
9.6 The Centre should have plenty of open lawns (manicured grass)

9.7 The Centre should have beautiful flower gardens that provide
refreshing experiences for the Seniors

9.8 Those who have contributed to the development but choose to stay
elsewhere, may they rent out their share of facilities? Yes they may
but must be vetted on basis of faith and shared values.

9.9 The area should be warm considering some of the challenges

associated with cold in old age
10 Consider possibility of shared eating facilities- would they cook and
carry the food to the common place?
11. Avoid stairs in the facilities unless alternatives are available by way
of lift
12. Ensure hat there are wheel chair access ramps to all the facilities

10.0 FINANCES & PROPERTIES

10.1. Those who wish to benefit from the plan to register by______ with
payment of ____

10.2 A bank account in the name of the Centre to be opened

10.3 Those who register to pay Ksh ________ by _________

10.4 Land within a radius of ___________ Km from Nairobi City Centre to be

identified and purchased

11.0 ESSENTIAL RECORDS

11.1 Names and contacts of registered interests

11.2 Names and contacts of paid up members

11.3 Names and contacts of next of kin

12.0 ACTIVITIES

12.1 Establish legal requirements

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12.2 Establish legal requirements for registration of such a Centre

12.3 Register the Centre

Appreciation to those who participated in the brain storming session

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR DATA COLLECTED

ABUNDANT LIFE GARDENS

Abundant Life Gardens is a Centre established by a group of Christians

who accepted and/or served the Lord while at the University at some point
in the 1970s – now known as “The Flames of the Seventies”. This group of
Christians recognises that time is passing and that they are slowly but
surely moving towards that stage in life when a number of age related
challenges arise. They recognise that a time does and is coming when
sight will get dim and moving may be a challenge; when they will stretch
out their hand for another to lead them. In preparing for that time and in
order to provide for some appropriate level of comfort, these Christians
now wish to establish an Older Peoples Home hereby referred to as The
Abundant Life Gardens in which they may live together communally.

In order to establish a Centre that responds to the real needs of older

people, this survey seeks to gather information that would help clearly
identify the needs that should be anticipated in developing the concept.

We now wish to invite you to graciously respond to the questionnaire:

You do not have to indicate your name unless you wish to:

1. My gender is Male ( ) or Female ( )

2. My age is <50 ( ), 50 – 54 ( ), 55 – 59 ( ), 60- 64 ( ), 65 – 69 ( ), 70

and above ( )

3. List the top five things you think would comprise the needs for the
Senior Citizens

a. _______________________________________________________________
______

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 b. _______________________________________________________________
______

c. _______________________________________________________________
______

d. _______________________________________________________________
______

e. _______________________________________________________________
______

4. List the top five facilities you think would be essential in such a
centre?

a. _______________________________________________________________
______

b. _______________________________________________________________
______

c. _______________________________________________________________
______

d. _______________________________________________________________
______

e. _______________________________________________________________
______

5. Briefly describe the kind of living facility you think would be ideal in
such a community

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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 6. Please suggest how general needs of members would be met

a. A set amount remitted from pension schemes or other funds

for each member to cater for common services

b. Cooking, Washing and Cleaning commonly provided

7. Would you be interested in becoming a member of this community?

Yes ( ), No ( )

8. Please indicate the amount you would be in a position to commit

into such a venture

9. Please indicate the preferred locations in order of priority

a. _________________________________________________________

b. _________________________________________________________

c. _________________________________________________________

Submitted by: Mrs. Jacinta Karita

Mrs. Mary Cheruiyot

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