Lift Up Africa helps African people help themselves. We provide a hand up NOT a hand out!
LUA News
The Lift Up Africa Newsletter
In This Issue
Oloika Solar Cooking Distribution
Project Focus: Kenya Community Centre for Learning
Brief Updates

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You can also search on Facebook  for Lift Up Africa and we're a registered FaceBook Cause, too.

Some Upcoming LUA Events
   
August 15, 2009
San Carlos, CA
Birthday Party Fundraiser for LUA
Joseph Fangon is turning17. He has chosen to make his 2009 birthday celebration a fundraiser for Lift Up Africa. Funds raised will benefit LUA's solar cooking projects that help school feeding programs. LUA will demonstrate solar cooking at Joe's party.

August 20, 2009

Gresham, Oregon
Boeing Portland's Employee Safety Fair

September 13, 2009

Bellevue, WA
First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue Mission Fair

September 15-16, 2009, Olympia and Tukwila, WA

11th Annual Combined Fund Drive Charity Fairs

September 29, 2009

Seattle, WA
King County Givingworks 2009 Kickoff

October 1, 2009

Seattle, WA
Combined Federal Campaigns of King County and North Puget Sound 2009 Kickoff at The Convention Center

_______

LUA's Employee Giving Campaign Registrations

Microsoft Matching  Gifts Program

Combined Federal Campaigns of King Cty and North Puget Sound
(ID #53027)

King County Employee Giving Campaign
(ID #9206)

Washington State Combined Fund Drive
(ID #1478602)

Join Our List
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Issue # 5 Summer 2009
Greetings!

Here's the fifth issue of LUA News. If your friends or colleagues might appreciate learning about what we do to help African people, it's easy to forward this issue using the link at the bottom of the page.

Asante (thank you) and enjoy!

Oloika Solar Cooking Distribution
Helping Maasai women in Southern Kenya
 
Since July 2005, Solar Cookers International (EA) has been working with women's groups in Kajiado to promote the use of solar cooking as a means to help poor women save their meager resources for other pressing needs. The women are generally Maasai women with their new CooKits, a small, portable type solar cookerwidows or single parents who need group support to move forward with their lives. Many are engaged in petty trade like selling vegetables, beads, milk and eggs.

Several groups devised a way to purchase solar cooking materials for each member. Thus far, some have been able to purchase CooKits--a small, individual solar cooker. (See photo) However, this system is slow and many women are still waiting to receive the materials they need to either begin or fully realize the maximum benefit from solar cooking.

Because the purchasing process has dragged on for three years, SCI approached LUA. They asked us to partner with several of these groups so the women could more quickly enhance their energy savings, thus improving their living standards.

On May 22, 2009 the first of these partnership distributions took place in Oloika. At the distribution event, SCI's Stella Odaba informed the women that through Lift Up Africa (LUA) they would now receive donations of the equipment they still needed, including hay basket fireless cookers.   

Although the weather was a bit cloudy, some CooKits were set up to demonstrate pasteurizing water using the WAPI (water pasturization indicator.) The use of the fireless cookers was also demonstrated. While the members watched and timed the process, some rice was simmered for 5 minutes. Then the rice was transferred to the hay basket. Half an hour later a member went to check and found it cooked.
 
At the meeting Agnes Osoi, one of the group members, said:
 
 "... solar cookers have been of great help to us....We can pasteurize our drinking water and our children don't suffer from diarrhea because of taking dirty water. FurtherSCI's Faustine Odaba demonstrating the hay basket fireless cookermore, it's safe around the child; I can leave the food to cook while I go to sell my beads in the market without any fears of fire accidents at home. Now with the addition of fireless cookers life will be even simpler for me. I will warm water at night, pour it in the ten liter plastic container then put it in the fireless cooker. In the morning my children have ready breakfast and warm water to bathe before school. I will not be exposed to smoke for so long; I will use firewood only when there's no sun and save some wood."
 
Other participants chimed in saying:
 
"The fireless cooker will bring peace in my home; my husband will always find hot food whenever he comes late. I don't have to wake up to light a fire to warm the food for him."
 
"...I am so excited and grateful to SCI and Lift Up Africa for their support in making our lives better!"
 
A vote of thanks was given by Esther Sekeyian, the group's chairlady. The women then gave gifts (beaded ornaments) in honor of Lift Up Africa and adorned Ms. Odaba with beaded ornaments, too.
 
The distribution to the 17 women who attended the event cost $700 (USD). This small grant will help an estimated 150 people.   

Information on all of our solar cooking projects is available on LUA's Solar Cooking Wiki.  
 Project Focus: 
Kenya Community Centre for Learning

In 2001 Kenya Community Centre for Learning (KCCL) became East Africa's first middle/high school catering to the unique educational and social needs of students with learning disabilities and a variety of special needs. It operates as a non-profit trust with income generated through school fees and donations.

KCCL currently serves 28 students from diverse cultural, religious, and economic backgrounds with a variety of educational problems including autism, cerebral palsy anTwo students of the Kenya Community Center for Learning, East Africa's first middle/high school for special needs kindsd blindness. In addition to educating these special students, KCCL is training Kenyan teachers to work with students with learning difficulties so that its model can be replicated throughout Kenya.
 
KCCL follows the GED American curriculum. It offers students a chance for a college education or an apprenticeship program in which students gain experience in different trades and skills. In conjunction with the KCCL Board and a trained special education expert from the US, KCCL's Principal Ciriaka Gitonga set a program in motion to make the school self-sufficient. The first step was to move the school to a more affordable facility. Future plans call for increasing the student-teacher ratio to 1 teacher per 6 students.
 
KCCL's 15-year vision provides for a comprehensive facility that will include nursery, primary, secondary, post graduate and adult continuing education programs. Community services will include:
  • teacher training,
  • assessment centre,
  • vocational programs,
  • sports/music/library and drama centers, and
  • career placement and employment opportunities.
To house students and staff, KCCL will provide boarding and residential facilities including an assisted or transitional living program.A KCCL teacher working with a special needs student
 
KCCL receives no support from the Kenyan government, so it is totally dependent on donations and fees from the parents, many of whom cannot afford to pay full tuition for their children.  KCCL needs funding so it can continue catering to the needs these special children. 

Lift Up Africa agreed to support a 2-year program to help KCCL put its sustainability effort firmly in place. The priority funding needs for this period are facility rent for 2010, scholarships (24 needed), classroom expenses, principal and teacher salary support, and a heavy duty photocopier.  
  • Scholarship level #1, $100 student/month (10)
  • Scholarship level #2, $225 student/month (9)
  • Scholarship level #3, $300 student/month (5)
  • Rent subsidy, $500 per week
  • Principal's salary, $425 per week
  • Teacher/classroom expense, $100 per day/class
  • Heavy duty photocopier, $2,500

Please help LUA help KCCL's special needs studentsPlease help Lift Up Africa help Africa's vulnerable special needs children! Just let us know you want to support KCCL or a specific KCCL need. Thanks!
 
 
Please support Lift Up Africa's critical efforts to
  help
African people by making a secure on-line
  donation.


  And because our board pays for all administrative
  expenses,  100% of every dollar you contribute goes
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Please Contribute
   Asante (thank you)! 


   Lift Up Africa is a 501(c)(3) not for
   profit organization. Our tax  ID  is
74-3116756.


  LIFT UP AFRICA DIRECTORS & STAFF
  
Bill Longbrake (President) - Rick Levy (Secretary-Treasurer) - Sam Muinde (Vice President) - Larry Donahoo
    Anne V. Farrell - Kenneth G.Y. Grant - Linda Alband, CFRE (Chief Administrative Officer)