By Vincent Atitwa | project co-ordinator.
Greetings from Vincent Atitwa!
I have few things to say before we talk about the project you are supporting.
One - we recently participated in a fund raising event on Global Giving US Open challenge. The challenge which started from 1st to 30th April 2011) required the participant projects to raise at least US $ 4000 with minimum of 50 unique donors. Matungu community development charity (MCDC) participated with its project “Fess for the future in Kenya”. This project helps to send 50 poor children in western rural Kenya to school to help achieve better education and thus live better life. This is done through paying school fees for primary going children and buying of full school uniform which is a mandatory here in Kenya for children to attend school including tuition fee – By doing this, We shall have a well educated and informed community with young leaders who are able to participate fully in economic development and ensuring that we have bright future leaders who are knowledgeable too.
You would be very happy to note that this project raised US$ 1,521 from 27 donors in the April US open challenge which was enough to put 15 children in school and put the project on track but not winning the permanent spot required by the project for future fundraising. The project was marked funded on Global Giving site but the required budget was not realized, meaning that more funds are still needed to put and maintain more children in school.
In each participating rural schools which were selected based on the fact that they were in remote and do not have better connection. The pupils from these schools were chosen on the basis of their economic background, number of children per family, distance of their house from the school, availability of light in the vicinity etc. Results show that the children who were given the school uniforms once lacked something good to wear like uniform and now are comfortably mixing with others and attending school on daily basis, the same children are now assured of sitting their final examination as their tuition fees was fully paid for the whole year. This has also reduced the family’s dependence on Good Samaritan who hardly appears. With reduced stress the children are now assured of good grades.
Brian Nabale lives in Mundindi A -munami village but the boy is a refugee from Uganda who’s parents ran away from civil war in Uganda- Gulu district, a place ravaged by civil war between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government since 1980s that left many Ugandans dead and millions displaced including Brian’s parents who are now currently staying here in Kenya as refugees in the compound of Mr. Patrick Atitwa who is providing the family with shelter but no other basic needs such as clothing and food. The LRA would raid villages in the nights, capturing children to be used as soldiers and sex slaves and at time killing other members of their families. The war decimated trust, destroyed the economy. Bryan’s both parents do some casual work which earns them less than $2 dolor’s per day which is not enough to sustain the family of 5 . He is now attending the Munami primary school and is good in his studies, after being re-examined by the school teacher, Brian was found fit to join Class Two. He received the full school uniform in few weeks ago and the tuition fees being paid by Matungu community development charity. He says that he’s happy again to be in school. This allows him and other 14 children who received the support and are total orphans to study with no more stress. Her mother is also happy as the boy was given a second chance to pursue education in a foreign country. Brian’s case was carefully monitored and brought to our attention by our volunteer from Canada known as Eric Wright who turned to be our donor too. Eric got concerned after seeing this child for several occasion seated at home while other children from the same home attended school to which he promised to support the child’s education. More of these kinds of children are being spotted around our community, which requires attention.
“Fees for the future -Send a child in Kenya to School” is an ongoing program and we are very fortunate to have friends like you who support it regularly. We are excited every time communicating with you these stories and achievements. This project is still far to its goal of raising support on Global Giving. We will be submitting progress report after every three month until by that time; we would have raised the remaining goal, hopefully.
Since it is an ongoing program, we would seek your support for the next school opening term too. We hope you will support your favorite program again and help hundreds of children to attend schools here in Kenya, I can see a brighter future for them. I see smiling faces, full of energy, and passion-ready to change the world for better. I see them empowered and with proper education, I see them as senior executives in big companies, owning their own businesses, heading government ministries and championing rights for humanity.
Thank you once again for your contribution. We are grateful to you for your continuing faith. We hope that you will be able to visit/write to encourage our new team and leadership.
Happy to you all and your families from all of us here at Matungu community development charity.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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