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Closed 22/04/2018

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£720
raised of £700 target by 41 supporters

    Weʼve raised £720 to help fund education for 3-10 year-olds at Milimani Academy, Kenya, including a feeding program, teachers salaries and classroom resources.

    Funded on Sunday, 22nd April 2018

    Don't have time to donate right now?

    Story

    In January 2018 I have the incredible opportunity of travelling to Kenya for 2 months. Eeeek! The majority of my time will be spent living and working in a small village on Rusinga Island, off the shores of Lake Victoria – 6000 miles away from the spires of Oxford and hills of Devon! I will be staying with Michael and Jane Odula who run a local school, Milimani Academy, which helps to provide education and support for orphans and vulnerable children aged 3 to 10 years old. It is run as a community based project, initiated and managed by the local villages, and therefore receives very little funding, from outside sponsors or the Kenyan government.

    After discovering this I thought I would share the story of this fantastic project and try to raise financial support for the school as well as the practical help I can provide while I am out there. So, I have been in touch with them to find out the school's essential needs and a breakdown of their running costs:

    TOTAL MONTHLY COST: £196.47

     Feeding program for the children: £43.66

     Total salaries for four teachers and a head teacher: £123.70 (4 x £21.38, 1 x £36.38)

     Total salaries of two cooks: £29.11 (2 x £14.55)

    The growing class sizes are really encouraging for the island, but this also adds a strain to the school’s resources. In particular, they are currently short of 8 tables and 40 chairs, without which it's so much harder for children to focus and learn whilst in lessons.

     1 chair = £2.55

     1 table = £5.46

    £400 would cover the school’s running costs for two months and £150 would cover the furniture they still need, so I thought - why not be ambitious and set this as an initial target! This sum would make a huge difference to the school and development of the local community, and it would be awesome going knowing that the education of the children is funded for the time I am with them! A few pounds can go a long way as you can see – even donating the price of a cup of coffee you can help provide some of the basic needs for a child’s education - and I know the school community would be so grateful for any contribution that people are able to share :)

    Thank you so much for visiting this page and if you have the time please read more below about the academy, the incredible work they do for the children and my background for organising this trip.

    Milimani Academy

    Milimani Academy is situated in Kaswanga Village, Rusinga Island, on the shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya. The school helps provide for the education and wellbeing of 65 orphans and vulnerable children from different homes within the community. The children learn at the school during the day and in the evening they go back to the care givers. Michael and Jane, who are the directors of the school, donated a piece of land for the construction of classrooms. The two are now retired and used their retirement benefits to construct makeshift structures where the children can learn.

    At the school they provide the children with:

     Tuition

     Breakfast and lunch on school days

     Medical care

    The school has a total number of five teachers (four females and one male) and two cooks. The ages of the children range from 3 to 10 years. The school has no external funding and relies on the donations from well-wishers and volunteers.

    The vision of Milimani Academy is that the children and families, whose lives we touch with care, will realize their full potential and experience a brighter tomorrow, in part due to the caring, nurturing and learning atmosphere of the Academy.

    Mission Statement

    Our mission is to provide education, food, medical attention and other life changing necessities to children in desperate situations. We strive to break the cycle of poverty, abuse, ignorance and help children to become positive, productive and self-fulfilled members of the society, with opportunity and hope for the future.

    Objectives

     To provide hope to the hopeless situations of the disadvantaged children in Rusinga by providing food, clothing, education and sanitation.

     To increase the level of literacy among children with the aim of expanding their opportunities for self-reliance by providing and promoting basic education.

     To safeguard the rights of orphans and vulnerable children against any form of violation.

     To provide orphans and vulnerable children with access to the basic human needs including food, healthcare, clothing and education.

    Core Values

     Respect for children’s rights

     Service and dedication to the well-being of children

     Integrity and honesty in the discharge of our mandate

     Professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness

     Non discrimination

     Equality and fairness

     Transparency, accountability and justice

     Partnership, collaboration and networking

    Rusinga Island

    Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria is a community in Kenya with one of the highest percentages of HIV/AIDS. The migratory nature of workers in the fishing industry and the practices of jaboya or fish for sex trade contribute greatly to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the area. Local cultural practices of polygamy and wife inheritance are likewise contributors. Women and children share the most difficult plight, often orphaned or widowed by HIV/AIDS, with no way to financially support themselves. In the island, many children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS or other causes. Although some orphans are cared for by family members or relatives, many of these families are living in poverty and cannot support an additional child. Some form of external assistance is required to provide these children with adequate food, health care, clothing, education and psychological support.

    Challenges

    • The school has been receiving many children over time and the funding has increasingly become a challenge.

    • Some of these children come from poor families and only survive on one meal in a day (the one provided at the school) hence malnutrition.

    Why they are asking for help:

    The school needs your financial support to help in paying teachers’ salaries, feeding program during school days, cooks salaries.

    • Feeding per month Kshs. 6,000

    • Chairs and tables 1 table Kshs. 750, 1 Chair 350 (40 chairs and 8 tables still needed)

    • Head teacher Kshs. 5,000 per month

    • Other teachers’ salaries per month 4 x Kshs. 3,000 = 12,000

    • 2 cooks Kshs. 2,000 per month each = Kshs. 4,000

    For more information, please look at Milimani Academy's web page: https://milimaniacademy.weebly.com/

    My Background

    I am very aware how fortunate I have been to receive the education I have had, from aged 3 to going on 23, largely due to my family, and wonderful mother who values education so highly (being a kindergarten teacher herself!), but also thanks to the financial generosity of my schools and many educational trusts, who I am very grateful to. They enabled me to keep aiming high and I am currently studying for a degree in Engineering Science from Oxford University. However, a cycling accident in May before my final exams has put my own education on hold for a year. I therefore decided that this was my opportunity to give something back and support an education myself (although I am not sure who will learn more in the two months I am there!).

    Thank you :)

    *It goes without saying but I want to clarify that all proceeds will go directly into the school: my trip, accommodation and personal expenses are all self-funded.*

    Updates

    6

    • Lucy Cross6 years ago
      Lucy Cross

      Lucy Cross

      6 years ago
      Update from the Page owner

      Share this update to help us raise more

    • Lucy Cross6 years ago
      Lucy Cross

      Lucy Cross

      6 years ago

      WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL NEW CUPBOARD!! Thanks so much to you all! A space for each class as well as room for a new library of reading books!

      Update from the Page owner

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    • Lucy Cross6 years ago
      Lucy Cross

      Lucy Cross

      6 years ago
      Update from the Page owner

      3/4 of the way there! Thank you everyone :)

      Share this update to help us raise more

    6 years ago

    Lucy Cross started crowdfunding

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    Page last updated on: 4/9/2018 18.12

    Supporters

    41

    • s patel

      s patel

      Apr 9, 2018

      a good cause - from amy and joseph

      £30.00

    • James D

      James D

      Mar 30, 2018

      £30.00

    • Andrew Cross

      Andrew Cross

      Mar 7, 2018

      £10.00

    • Carolyn Hicks

      Carolyn Hicks

      Mar 6, 2018

      £25.00

    • Anonymous

      Anonymous

      Mar 4, 2018

    • N MOSELEY

      N MOSELEY

      Mar 4, 2018

      £10.00

    • Katy Chadwick

      Katy Chadwick

      Feb 24, 2018

      £5.00

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