I had a slightly different plan for this blog entry when planning this series of blog topics, but I think that the emPOWERment project at Friends Secondary School – Lusui can serve as a strong example of small projects that can have a positive impact on the developing world.
Again, I’ll start with a quote:
“God gives, but he doesn’t share.” - Haitian Proverb
Isn’t that interesting? You don’t even have to believe in God to accept this idea. If you think about it, the world has everything it needs to ensure that people can live their life with basic safety, security, health, and dignity. But it’s our job as humans to make sure these resources distributed equitably enough ensure everyone these basic rights.
So let’s talk about a little bit of sharing that has happened over the past two weeks…
$1490 in One Week- You Are Amazing
To install electricity and expand the learning resource center at Friends Secondary School – Lusui, we had to meet a pretty specific goal. We needed to raise $1250, and we need to do it in one week. And guess what? You delivered. Or even if you specifically didn’t, a great deal of people did, and it led to surpassing the fundraising goal by $240! So once again, THANK YOU! The community and students greatly appreciate your generosity, and your money has already been spent to help the community. Already, you say? Yes, already. How can that be, you ask? Well, read on my friend…
And the Government said, “Let there be Bureaucracy!”
$371.22 (Plus $100 from the school)
The first money was spent only three days after the start of fundraising. By that time, we had already raised enough money to start the first phase of the process, which was paying for the supply and installation of a power from the Kenya Power Company. On Tuesday July 12th I went to the Kenya Power office, and with the help of the electrician that we had hired, Tom, paid the fee for supplying power at the school. Simple, right?
Well, no, bureaucracy is never that easy. We were met with an additional four steps to complete:
1. Fill out an additional informational form concerning the power supply.
2. Get a receipt from a registered contractor saying that electrical wiring and such things had been successfully installed.
3. Present a National ID Card as well as Tax ID pin for future bill payments.
4. Draw a sketch map with directions to the school.
So it wasn’t too bad, some of the steps were quite easy, and the Principal agreed to handle steps 1,3, and 4. So that meant now we had to buy materials and install electrical wiring and lights at the school.
Down to the Wire
$741.59
We wanted the installation of the electricity to happen on Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th, because that was my last weekend at the school. Also, the weekend was primetime for installation because students would be in class during the weekdays, meaning that the work would greatly disrupt class time. To pay for this part, we had to meet the fundraising goal of $1250. And guess what? We did it!! Thanks again to your support and a strong last minute push of Friday donations, we raised the remaining amount. And the funds were in Kakamega, being spent, on the same day. The power of such a globally connected world never ceases to amaze me.
With the requisite funds, I met the electrician Tom in town to purchase supplies for the weekend construction. With our fundraising target hit, we were able to withdraw the needed funds and head to a local shop to purchase the required materials. What does $726.59 of wiring, switches, piping, and plastic tubing look like? (We spent $15 transporting all of the materials 25 km to the school) Well, something like this:
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| Fittings, electrical wires, and outlet boxes flooded the counter as we purchased materials on Friday. |
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| A hired truck helps us haul the plastic wiring pipe along with the boxes of materials. |
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| After the basic materials, we returned to purchase the lighting system. |
Weekend Warriors
$121.95
For the next two days, the electrician and his crew of five technicians worked full-time to install the electrical wiring and lighting system at the school. Such great value for the money spent! What did the work entail? Again, I think this story is best told by pictures:
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| Step 1: Destroy the walls a bit to make room for the electrical wiring. This part scared me, and I didn't like seeing the school broken by hammer and chisel. But they repaired it in the end. |
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| Step 2: Piping and wiring. Above, one of the technicians is feeding wiring in through the front side of the school. |
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| Step 3: Repair the broken walls, install switches and outlets, and complete the wiring. |
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| Step 4: Installing the lights in the Form 4 classroom and administrative offices. |
After the installation a certificate of completed work was submitted to Kenya Power, and our account was cleared to begin construction, pending #3 (a tax Pin), which was being delayed at Kenya Revenue Authority.
The Way Forward
So the wiring and switches are installed, but when will they actually be able to do their work? Well, on Friday the 22nd the pin issue was finished and Kenya Power agreed to commence with the construction and contracted a work crew to complete the assignment. Coincidentally, they were not able to send a crew on the same day, which happened to be my last at the school. But the day after I left (yesterday), a crew arrived at the school and installed the power! I’m on safari now on the Kenyan coast, but I got a call from the Principal confirming the installation. So exciting! So I missed seeing the final product by one day, but I’ll be getting pictures soon of the school actually using the new system. WE DID IT!
But Wait, That Doesn’t All Add Up!
$137.92 (Plus $113.31 from FSD Seed Grant)
You are right! The money donated exceeded the need of the project, so we were able to consult with the school to see what the surplus could be spent on. We decided upon revision books for the learning resource center. The donated money was combined with seed money that FSD gives interns to spend on their organizational projects so that we had a total of $250 to spend. I traveled with 4 student librarians and 3 of the school’s teachers to Kakamega to a local bookstore. The $250 spent yielded 50 new books for the school. Fifty! And I’m proud to say that these books were not small story books, but detailed, relevant revision books that the students need to succeed in national exams and receive college scholarships. What does this amount of books look like?
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| Mr. Okere talking to the shopkeeper about our book purchase. This isn't all of the books, but the rest follow the same theme of quality and depth of information. |
Final Thoughts: A Beginning
The final 10%- $149.00
So now that my part of the project is over, where do we go from here? Well, for starters, Foundation for Sustainable Development took a 10% administration charge on all of the fundraising. But it’s money well spent. The money will go to the FSD Site team in Kakamega, who can oversee the project and make sure that the resources are being utilized and well maintained. At the same time, I have made strong contacts in the school administration and board of directors that I can contact for updates about the project and its effect on the community.
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| The Principal looks over the new lights in the Form 4 classroom. What does the future hold for this project? Well, I think it's promising. |
What are my real thoughts about the project? I think it is a good, community based project that strengthened education in a strong and meaningful way at Friends Secondary School – Lusui. Is it a perfect project, and an end to all of the school’s financial and building capacity problems? Of course not. Will the school still have to do a lot of work to make sure that the electricity and the new learning resources are utilized to their full potential? Yes, of course! It’s not perfect right away, but I’m convinced that this project will play a large role in the development of the school and community in the years to come. With your help, the school and I have really worked to improve the learning and reading culture at the school, especially the access to materials and proper study time. And with your help, we have succeeded!
So that’s my hope to give you part 2, I’ll finish up a final chapter in my final reflection about Life in Africa and what I’m learning as a whole from this experience. In the meantime, I’ll be traveling for the next two weeks along the coast of Kenya. I’m spending three days in Lamu, 1 in Malindi, 3 in Mombasa, 1 in Dar Es Salaam, 2-3 in Zanzibar, and then a final 3 days in Nairobi. And then it’s home! Look forward to final blog posts about Kenyan Culture, my entire experience in Africa, and the above mentioned-hope and reflection piece.
Much love from Kenya,
Kurt