A Czech national who came to Kenya as a tourist and fell in love with the country is back in Kenya for the 13th time.
Jiri Pergl, a leading philanthropist who is also the President of a Kenyan-based Non-Governmental Organisation, One More Day for Children (OMDC), landed at JKIA yesterday after an eight-month stay in his country. He last visited Kenya in January this year.
“He will spend some time in Nairobi before embarking on his philanthropy work. He will be accompanied by his elder brother, Robert and a friend, Ms Hankah Sinaglova, who is also a senior sponsor with OMDC,” said Cyrus Kabiru, his tour guide.
“I want to tour Kenya for several days. I am expecting my brother and we will visit the children in Doldol next week,” Pergl told The Standard on Saturday.
Pergl first came to Kenya in 2008 as a tourist. Since 2009, he has been visiting country twice every year to tour Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Amboseli National and Mt Kenya.
In 2009, Pergl, alongside his tour guides, Kabiru and Patrick Maranga and children’s rights activist, Hellen Gathogo, established the charitable organisation OMDC.
OMDC cares for 140 children, mostly girls from pastoralist communities rescued from early marriages, female genital mutilation and other vices. In 2012, the government donated a portion of land in Doldol in Laikipia North sub-county, where OMDC established a children’s home.
“We already have 49 children living permanently in the home, and among them are four infants,” said Gathogo. The organisation relies on sponsors, mainly from the Czech Republic.
“We link them with the needy children. Pergl helps to link the children with prospective sponsors,” said James Kariuki, an official of OMDC. Pergl is a motorsports enthusiast, a boxer and contractor in Czech Republic.
