Region: Africa
Author: Boston Children's Centre of Matopeni Slum, Kenya
Consortium Member: Virtual Foundation Director (ECOLOGIA)
Status: Needs Funding
Budget: $2200
Collected: $780
Needs: $1420
Goal: To provide support for an elementary school organized and run by the residents of Matopeni, a low-income area on the outskirts of Nairobi. The goal is to provide educational opportunities for orphans and children of destitute families.
Comment: The school receives support from various neighborhood organizations. Their goal with this project is to raise money to cover school supplies (books, pens, paper, uniforms), daily lunch, etc. Roughly $200 USD covers the expenses for one child, for an entire year.
NOTE: This district has a mixed ethnic/tribal composition, and its people did not become involved in the violence after the recent (2008) Kenyan Presidential election.
Donors: Middlebury Model United Nations Conference, May 2008; Melissa Elliott, Colorado, July 2008; Lisa Darling, Colorado, September 2008 - for tuition for Adrian and Pollet Adhiambo; Cullen Hughes, Colorado, September 2008 - for tuition; Meghan Hughes, Colorado, September 2008 - for books
The school receives support from various neighborhood organizations. Their goal with this project is to raise money to cover school supplies (books, pens, paper, uniforms), daily lunch, etc.
The organizers write, "We get some irregular support from friends and our local church. It covers feeding program (Lunch Only )for a particular child, buys textbooks and buys full school uniform. We can say that in Kenya the cost of Education is low compared to other developed countries." About Matopeni: "Matopeni is located 30 Kilometres from the City Centre of Nairobi and about 20 Kilometers from the Jomo Kenyatta international Airport.... Matopeni is a cosmopolitan slum. We are all tribes living here. Kikuyus, Luos, Luhya, Kambas - name them all. I think that of all areas that were affected by the recent political violence, Matopeni was very lucky we did not witness any violence like other parts of Nairobi."
Budget
School Fees Breakdown, each child per year (in Kenyan Shillings); one Kenyan Shilling = .02 US dollars; 13340 Kenyan Shillings = $213 US Dollars. (conversion as of May 2, 2008).
| Item | Quantity @cost | Total |
| School Uniform | 1 pair @ 700/= | 700/= |
| Shoes | 1pair @ 500/= | 500/= |
| School Socks | Three pairs @ 80/= | 240/= |
| Exercise Books | 20 pieces @ 20/= | 400/= |
| Pens | 20 pieces @ 20/= | 400/= |
| Library cost | 200/= per month, 12 months | 2400/= |
| School maintenance fees | 143.30/= per month | 1720/= |
| Security | 100/= per month | 1200/= |
| Administration cost | 70/= per month | 840/= |
| Total School fees per year | 1833.30/= per month | 8400/= |
| Total Feeding program | 5 days a week for 9 months | 4940 |
| Total (Kenyan Shillings) | 13340 | |
| TOTAL COSTS per child | 13340 Kenyan Shillings = approx. $213 US Dollars | |
| For 10 children, $213 US Dollars each/year | $2130 | |
| Virtual Foundation administrative fee | $213 | |
| Total requested, 10 children / year | $2333 |
To learn about individual children who are eligible to attend the school, please visit the Boston Children Centre's sponsor gallery.
The Boston Children Centre and the Matopeni area participate in "the NABUUR project". NABUUR is an internet platform (based in the Netherlands) where villages in developing countries can be linked with volunteers from around the world, to receive direct assistance. Online volunteers help locate support. One of those volunteers contacted the Virtual Foundation and has worked with the school leaders to answer our questions.