Hi my name is Jayo Ramson.  I am a Masai from the  Il Ngwesi community in Chumvi village Kenya.  I live with my mother and father.  I have four brothers and four sisters.   My parents are small scale farmers with one cow, two goats and one sheep.   My parents do not make enough income to send me to high school.  I am kindly requesting any well wisher who could help me join high school.

Gaining an education will allow me to achieve my dream to become a teacher.  I will be in a good position to educate people in my community towards positive changes that are needed.   For example: working towards stopping polygamy and also keeping a smaller number of animals that will balance with the amount of grazeable land.  

I believe environmental sustainability is very important because:

-          It is the home for wild animals

-          It controls soil erosion

-          It keeps the land looking beautiful

-          Forests allow rainfall

-          Bees make honey from flowers

I have some experience volunteering with a tree nursery.   I help distribute seedlings in my community so people can plant trees near their homes.

Some of my extended family is willing to contribute a small amount towards my high schooling, however it is not enough. 

Thank you for your time.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

My name is  MARGARET NYAMBURA KIMANI born on 28^th June 1985. I have been a volunteer in KENVO for more than one year to date and a former participant in the recent ended 2009-2010 Canada World Youth program held in Winnipeg (Canada) Kagwe(Kenya) .Am a fourth born of the family of seven. My family is settled in Nyandarua District in a small community called Njabini location situated 80km North-West of Nairobi. My parents had a great dream of having an educated and economically stable family in the foreseeable future but this never came true. This is because in year 1995 my loving Mum became sick and was operated and treated in different hospitals and this was very expensive for my Dad to settle the hospital bills and at the same time support our education. Therefore he was forced to seek for a loan in order to settle the hospital bill and pay for our school fees. Later even before my Dad had settled the borrowed loan, yet another misfortunes hate my family where my second born brother fell sick and was to be operated and again costed a lot of money and my dad almost gave up. Thanks to Almighty God because despite all this my Dad still had a strong faith and was dedicated and determined to at least accord us the basic education. In year1998 Once again our family was stroked by another ill fortune where our dear mum was operated again and she had to undergo regular treatment until May 2001 when we woke to unforgettable sad day when our loving, caring Mum passed on. Our lives almost came to stand still but thanks to my Dad who fully and strongly stood beside us and encouraged us not to loss hope.

My dear mum once again left a big hospital bill which my Dad tried to seek for financial assistance from his employer but all this was in vain. Thus, my dad took all the responsibility of settling the bill of which he is still paying to date and at the same time trying to support our family where he can.

My older sister managed to study a course on Pharmacy but didn’t complete to the degree level. She started a small chemist and she had been helping my Dad with settling some basic needs in our family. Unfortunately her business was brought down to ashes during the 2007 post election violence and this left her very desperate and discouraged. Since then she have not managed to start it again. Our second born pursued advanced Diploma in telecommunication and Electronics Engineering and got a job and with his little salary, he helps my father to meet our basic needs. He is still looking forward that one day he will get funds to further his studies so that he can secure a well paying job and thus be in a position to relief my Dad most of the family financial burdens. Our Third born started his certificate course in Information Technology and Marketing but didn’t managed to complete since that was the most misfortunate season for our family. He is still determined and hopeful that one day he shall get funds to complete his course. Currently my dad is paying school fees for my brother in college pursuing Business Administration and my sister in High school and our younger brother in Primary school.

Anyways, despite all what our family has gone through, we have accepted the fates and our family is now united, strong and focused to face the future. Any support accorded toward my other siblings’ education will be very welcomed and appreciated. To our dear, caring and loving Dad we salute you for taking care of us so far and to my dear mum we miss you and may your soul rest in peace.

REASONS TO CONTINUE WITH MY EDUCATION

Having being involved and volunteered in community activities, I got a chance to identify some problems that my community face in business establishment and management and by choosing bachelor of commerce as a field of specialization I belief that after obtaining the skills and knowledge then I will be in a position to help the community on how to establish, manage and account for their businesses. Also I will be in a better position to help entrepreneurs in decision making and to link their business and environment thus attaining sustainable development.

COMMUNITY GAINS FROM MY GAINED SKILLS

Through the skills I will have gained then I will be in a position to mobilize and empower youths and other members of the community to initiate their own micro business and how to obtain loans to boast and market their businesses. I will also help them to network with other well established businesspersons in order share ideas and experiences on the best business practices.

I will also be in a position to empower them on the importances of banking their money instead of house keeping and also on how to link business and environment.

I will also act as the leading person in addressing the MDG’S mostly on poverty eradication which is the most crucial in my community. I will achieve this by empowering youths and the community at large on how to start environmentally income generating businesses thus eradicating poverty and extreme hunger as well as assisting the youths to make money from their businesses and use some of the returns to pursue their career.

FUTURE GOALS

§ Help and empower the community on how to write eco-business proposals, manage and implement the eco-projects in order to achieve sustainable and quality life among the community members.

§ To be a financial controller of different community and youth groups projects.

§ To be in a position to support my family, by paying the school fees to my younger siblings and also pursue my master after completing my first degree in commerce.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

Environment being a component of three dynamic forces that is economical forces, socio-political forces and natural forces and the present situation is that there is scarcity of natural resources which causes high demand than supply of the resources to human needs. This has also influenced the economic status of the community leading to scramble for natural resources. My initiatives will help in linking environment with business income generating activities like bee keeping, eco-agriculture, ecotourism and among other eco-businesses, thus ensuring sustainable environment and livelihood improvement.

I will also empower the community on best alternatives of natural resources in order to reduce overdependence of natural resources e.g. introduction of biogas as a source of cooking instead of using fossil fuels, thus reducing deforestation.

Further, Environmental sustainability is very imperative since everything we do or depend on comes from environment and if it’s not handled with great care then will be compromising the environment of the future generation.

IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTERING

§ It’s a very good way of showing responsibility, accountability and love to the community by exercising skills gained from the school to enable them achieve their goal i.e. have quality life.

§ Ensures unity, enthusiasms, harmony and respect with the community thus promoting peace and development our community.

§ Help to discover various gap within the community and talents of young people and assist them to realize and utilize them wisely thus bringing about sustainable and quality life among them.

§ Bringing growth, sustainability and development of the community by giving free of services.

§ It also create potential opportunities to accomplish a goal e.g. through volunteering with KENVO, I learned about CWY and I had a chance to participate in 2009-2010 CWY program thus gaining some facilitation, leadership and communication skills and also upgrading my social skills, build self confidence, beliefs, be myself and to think globally.

Am optimistic and determined that upon sharing the experience gained, it will impact the community thus leading to sustainable development and growth.

My vision is to continue volunteering with the community in various sectors until they achieve a health and quality life thus eradicating hunger and extreme poverty and ensuring sustainable environment.

WHY ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTINUE WITH MY EDUCATION WITHOUT OUTSIDE SUPPORT

All my other siblings wishes to further their education and having only a single parent to support us and also relying on our subsistence farming makes it difficult .My father is currently paying college tuition for my younger brother and two others in High school and Primary school respectively and at the same time paying all my mum’s loans and hospital bills with his little income. My sister is experiencing difficulties in restarting her business after being burnt down in 2007 post elections violence. My brother has a job with very small salary. All this challenges facing my family make it impossible for me to continue with my education without external support. On that note I wish to thanks the people I met in Canada during my participation in Canada world youth program who are wonderful, generous, loving and they offered to support my education. This gave me hope again of continuing with my education and I am very overwhelmed by that and am promising to work very hard so that one day I can be in a position to give back my gratitude by supporting other people to achieve their life goal.

WHY ITS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN LOANS, OR SUBSIDY FROM GOVERNMENT

The bursary is minimal compared to number of students applying for it and the process to obtain it is very tedious and the payment interest is very high to manage.

PAYING FOR LIVING EXPENSES

Solely depends with subsistence farming and support from my father. At the moment I don’t have any savings to support my education but a plan is underway to organize a fundraiser, and am also looking forward to secure a part time job.

Proposed Student:  Doreen Asasiira

Proposed  School:  Advanced Leadership Institute, Kampala, Uganda

Proposed Program:   HIV/AIDS Counselling Management 

Contact:  Doreen Asasiira, doreenasasiira@yahoo.com or Pastor James Ssebasumba, ssebasumbajames@yahoo.co.uk, +256772603779

Education is Power founder Dave Cuddy writes:

Doreen was born HIV positive and is an orphan.  She lives in Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda.  I met Doreen through a Kampala pastor named James Ssebasumba, who is from a church in East Kampala called Faith Towers Ministries (PO Box 3839).

Her program in HIV Counselling Management costs 800,000  Uganda shillings ($405 USD)  per semester.  The course takes 2 years, and upon completion a diploma will be awarded.  Each year has 2 semesters.

When Pastor James first met me (Dave Cuddy), and heard about Education is Power, he was adamant that I meet Doreen.  I found Doreen to be very positive and cheerful given her circumstances of being born with HIV and now being an orphan.  She has a passion to help her community, and especially in HIV/AIDS prevention and support.

Education is Power recognizes the importance religious based organizations have in helping the community, however Education is Power is not a religious based organization.  Our goal is to achieve sustainable development through peace and environmental harmony, without favouring any particular religion or non religion.

Before making any payments to students in Uganda, Education is Power is looking for a reputable Ugandan partner organization, to ensure the same trust and efficacy we have established in Kenya and Tanzania.

Proposed Student:  Dennis Luhende Mbulu 

Proposed School:  East Africa College – Nairobi, Kenya

Proposed Program:  Diploma in Social Work and the Enviroment

Contact:  Dennis Mbulu, dennisstar2006@yahoo.com     

Dave Cuddy, Education is Power founder writes:  I have known Dennis since back in 2006-07 when I did my Canada World Youth exchange program.  Dennis is someone that I have kept in touch with over the years.  He worked very hard in studying and in making enough money to achieve his secondary education.  Since his father died recently it has been of much difficulty for his family, and for Dennis to continue his education.  Dennis is determined to continue his education and help his community in environmental conservation issues.  I was fortunate to be hosted by his very welcoming family in October 2009. 

Dennis Mbulu writes: 

My name is Dennis Luhende Mbulu.  I was born 15th august 1984.  I started primary school in 1994, and then completed in 2000.  I succeeded to go to goverment secondary school, which I completed just recently in 2009.  I had to stop for a couple of years due to a lack of money. 

I am the third child among five chirldren in my family, my father was a farmer and head of helping our family, until he died 2003.  Now i’m living with my mom who is widow. 

The course I would like to study is Social Work and the Environment, at EAST AFRICA COLLEGE which its in NAIROBI, KENYA.  It is a good collage with many Tanzanians studying there.  It’s closer to my home place then Tanzania’s major centre Dar-es-Salaam.   In Shinyanga, where I am from, we don’t have a collage.  

The cost of the program is about $1400 USD per year.  I can contribute some money according to the real situation of the difficult life I live.  Right now, I can contribute $150 USD per year.
 
 I want to take this program because its my interest to work with different people, and to help people who have many problems.  With this I think it is very important to help  people to preserve the environment.  This is why I have been volunteering with NAFRAC (Natural Forest Resources and Agro-forestry Centre), who are based in Shinyanga.  I know that with a good education I will be able help my community and my country. 
 
My community will benefit a lot from me because when I complete  school i’ll go back to show and to teach them what I have learned.  For example, I will be able to use my education to teach how to preserve the environment and increase the quality of life.  I will do as much as I can to contribute to positive change and to share my education with  all the people in the community.
 

I have participated in the  international education program Canada World Youth.  It was a very good program because i learned so much about how the world works, and this improves how I learn and how I utilize my education.  During the program, I learned how different parts of the world have different ideas on how to preserve the environment.  It is my goal to find solutions that work for our part of the world in East Africa.  The program of Canada World Youth actually changed my life.

Proposed Student:  Paul Wahugo

Proposed School Program:  Kenyan secondary education

Paul Writes:

My name is Paul Wahugo Njogu.  I am from Kimende, Kenya in Kenya’s Central Province.  I was born on the 27^th of November 1990.  I am the first born in a family of six.  I finished primary school in 2006.  I schooled at Matathia Primary School near Kimende, Kenya.  I joined escarpment secondary school in 2008, where my parents were struggling to pay for my school fees and eventually could not afford them, which led to me dropping out of school.

Since then I have been at home doing lots of household and farm work.  I am trying to find someone who can support me to go back to secondary school in order for me to fulfill my career dream.  For each day I dream to be a politician who is going to bring change in my community and if I can get any support I believe I will make it. 

I kindly request your support to help me to finish secondary school, which I think will greatly help me succeed in life.  Once I am educated I believe I will get a good job and I will be able to help my family, relatives, neighbors and my community at large. 

I really like the idea of what Education is Power is doing.  It helps the young people who have the capability to help their communities. I would kindly request the well wishers to help me go back to school because I know education is a treasure and would not like other young people to experience what I have gone through in life living in poverty in my home. 

It would not be possible for me to go school without outside help because my family is not able to raise the required amount for me to go to school. Some members of my extended family do not know the importance of education since they themselves did not go to school.

I had also tried to get funding from the constituency development fund but they do not support students continuously. 

Future goals

I would like to be an engineer and complete university.  Once I am employed, I believe I will be able to support my family and my community by helping those in needs especially with obtaining an education.

Note:   Paul has been forced to change secondary schools and start from the begining.  This is do to his large debt at Escarpment Secondary School, and the fact that it has been too long  for him to have well retained all that he learned in his one and a half years of secondary school at Escarpment.  His former teacher from Matahia Primary School advised paul that it was not worth paying the huge balanced that he owed at Escapment Secondary, and that it after his time away from school it would not be a good start to begin at year two.  Paul is now attending Mbau-ini Secondary School as of February 2010.  Mbau-ini is also located close to Kimende, Kenya, which is 60km North West of Nairobi.

Proposed Student: Saleh Stephen Ngila
Proposed School Program: Public Secondary School in Kenya

Saleh graduated from Lokusero Primary School in the Il Ngwesi region of Kenya. He lives in a rural masaai village and walks several kilometers each morning and afternoon in order to attend classes at Lokusero. He recently finished standard 8, the highest level of education available to him without external financial assistance.

Saleh finished standard 8 with very high marks and has, more often than not, received the highest marks in the class on tests and compositions throughout the year, regardless of subject.

Saleh’s favorite and most impressive subject is English. Unlike most of his peers, Saleh is very confident in his spoken English and is the first to
volunteer to speak in front of the class. His written compositions are the best in the class, showing his comfort with the English language, his thrid language spoken fluently, and his creativity in story telling and problem
solving.

Saleh is the only student from his class who, during breaks between classes, would often stay in the classroom, finishing or correcting assignments, studying or reading.

Saleh’s education is his passion but, because of his family’s financial situation, it is unlikely that he will be able to move on to secondary school without financial assistance.

There is no government day secondary school close to Saleh’s home so his most affordable option for secondary school is a government boarding school. The government subsidizes 10,500 KSH of the 31 550KSH yearly cost of boarding school. So this leaves Saleh 21 050 KSH ($285 USD) short of school fees. His family is able to contribute some but nowhere near enough.

Proposed Student:  Takuo Maiyani

Proposed School Program:  Secondary School in Kenya

Takuo has graduated from Lokusero Primary School in the Il
Ngwesi region of Kenya.  Wherby in December 2009 he  finished
standard 8, the highest level of education that is available
to him without financial assistance.

Takuo finished the year with very good marks and has scored
in the top five in the class in nearly every standardized
test.  His favorite subject is math and although
english is not one of his favorite subjects, he in the most
willing, out of everyone in his standard 8 class, to speak out, express his opinion, offer suggestions, and speak for himself and his peers, be it in his mother tongue of Masaai, his national language of Swahili, or the language in which his education is offered, English. He is one of the very few students bold and confident enough to approach members of authority with questions, concerns, or just to
talk. 

There is no government day secondary school close to Takuo’s home so his most affordable option for secondary school is a government boarding school. The government subsidizes 10,500 KSH of the 31 550KSH yearly cost of boarding school. So this leaves Takuo 21 050 KSH ($285 USD) short of school fees. His family is able to contribute some but nowhere near enough.

Proposed Student: Paulo Kisio

Proposed School Program: Public Secondary School in Kenya

I had the opportunity to teach Math and English to Paulo, and I found him to be one of the smartest children in the grade 8 class. He was one of the boys who seemed to always have his hand up, ready to give to the correct answer.

Secondary school was unaffordable to Paulo’s family since Paulo completed grade 8 last year with good marks. He now has decided to repeat grade 8 in hopes that he will be able to find someone to help sponsor him to move onto high school. At the same to he will improve his marks and be more prepared for high school if he can find a sponsor.

More information to come on Paulo’s biography….

There is no government day secondary school close to Paulo’s home so his most affordable option for secondary school is a government boarding school. The government subsidizes 10,500 KSH of the 30 000 KSH yearly cost of boarding school. So this leaves Paulo 19 500 KSH ($265 USD) short of school fees. His family is able to contribute some but nowhere near enough.

Proposed Student: Ndondo Solomon

Proposed School Program: Public Secondary School in Kenya

Ndondo is 16 years old. He is the youngest of four brothers and four sisters. His four sisters are married with children as are two of his brothers. One of his brothers is in his second year of high school after receiving outside assistance from Borana Farm (They are not in a position to help Solomon). His parents are married and keep livestock of a small amount of goats, cows, and sheep. His family depends on relief food from the government.

Solomon’s favorite subject is science. He likes playing and coaching football (soccer). He says he wants to be a community leader and help others after his studies. One of his ideas is to help local farmers with water shortage problems.

Solomon has finished primary school with good grades but does not have the money to move onto secondary school. He is currently repeating grade 8 in hopes that he will be able to find someone to help sponsor him to move onto high school. At the same to he will improve his marks and be more prepared for high school if he can find a sponsor.

There is no government day secondary school close to Solomon’s home so his most affordable option for secondary school is a government boarding school. The government subsidizes 10,500 KSH of the 31 550KSH yearly cost of boarding school. So this leaves Solomon 21 050 KSH ($285 USD) short of school fees. His family is able to contribute some but nowhere near enough.