From wine to water, Adelaide Hills charity brings hope to kids in Kenya

From wine to water, Adelaide Hills charity OpBlue brings hope to children in KenyaBill Ormonde in Kenyafeel good Link copiedShareShare articleFar from a river or water source a large blue truck rolls into Esonorua Primary and Junior School, hours south of Nairobi. Carrying thousands of litres of cargo, as it arrives the faces of students light up. As the truck stops, a hose is connected to a large tank … and water begins to flow out the top. Students try to capture the overflow. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) As it trickles down, dozens of boys and girls stand underneath it with cups, bowls and plastic water bottles trying to capture what they can. A young girl enjoys a sip of water. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) It's a sweltering hot day, and it's hardly rained here for months. With 275 students and staff, Esonorua school is reliant on having water trucked in for drinking, cooking and washing. According to headmaster Patrick Mwangi, they only have the funding to fill one of their four tanks. Each one of these water tanks holds roughly 10,000 litres of water. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) Being unable to provide water and food to students is a key barrier to education in Kenya. "Some of them [the students] do not have meals, do not have food at home and when they come to school there is no food." Headmaster Patrick Mwangi addresses students at an assembly. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) But today, support has arrived, with Australian charity OpBlue providing two truckloads of water, which is used for drinking, cleaning and making porridge. "When we have the food, attendance increases," Mr Mwangi said. Students line up for porridge. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) OpBlue supplies students with two meals a day. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) On each visit OpBlue staff collect data, including the number of water-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera and dysentery. Their goal is to dramatically reduce the impact of these diseases across the country by providing clean water. "That is something that I need to say we really need support in." They also provide food and scholarships to students and staff in an effort to get more kids in school. The charity runs more than 2,000 projects across Kenya, providing 430,000 meals a year. William Muchiru and other OpBlue staff are away from home for up to 11 months of the year. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) The head of OpBlue's Kenyan operations is William Muchiru. He grew up at an orphanage and knows the positive impact of education, as well as the barriers to succeed without it. "I was given education for free … food for free, and I was able to go into my education," Mr Muchiru said. It's that support which helped him to where he is today, and motivates him to expand the charity's reach across Kenya. There's always time for a kick at lunch. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) Eleven thousand kilometres away at an Adelaide Hills vineyard, OpBlue's founder Jack Wilson is monitoring projects, disease rates and meals as well as attendance. The vineyard produces around 30 tonnes of chardonnay grapes a year. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) Between trimming the vines with his brother Harry, the 28-year-old can see what is and isn't working. "Data collection is the backbone of what we do, if we don't do it we won't know that our projects are working," he said. From his ute in the Adelaide Hills, Jack is able to monitor the project via his laptop. (ABC News: Bill Ormonde) Jack and William met and bonded over their shared passion to improve the lives of future generations during Jack's visit to Kenya in 2017. They agreed water was a priority, with Jack initially sending over 20 to 30 water filters every six months. These water filters remove 99 per cent of bacteria. (Supplied: OpBlue) It led to him establishing and registering the charity. OpBlue co-director Fallon Rocke (middle) is an integral part of the charity's growth. (Supplied: OpBlue) "In our eyes no child should grow up without access to clean drinking water, and no parent should be put in a position to choose between clean drinking water and none at all for their children." The team also provides clean water, educational support and food to four of the country's largest refugee camps, near the Somali border. The UNHCR says war and climate-related disasters helped displace over 550,000 Somalis in 2024. (Supplied: OpBlue) "These are projects where our team put themselves in harm's way to help others … it's incredibly dangerous," Jack Wilson said. The charity is funded in part by corporate and individual donors, as well as Jack's Willow and Goose wine label. The charity's annual gala at Golding Wines raised more than $75,000 in 2025. (Supplied: OpBlue) Jack created the brand in memory of his family home, which was destroyed in the 2019 Cudlee Creek bushfires. "Back then we crushed 500 kilos of pinot and made it with a bunch of friends in an old barn that we built on the ashes of our own home," he said. The Cudlee Creek bushfire destroye

From wine to water, Adelaide Hills charity brings hope to kids in Kenya

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