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Meet the changemakers

Constantine inspecting the new shamba (garden)

Our relationship with Birgit and Constantine officially began in 2015 when they established support for our just launched Wildlife Warrior Scholarship Program at Esiteti Primary School.  One thing we know for certain about ‘B&C’ as we affectionately call them is that they are great advocates of education for positive social change.  They strongly believe in quality education as a means of eradicating poverty and have walked the talk.  They have championed this cause by ensuring as many children as possible in this part of Amboseli get access to quality, life-changing education.  Between the end of November and mid-December 2020 they gave a very generous gift of $110,000!  These funds will be used to pay school fees for 600 primary school students, salaries for 12 Esiteti Primary teachers, handyman, and cook, tuition for secondary and tertiary students, address the community’s priority needs, to mention a few.

Constantine entering their manyatta

Additionally, is because of them that we have over the years awarded 12 Wildlife Warrior secondary school scholarships, 58 annual bursaries, constructed 4 classrooms equipped with desks, a large modern school library well stocked with books, art supplies, furniture, and computers, a modern school kitchen well equipped with fuel-efficient stoves, erected a school shamba (garden), installed rain-water harvesting systems, renovated exis

Birgit chatting with Carol and Steve of Land & Life inside the new library

ting infrastructure and much more in Esiteti.  The community has also received huge support from them.  They received cows, household supplies – mosquito nets, food etc (before and during COVID) and so much more! They have embraced them to the extent of building a manyatta (house) for them in the village.

Thank you very much B&C, A.E. Reimann Foundation, and SKÅL International Monaco for your unwavering support for our community in Amboseli.  You are the quintessential changemakers!

 

 

 

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In her own words

I love receiving the newsletter and being kept up to date on all that Land & Life is doing. I also see the Facebook posts which I enjoy reading.

When I traveled to Ethiopia several years ago,  I brought a suitcase full of medical and school supplies that were requested from an organization that I was going to be visiting. It was easy to transport and well received. When I started to plan my trip to Kenya/Tanzania, I was traveling “light” and knew I had the capacity to include another suitcase. I felt it would be a waste not to take advantage of bringing another suitcase full of supplies with me.

I was not personally involved with any organization in Kenya so I started to network and seek referrals for a reputable organization that would welcome a suitcase of supplies.  I do not recall how I got to Rebecca Rothney from “Pack for a Purpose” but it was a magical connection. She put me In touch with Millicent Kimaita and the rest is history……Well, not really……after receiving a detailed list of needs, I went shopping, soliciting and collecting as many items as I thought I could fit into the large suitcase and not exceed the airline weight limits. It brought joy to me to pack each and every crayon, book, toothbrush, etc. I struggled with the immense need of items listed and my one measly suitcase. I questioned if I was really going to make a difference with what I was bringing…..I do understand that every little bit counts and I am committed to continuing to support Land & Life.

The story continues as my next hurdle was to actually get this suitcase to the office in Nairobi. I literally landed at midnight after traveling 24 hours from Colorado and was leaving at 7:00 am the next morning for the Mara. Millie was so accommodating and helped to coordinate for the suitcase to be picked up from the hotel I was staying at after I left that morning. I never met her face to face but that initial correspondence has developed into a deep connection and I actually consider her family now and I look forward to returning back to Nairobi after Covid so that she may personally give me a tour of the many projects Land & Life Foundation support.

Alissa West – Facebook

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Gigi Cares and so do we

Over the years, Land & Life Foundation has been honored to work with many supporters from across the globe whose love for our youngsters and communities knows no bounds. Since October of 2019, Land & Life Foundation has been very fortunate and privileged to partner with Jim and Georgios at Gigi Seasons in delivering key community projects in both Kenya and Tanzania.  From October 2019 to February of this year, Gigi Seasons provided Land &  Life Foundation with over $20,000 which was used to build a new, modern kitchen for Ganako Primary School near Elewana The Manor, Ngorongoro, Tanzania.  The kitchen will serve over 500 children and has been fully equipped with institution size fuel-efficient stoves and cooking pots.  Part of the funds was also used to provide 40 new, durable, metallic desks for Kachiuru Primary School children near Shaba National Reserve, Kenya. This month, Gigi Seasons donated another very generous gift of $35,000 to the Land & Life Foundation!  These funds will go towards constructing a new classroom and plumbing works for Morijo Primary School, near Loisaba Conservancy as well as build a school administration block that will have offices and a staff room for Kachiuru Primary School.

No words can truly express how phenomenal Gigi Seasons is. The impact they have created and continue to create will be remembered for many generations to come.  We are very grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity towards our communities.  It is supporters like them who make our work possible.

Reached for comment, Georgios Georgiou, the founder of Gigi Seasons said, “We have a vibrant passion for doing good,” He continues, “Ever since my visit to Elewana the Manor in 2019, I knew I wanted to be a small part of the transformational work being done by the Land & Life Foundation.

Gigi Seasons is a seasonal home decor and lifestyle brand retailer grounded in social good. Through their philanthropic arm, Gigi Cares: Projects for Humanity, they strive to provide others with the tools they need to live better lives!

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Update: There’s always time for tea!

Clarissa and Sean are a fine example of how creative ideas infused with the spirit of giving can make a difference. As a teacher herself, Clarissa understands the demands that teachers in Ganako Primary face to remain productive and motivated. But how do you go about motivating them? was the question. And the answer was tea! There’s always time for tea! As William E Gladstone put is so well:

“If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”

Their fundraiser through the sale of beautiful polymer hand-made clay coasters garnered a total of $740! Because all our operation expenses are covered by Elewana, 100% of these funds will go towards purchasing tea making facilities (burners, gas, cups, pots, sugar, powdered milk etc) for the teachers in Ganako. The balance will be channelled to meet the school’s priority needs.

Thank you Clarissa and Sean for your thoughtfulness!

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When in doubt – go to the library …

In the words of George Martin, ‘’A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies and the one who never reads lives only one.’’

It is with great joy that we celebrate yet another life changing success this year in Esiteti Primary School, Amboseli. For three months we have been overseeing construction of a fantastic library for the school. The work began on 1st August 2019, with funding from long-term supporters A E Reimann Foundation and Skål International Monaco. We also appreciate the generous donation from Derrick and Kimberly Birum which has gone a long way to provide furniture, equipment, computers and books.

The construction was finished on the 24th October thanks to hard work from our regular contractor teams, Mofo Contractors and Building Company. Our structural engineer Anthony Mwai from Vector Africa Limited visited to inspect the works and has declared it complete and ready to equip.

This three month project has seen us realize a one of a kind library in Kitirua conservancy where the school sits. The library is large at a total of 4,185 square ft and is able to accommodate at least two classes in a sitting. It will be equipped with a computer section, reading area with shelving, and an arts and crafts room seating up to 30 children at a go. Shelves, desks, computers and aert and crafts equipment are all on order and being delivered over the next few weeks and we expect to have a fully furnished library by 15th of December 2019, ready for the new school term which commences in January 2020.

We trust that this investment will provide much needed support for the ever-growing community at Esiteti Primary School and the larger Kitirua Conservancy. It is a delight to see the changes at Esiteti, watching the student numbers grow and their exam results improve. We would like to thank all of you who have been a part of this journey!

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More than books and buildings – it’s a chance at a future

For the longest time, the Kenyan public education has been based on an 8-4-4 system which translates to 8 years for Primary Education, 4 years in High School and 4 years in college. Over the years, a lot of changes have permeated the learning halls and the system at large but what remains constant are the mixed emotions had by the scholars awaiting the scores for their final exams. For the oldest students (grade 8) in the primary schools, the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) is a real defining moment, as it plays a significant role in determining the High school that the children will move on to. 

Last week, the grade 8 students were on edge as the Kenyan examination council through the Minister of Education, Prof. George Magoha, announced the KCPE results. As is customary, the top achievers and their respective schools head out to the streets to celebrate their performance as the rest of the country watch the jubilation on TV screens. Amidst the country’s celebrations, we received wonderful news from our very own supported schools whose students performed fairly well.

The highlight of this moment, however, was the report we received from Kachiuru Primary, our supported school in the remote parts of Isiolo, whose performance has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite challenges linked to the prolonged drought experienced in the area, the school has managed to record a steady improvement in their test scores.

Mr. Samuel Mutabari, the school’s head teacher, had this to say, “We wish to thank Land & Life Foundation for the support you have continued to offer Kachiuru Primary School. The school’s academic performance has improved over time and this can be attributed to your support and that of the donors”

Every one of YOUR donations, from textbooks to ablutions blocks, have played a significant role in establishing a bright future for these Kachiuru students. By providing improved facilities and extended resources, you have helped the school improve the standard of teaching and environment for learning – and now, the proof is there for all to see!

So thank you to everyone who has contributed to Kachiuru, to the Wildlife Warrior Program and to Land & Life. It really does make a difference!