Outreach:
School Sponsorship
Kenya Connect’s School Sponsorship program is based on a unique model that is geared towards creating a foundation for global exchange and cultural development. Through school sponsorship and associated fundraising, Western schoolchildren are provided with an opportunity to become intimately familiar with the lives of less fortunate children and communities. Further, by encouraging Western schoolchildren to participate and observe first-hand how their efforts promote grassroots development, Kenya Connect’s School Sponsorship program is able to facilitate character development and potentially build a commitment to philanthropy at an early age.
Fundraising
The most common way that schools raise funds is through coin drives. Students from a single class or grade or an entire school and community at-large donate spare change for a set time period. Other means of fundraising have included bake and art sales, talent shows and auctions.
An important element of the School Sponsorship program is the ability of schoolchildren to experience the impact of their efforts first-hand. Donor schools receive an acknowledgement letter from their Kenyan partner school’s headmaster, and photos and video footage of the projects undertaken. In the past, donor schools have also received gifts of thanks from local communities, including wood carvings and baskets from the recipient schools.
How to become involved
We are currently working with 35 primary schools in the Machakos district of Kenya.
Areas in greatest need of assistance include:
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Donated funds go primarily towards the purchase of materials for many of these projects. Because community involvement is integral to our success, the parents of the Kenyan schoolchildren contribute greatly with labor and the gathering of natural resources (e.g., sand, rocks, wood, etc.) to help with construction efforts.
Learn more about each of these Sponsorship Categories.
Current needs for our enrolled schools:
$428,192 Total Amount needed
Water Development - $34,000
Renovation Fund - $273,002
Fencing Projects - $20,750
School Supplies - $48,000
Sporting Goods - $21,400
Uniform Fund - $22,640
Special Projects - $45,002
Forming long-term partnerships
While we encourage all types of sponsorship commitments, our ultimate goal is to develop long-term partnerships that allow children on both sides of the equation to form lasting friendships that transcend the cultural and physical boundaries. Indeed, Kenya Connect’s School Sponsorship program has been so well-received that several schools have made long-term commitments to help either their partner school in Kenya in particular, or several additional Kenyan schools simultaneously. To learn more and obtain details about forming long-term partnerships, please call us at 301.847-3769.
“Direct school sponsorship promotes community responsibility and participation in all activities.”
James Musyoka, Field Director, Kenya.
