On a mission to help Kenyan orphans

Phillip Kerl hopes to help orphans in Kenya.

By: By Laura Clark | Lynchburg News and Advance
Published: August 23, 2008

By Laura Clark
Media General News Service

Nelson County artist and girls’ soccer coach Phillip Kerl is planning a “sports play mission” to a Kenyan orphanage this fall.
The idea to go to Africa has been steadily growing in Kerl. It started when a former Nelson County High School Gov player, Jacob Snow, returned from the Heritage of Faith Christian School outside Nairobi, the capital city, and shared his story with Kerl. Together, the two brought the girls soccer team into the mix and raised $1,000 to send a girl, Elizabeth, from the orphanage to high school.
“It inspired me. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Kerl said. “It’s almost like a scouting mission. I want to go there and see what these kids need.”
Kerl has been in touch with the people who run the orphanage, and they have approved his visit, which would be an independent venture for Kerl. The emphasis of Kerl’s visit would be to create an environment of play for children who have been affected by AIDS, war, prostitution and other “African nightmares,” as Kerl puts it.
He hopes to take soccer equipment that he’s gathered and build some soccer goals. He also plans to introduce basketball to the 90 children, and build or buy a goal.
“My concentration is more taking them out to play,” he said. “There’s therapy in that.”
Kerl has raised close to $500 of the $2,500 he needs for transportation and equipment. He may hold a fundraising concert in September but in the meantime is soliciting donations from the community. He said through 20 years of serving the community, he has coached
hundreds of kids.
“(The) hope is that if these parents felt I had a good influence on their kids, maybe they’ll help me get over there to influence more kids,” he said. “I’m not looking for a vacation there. Anything I got will get me there and help these kids.”
Kerl hopes to build a long-standing relationship with the orphanage. A few of his players, including his daughter Kestrel, have expressed interest in going. But first, he wants a firsthand look at the situation, including more specific needs for the orphanage. One thing Kerl hopes to do is start a correspondence between the girls in Kenya and Nelson County’s girls, so that the community becomes more involved.
“I’m hoping to develop this,” he said. “I want this to be the beginning of something. The least among us in Nelson County is privileged compared to these kids.”