Making up with zeal and determination for what they have lacked in donor funding, HOPE worldwide Kenya's blood program team has set about their mission in earnest.

The coordinator of that program, Pharis Mukuria, shares that one of the approaches of the program is to establish Pledge 25 Clubs. What is a Pledge 25 club, you may ask? A Pledge 25 Club, says Pharis, is a "club composed of young people - in college or high school - who commit to giving 25 pints of blood before they reach the age of 25."

If one is too close to reaching the age of 25 to make such a commitment practical, or if one has already attained or passed the age of 25, it's not too late, for, as Pharis continues, "Anyone can be a member of the club. To be a member, you must understand the importance of donating blood and therefore be equipped to also encourage others to do the same. People of any age commit to giving a certain amount of pints of blood in a certain number of years. "

To help things to run smoothly, "we will have workshops to train people and help them understand more about blood, such as issues of diet."

There will also be fun activities for the members of these clubs, such as outings and sporting events. Some club members will be trained as Peer Educators.

Due to some delays, the funding from donors that was supposed to run this program had not arrived up until recently, but the dream of Pharis and his team has kept them going. They have held blood drives in downtown Nairobi and recently held a blood drive on a Sunday at the Nairobi Christian Church and 125 people braved damp and chilly conditions that day to give blood. They have have already set up a Pledge 25 club at a downtown college in Nairobi and is set to conduct a blood drive soon at a local church as well.

Becky Kamau from the blood program staff shares that, "I've been a volunteer with HOPE worldwide Kenya in blood donation related activities and learnt to give of myself because of the great need for safe blood that exists, and to keep going because of that and not only when or because I'll be paid for it."

This has been the attitude of the whole team.

While any program certainly needs funding from donors, its success lies with dreamers. That is what the members of the blood program at HOPE worldwide Kenya have been. Having been set a goal of collecting 4000 pints of blood by the National Blood Transfusion Council, Pharis says, "We'll smash that goal."

Clearly, giving so that others may continue living is all about the heart. The HWWK blood program officers have demonstrated that they truly have the heart to give blood and to mobilize many to so the same as they go about their goal and dream of making safe and healthy blood accessible to every Kenyan who needs it.