Jambo! (Hello!) My name is Erika Schickel and I am an author and teacher who, in the spring of 2024, had the extraordinary privilege of traveling to Kenya with a group of writers, where we were invited to visit the Ngoswani Primary School in Maasailand. The moment we stepped onto the dusty primary schoolyard we were surrounded by smiling students ranging in ages from 5 to 12 years old. Every single child reached out to shake our hands, their faces wreathed in smiles, brimming with curiosity and excited to meet us, the "Mzungu" (white people). The students treated our group to traditional Maasai songs and dances that have been passed down by their ancestors, through countless generations. As I watched I was deeply struck by the pride, dignity, generosity and beauty that is every Maasai child's birthright. Unfortunately, poverty has become a part of that birthright, and getting a formal education is very challenging for the Maasai children. Every day, students walk miles through the bush to get to school, each one carrying a piece of wood (a rapidly diminishing resource) to contribute to the kitchen fire. As we toured the classrooms, I saw dirt floors, unsanitary conditions, and precious few books or learning materials available to students. These kids didn't even have desks! Some students sat crowded around a small table, others sat on narrow benches, doing their lessons in their laps. A desk costs a mere $35 to build, including labor and materials. The school needs approximately 400 of them. The $20k fundraising goal I have set would not only supply enough desks for every student in at Ngoswani Primary, but would also help to purchase a Jiko/Surfuria, an inexpensive, fuel-efficient cooking stove that uses charcoal rather than wood. The kitchen staff would be able to prepare nutritious meals for the children, using fewer resources and producing far less smoke and carbon. There are so many dire and heart-wrenching things happening in the world today, particularly to children. I am sure that you, like me, have felt sad, angry, helpless and overwhelmed. I am starting this fundraiser as a small, but significant and tangible way to help kids right now. This is eminently do-able. These Masai kids matter. Not just to their families, but to the future of their community and to the ecosystem they are such a profound part of. Education, especially for girls, is the single best hope there is for raising the Masai out of poverty. It gives them the skills they need to build a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for their families, their villages, and the larger geographic region. And it all starts with a desk. A just a simple, $35 desk. A safe place for a child to sit and read and write and learn -- and, as all schoolchildren everywhere do -- to dream of a brighter tomorrow. Ashe! (Thank you) Erika Schickel
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