To read real life stories of some of the students we support, click on the "Stories and Updates" button on your right.
KENYA EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND :
NEWSLETTER VOLUME2,NUMBER ONE, July 2009
President's Message:
With four board members in Kenya for varying lengths of time in the past year, the work of KEEF continues to be hands-on and all volunteer, which attracts donors interested in helping to educate bright, needy students in Western Kenya.
KEEF continues to grow as 32 sponsors (some sharing, some supporting more than one student) are now opening the doors to the future for a total of 64 secondary and post secondary students. Nine new sponsors have also become involved this year.
A total of over $50,000 has been paid directly to schools in 2009 for tuition and board on behalf of our scholars. To compound the challenge of receiving an education, the cost of living in Kenya has tripled since the Kenyan clashes of 2008. This puts an enormous burden on students’ families and on their schools. We greatly appreciate the additional donations that we have received. These have added to the educational assistance that we provide students.
At our recent AGM we welcomed Maureen Howard as a new member to our board; she has agreed to take on the role of secretary on our executive. Two others who attended expressed interest in KEEF’s work will join us next year after they have sponsored a student for a year.
A successful fundraiser was held recently at the Qualicum Beach home of Verdelle and Bill Wilson. Alinda Ware spoke about Kenya and KEEF.
An article was submitted to the B.C. retired teachers magazine, “Postscript”. It resulted in a scholarship from a retired educator now living in Ontario.
Our website www.kenyaeducation.org hosted by our technical liaison, Patricia Crossley and her son Paul, continues to draw compliments.
The words of our grateful students in letters to their sponsors tell it best: from Eric, a secondary student, “Once again we have come to the end of this year and we have to thank God for that. I would like to say thank you for the support you gave me last year and for the support that you always give me. I hope through these subjects I will be able to achieve my ambition of becoming a doctor”.
And this charming and sincere comment from Johnstone, a post secondary student, “I love and respect you for the support you give me and will try my level best never to annoy you”
David wrote, “I thank KEEF for offering me a scholarship. It is only with their help that I can succeed in my academics. I swear to work hard to achieve all my goals in life”.
The many hours of work by dedicated volunteers is responsible for the success of any organization and this is certainly the hallmark of KEEF Canada.
Nancy Carson, President
KEEF - Review of a Successful Year
- 16 new secondary students assisted
- A bicycle donated from discretionary funds to a KEEF student attending day school. (see Vincent’s story below)
- Small office space with furniture donated to KEEF at Sheywe Guest House, Kakamega. This has made record keeping much easier. Thank you, Tatuli Mbasu
- Desk top computer donated to Kenyan office. Thank you, Bonnie Sutherland (Afretech).
- Allan Khatsio , the first KEEF student to graduate from high school, achieved an A- and will be eligible to continue on to university. Allan was sponsored by the RR Smith Foundation.
VINCENT ALILA, DAY SCHOOL STUDENT
NUMBER ONE IN A CLASS OF 56 Vincent is a Form 2 student at St. Beda’s Secondary School
He was frequently sent home from primary school for lack of fees. After his parents were divorced hewent to live with his grandmother. He did very well in his KCPE exams and was called to a boarding school but could not afford the fees. He writes “Then a Good Samaritan offered to pay my form one fees and I became very happy”
JEFFERSON MAINA is a new university computer science student this year
As you can see he is quite an artist and hopes to combine his love of art with computer applications.
Like many high school students he found himself deep in debt for fees for high school and could not access money to get started in university. With a one time gift from a KEEF sponsor he was able to start school in June. He will become eligible for a HELB loan later this year and will then be able to self fund his education.
These are only two examples of the young men we were able to assist this year. Both are A students from poor families who would not have been able to further their education without help from KEEF.
Your donations no matter how small are useful – donations over $20 receive a tax receipt.
Please send this newsletter on to anyone you think may be interested.
Donations can be sent by cheque to:
Margaret (Peg) Klesner
Suite 904
2135 Argyle Avenue
West Vancouver, B.C. V7V 1A5
Please check out website at www.kenyaeducation.org for pictures and information.
Comments or questions about this newsletter are welcomed. Please email me at
KEEF STUDENTS, 2008
We chose this year’s students in difficult circumstances. For several weeks in January we kept close to home and even later, travel sometimes became scary. Even so, the students found us and we chose the ones we thought would do well. One young man’s mother sells fruit in the local market which meant the odd mango in appreciation!
The rewards came in April when the students brought in their marks for the first term. One of our boys at Kakamega High School was number one out of 351 students! Another at Mukumu scored equally well. The rest are doing well. The end of year marks will be very important and we hope the sponsors will continue to fund these very deserving young people. As well as students in regular schools KEEF sponsors are also assisting a young girl in a deaf school and a young boy at "Daisy School", a school for the disabled.
Notice of Annual General Meeting
KENYA EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND (KEEF)
Date: Saturday July 18th, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
Room #203 - Capilano Mall, North Vancouver
Agenda:
1.) Establish a quorum
2.) Sponsors sign in; voting cards issued
3.) Present proof of notice of meeting
4.) Approve the Agenda
5.) Approve the minutes of the AGM held in August, 2008
-Business arising
6.) Approve the financial statements as presented
7.) Reports: Kenya Liaison
Treasurer’s Report
Fundraising Efforts: to date and for the future
Board Decisions: Amendments to Policy
8.) Confirmation of new Executive
9.) New Business
10.) Any other Business
11.) Adjournment
Directions to Capilano Mall meeting site:
Coming from the Second Narrows Bridge:
Proceed over the Second Narrows Bridge and up Highway 1 onto the
Upper Levels Highway. Travel West to the Capilano Road turnoff and
turn right and then left (South) and travel down to Marine Drive.
Turn back East (left) onto Marine Drive and proceed until you reach
the Capilano Mall (Sears, Walmart) on your right. Turn right at
Hanes Street and immediately into underground parking up to the second
level. The meeting room is on this level accessible from this parking
level.
Coming from the Lions Gate Bridge:
Turn right onto Marine Drive and continue until the Capilano Mall is on their right.
Then turn right onto Hanes Avenue and into the underground parking lot to the second
level.
KENYA EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND :
NEWSLETTER VOLUME1,NUMBER ONE, SEPTEMBER 2008
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
As this year’s president of the Kenya Education Endowment Fund I welcome all of you who have decided to accompany us on this journey to empower young Kenyans. Our volunteers on the Board bring many years of experience to our work in Western Province in Kenya where our scholarship students are chosen. Most of our members have other responsibilities and commitments but they still take the time to respond to the need to open doors to the future for these young people.
We have accomplished much in a little over two years since receiving our charitable status in December, 2006. Some of these include producing a brochure and having a website in progress. A gift certificate card will soon be available for those wishing to donate in someone else’s name.
Surpassing our goal of doubling our scholarship recipients within three years, KEEF is presently supporting 53 students in secondary, post-secondary and special institutions, with five new scholarships already promised for next year. Two new members have recently joined us on the board.
Office space in Kakamega and a storage unit for our files has now been provided by one of the KEEF Kenya board members and a computer for that office has been donated by Afretech, a Canadian organization that provides computers and books for schools in Africa.
The need for educational support in western Kenya has increased drastically due to several factors. Half of Kenya’s population is now under 15 years of age. Inflation has risen almost 30% since the political strife following the last national election in December, 2007, thus increasing the cost of secondary education to new and often unmanageable levels for families already stretched to the limit. Many of these families are also supporting the orphans of relatives lost to AIDS, while other groups are headed by grandmothers or by the eldest child surviving after the death of their parents. The stories of hardship are many and some have been featured in this newsletter.
Kenyans, however, remain optimistic, saying again and again, we will persevere. The opportunity which is provided by your donations contributes to this hope in the future. The myriad of educational needs and unexpected medical problems affirm that no donation is ever too small and is always put to good use.
We look forward to next year, knowing that KEEF is making a significant contribution to the lives of many through the efforts of all of us. Nancy Carson, KEEF President
The school term for post secondary universities and colleges starts in September. High School starts in January, so it is not too soon to send your donation for next year.
To: Margaret Klesner
Suite 904
2135 Argyle Avenue
West Vancouver, B.C V7V 1AS
You can also email her at <lachaiam(at)telus.net> Let her know if you need a gift card
