News from EFAC: Autumn 2012

Starehe Girls School

Education For All Children Newsletter

empowering children through education - autumn 2012

In This Issue

Mentor Program

Board Trip to Kenya

Web Design Program

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EFAC CELEBRATES FIRST GRADUATES

Founders Nancy and Rod Van Sciver hosted a graduation party for over 60 sponsors. Nancy introduced the post secondary education initiative, Next Steps, with a goal of facilitating post secondary education for all graduates. Sponsor support was overwhelming and the evening ended with committed scholarship support for 30 of 45 students.

As one sponsor stated, "We are half way across the river let's not take the paddles away."

After graduation all graduates will attend a computer and career counseling course prior to enrolling in a four year university degree program or a 2-3 year college diploma program.

To fund this initiative, EFAC has set up a Next Steps Fund with a goal of raising an additional $100,000 to match current post secondary donor funds.

Consider sponsoring an EFAC post secondary student or contributing to the Next Steps Fund.

2012 EFAC Graduation Party

EFAC Mentors Impact Student Lives

To support the EFAC students who are graduating from high school this year, EFAC is expanding its mentor program to pair each graduate with both a Kenyan and American mentor. Mentors will communicate through email and text on a regular basis with their students to help support them through their post-secondary education and beyond. Thanks to all who have signed up to mentor our first class of graduates.

The Importance of Mentoring EFAC Scholars

Mentoring from his sponsor changed Paul's life

EFAC Board travels to Kenya

The September EFAC Board trip to Kenya was an incredibly moving experience for all participants. The 13 board members and sponsors began their journey at the 4th annual Mentor Workshop. Meeting the students, the dedicated ANU team, the secondary school teachers and the mentors was a beautiful mix of tears, laughter and love. US EFAC members helped run workshops and sat on career panels with their Kenyan counterparts. Phillips Exeter Academy English teacher and EFAC sponsor, Nat Hawkins, ran a workshop on letter writing.

After the 4-day workshop, the Board members travelled to the EFAC partner schools and met with students and their teachers.

The trip was an affirmation of the EFAC mission. As Board member Peter Burger said: "Visiting the schools and our scholars in Kenya validated my wife's and my decision to support two EFAC students and likely more. Consider this: for $800 per year, you send a student to one of Kenya's top boarding schools where he or she receives a first rate education, is fed and clothed, and is trained in leadership and community service. Of all the organizations we support, none gives the return on investment that EFAC does -- not even close."

Sponsor Mary Watson, on her first EFAC trip, said: "I was impressed by the dedication, enthusiasm and tireless energy of Nancy and Rod, EFAC board members and local contacts. I was inspired by the work ethic and gratitude displayed by our students at the workshop and at their schools. A bonus to the trip was being with such a harmonious, focused and FUN group of people."

2012 Mentor Workshop and Board Trip

The World Gets A Little Flatter

by Rod Van Sciver

Israel Kloss

It all started when I met Israel, a web designer from here in New Hampshire at a tech conference. He and his wife Jen had just returned from Tanzania and Kenya where they were travelling and teaching IT is several schools. I told him about EFAC and our mentoring program. He expressed interest.

Then a few days later I thought of Wyclffe, one of our students at Kaaga Boys School. He is a talented illustrator and has a wonderfully

creative mind.

EFAC Scholar Wycliffe

I asked Israel if he could teach Wycliffe web design skills remotely. Israel thought so but would need a tech savvy Kenyan to help him set up the program. Why not Carol, our recent ANU graduate and intern who majored in Computer Science? Carol was thrilled.

She and Israel will be working on Skype and on line to develop the program. They are now thinking of having Carol and Wycliffe presenting

their program to all of the graduates

ANU Graduate Carol

at the April Computer and Career course. Collaboration is a beautiful thing!

Web design would be a wonderful skill for our graduates to have. It improves computer literacy. It is a very marketable skill especially in a place like Kenya with a dearth of IT professionals.

Thanks Israel for making the world a little flatter.


Education For all Children provides scholarships, mentoring and global connections to exceptional students in developing countries in order to encourage leadership, economic progress, cultural understanding and a more peaceful world. www.educationforallchildren.org