From the hills of Donegal to the dusty roads of Nakuru

A DONEGAL woman has penned a moving memoir about her journey from fostering children in Ireland to establishing a children’s home in Kenya.

Growing up on a farm just outside Manorcunningham, Bridget Browne was the second youngest in a family of nine.

A past pupil of Drumoghill NS and Loreto Convent in Letterkenny, she left school at 16 and spent the next four years working in Letterkenny Hospital. Reflecting on her early life, she describes it as “uneventful”.

Yet it laid the foundation for a life dedicated to helping others.

In her memoir, Between Two Worlds, Under the Same Blue Sky, Bridget opens up about becoming a young mother and later fostering children in need of safety and belonging.

She shares how the idea of fostering had always been in the back of her mind, rooted in her childhood when she would hear of an orphanage in nearby Fahan.

“I always had thought about fostering, when I was growing up there was orphanage in Fahan and a neighbour of ours worked there,” she recalled.

Through these stories, Bridget became acutely aware of the children who had “slipped through the cracks.”

When she settled down Bridget decided it was the right time to start her own fostering journey.

Over the years, herself and her husband Gerard cared for many children both full-time and part-time, but one particular family left a lasting impact on her heart: four young brothers from Nigeria.

The brothers had been living in a hostel, all crammed into one room for four years, before their mother was detained in Mountjoy Prison.

They stayed with the Browne family for a short period while awaiting their deportation.

Bridget accompanied them to the airport, this was a moment that was both heart-breaking and formative.

“That experience was a turning point.

“It made us question what life must be like in Nigeria for a pregnant mother to leave with three young children and live in a hostel in Ireland for four years,” she explains in the book.

In 2009, Bridget’s path took her to Kenya, where she volunteered alongside her husband Gerard and two teenage foster children.

They worked at an orphanage turned school in the slums of Nakuru, a city both of them had first encountered in missionary magazines during their youth.

There, they saw the deep poverty that defined the community, but they also witnessed the universal need for love, dignity and connection. Their family trip volunteering quickly developed into something much deeper.

In 2012 the couple, who had been living in Mayo, returned to Donegal, and Bridget knew her time fostering in Ireland was drawing to a close.

Moved by their time spent volunteering they announced their intention to establish Aisling Children’s Home in Kenya that same year.

With Gerard by her side, they found a suitable home, navigated the complex legalities and took in their first group of children.

However, their efforts to gain charity status proved difficult as they needed at least 20 children.

So they continued to fund the children’s home both through fundraising and out of their own pockets.

Even today, Bridget’s son helps cover the rent of the home in Kenya.

Their impact has been huge, and they have helped many children by providing them with stability and opportunity.

Between Two Worlds, Under the Same Blue Sky not only shares Bridget’s personal story but also offers unique perspectives from those who walked alongside her during this journey.

Her husband Gerard writes about building a school in Nakuru, and her friend Graham recalls his experience volunteering at the children’s home and supporting the ongoing projects.

Together, their stories showcase the strength of ordinary people who chose to act with courage and kindness.

The memoir also includes the voices of those who have been through the foster system, both in Ireland and in Kenya.

Each person endured extreme suffering at the hands of those meant to protect them, yet their stories reveal resilience and the healing power of human connection.

Bridget’s connection to Kenya has not been without its challenges.

After nine long years, she finally returned to Kenya in 2024, a visit that had been delayed by the pandemic.

“Covid hit just before I had my ticket bought and my plans, like many others, had to be shelved,” she said.

During this time, Bridget also had to close the charity shop that had been supporting the children’s home.

That’s when she decided to pen her memoir as a means of raising much needed funds.

When asked if she plans to return to Kenya soon, Bridget was candid about her priorities.

“It’s about €800 for the flights, and if I had €800, I can think of so many other things I could do with it,” she said.

The book closes with a poignant African proverb: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”

It’s a fitting end to a memoir that captures the incredible impact of Bridget’s years of dedication.

Between Two Worlds, Under the Same Blue Sky is available in Bookmark in Letterkenny and Alexanders in Ballybofey.

You can also support the ongoing work of From Ireland to Kenya Foster Support, for further details email freiendsofkenya5@gmail.com