Global Education Fund

Intern with GEF this Fall!

2010-08-18T11:22:00.006-06:00

Global Education Fund (GEF) in a nonprofit organization based in Boulder, Colorado that works with promising but disadvantaged youth around the world to improve their lives and the lives of their communities through education. Founded in 1998, GEF has worked in over 20 countries, helped stock more than 70 libraries with books and provided over 60 motivated youth with high school scholarships and leadership training.

Global Education Fund is proud to announce the availability of an exciting internship in our Boulder office. We offer a flexible internship with the ability to fit your educational needs and earn credits.

GEF seeks a highly motivated, self-starting student who is passionate about international development and education. The intern will provide support to GEF staff and gain valuable skills and insights while assisting with day-to-day administrative tasks, event planning, communications, research and volunteer outreach for GEF. Internships with Global Education Fund are unpaid, but the hours are part-time and the schedule can be flexible. If your degree program requires you to do an internship, this can be used as course credit, where applicable. This internship will provide a skilled student the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of areas including:

FUNDRAISING & EVENT PLANNING
o Assist with planning & implementation of special events and follow up
o Assist with donor tracking and follow-up
o Draft letters, mail out and follow-up with donors and special guests
o Assist in the preparation of event materials and communications including newsletters, email blasts, etc.

MARKETING
o Assist with implementation of marketing strategies
o Research and data entry projects

REQUIREMENTS
* Commitment to a flexible work schedule of 15-20 hours per week
* Experience in database management and/or the manipulation of spreadsheets is helpful
* Experience gathering information through internet research
* Excellent writing skills
* Excellent interpersonal communication skills
* Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously
* Attention to detail and accountability is required

HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should email their cover letters and resumes to Maria Ranallo, GEF Development and Administrative Associate. The cover letter should note your availability and your specific interest in Global Education Fund.

Maria Ranallo
Development and Administrative Associate
maria@globaleducationfund.org
303.415.9935

Global Education Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

News on the Kenya Referendum Today

2010-08-04T14:23:00.003-06:00

The Standard is reporting that "an estimated 8 million voters cast their ballots during the referendum exercise out of the 12.4 million total registered voters. YES still on the lead with 2, 993, 506 (66.3 %) and NO 1, 519, 698 (33.7 %)" Follow the online feed here

The New York Times has a couple new articles on today's vote: Pain Lingers From 2007 Vote in Kenya and Kenya Stakes Reinvention on Constitution Vote

We have been getting updates and thoughts from our students, partners and friends in Kenya who voted today. Everyone is hopeful.

We are all watching what is happening very closely.

Kenya Referendum

2010-08-03T13:57:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow in Kenya is the referendum on the proposed new constitution. This has been a hot topic from the start with lots of emotion from both sides of the debate. There are several points of contention including land reform, abortion and Kadhi courts (Muslim courts) and the make up of the executive branch (particularly pertaining to the role and authority of the prime minister - coming directly out of the 2007 election and the resulting coalition).

Everyone is hopeful that this will be a peaceful referendum, but it will be worth watching the news tonight and tomorrow to find out the result of the vote and the reactions from the people. We'll also let you know if we learn anything.

The Human Security Watch just reported the following from Al Jazeera:

KENYA: Hundreds Flee as Violence Feared Ahead of Elections
Kenyan authorities are preparing for the country's first vote since the controversial 2007-08 election that left more than 1,000 people dead.

An 18,000 additional police officers have been deployed to potential hotspots ahead of Wednesday's ballot on a new constitution.

Politicians and analysts predict that the referendum will be largely peaceful, but several hundred people in the country's Rift Valley have already fled their homes before the vote, fearing a new flare-up.

The Rift Valley is home to the largest concentration of Kenyans planning to vote against the constitution and the site of some of the worst attacks during the last elections.

Halfway There

2010-07-28T10:01:00.003-06:00

Congratulations! We're halfway there! 12,274 sparkles have been sent to benefit our scholars in Kenya. Join the movement today! Click here to send a sparkle. Thank you!

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Over $6,000 Raised for GEF!

2010-07-13T08:51:00.006-06:00

Thanks to IZZE and everyone out there participating in the IZZE Sparkle Campaign, over $6,000 has been raised so far in support of Global Education Fund programs in Kenya! There is the opportunity to raise up to $25,000 for Kenya, so please keep sending those sparkles! Every dollar raised goes a long way in support of Kenyan students!

Click here to start a sparkle through facebook. Learn more about GEF Kenya through pictures and recent blog posts by clicking here and here.

Thank you for your support!

Exams in Kenya

2010-07-07T16:29:00.003-06:00

The Daily Nation reports that "A Million to Sit for National Exams" in an article published today. Check out the article by clicking here

GEF Summer - Poems from Kenya

2010-07-05T12:23:00.003-06:00

By Suzanne

While Julie and I were in Kenya we were surprised by amazing poems, dramas, speeches, artwork, etc. created by the GEF Scholars celebrating Global Education Fund. Here is the poem from the scholars of Lorna Waddington. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Never will we forget
Your endeavors, efforts
Struggling for us a lot
Day in day out
So that we achieve life fruits
Thank you GEF, for keeping our education safe.

Education would have been more difficult
But you have freed us from illiteracy extricate
As we know that its roots are bitter
But you have made it sweeter
Thank you GEF for keeping our education safe.

We are now in flight GEF
And the plane has taken off
We are definitely going to land safe
And we will really rejoice and laugh
Because we know you are the best pilots
Thank you, GEF for keeping our education safe.

Our minds are now sharp and not blunt
Our heart filled with joy and not vacant
We do grant you our gratitude’s
We have hundred percent attitudes towards you
Thank you ,GEF for keeping our education safe.

You have helped multitude
On their behalf we give gratitude
You have climbed higher altitude
Your hearts are kind and good
Thank you, GEF for keeping our education safe.

GEF Summer

2010-07-01T15:07:00.006-06:00

By Suzanne

It's hard to believe that it's July already, even though it's obviously summer (and hot!) here in Boulder. Global Education Fund has made amazing steps forward this year, and we're excited about the progress made and the future of the programs. Our strategic plan for the next 3-5 years is complete! We are putting the final touches on the report and will be posting it here on the blog soon, so be on the lookout because we'd love to get your thoughts.

The youth scholarship and leadership program in Kenya is growing more robust and creative everyday. Fred Afwai, the GEF Kenya Director, has been running around Nairobi getting trade schools, scholarship groups and of course students excited to be a part of a post-secondary opportunities fair to be held in August sponsored by Global Education Fund. These students work so hard to complete secondary school and this fair is designed to get students thinking about their next steps. I'm looking forward to seeing the impact.

Our fantastic scholars also helped us set up a small exam-prep library in the GEF Kenya office. The students pulled together a list of specific books that would help them study for their national exams. They also indicated recommended publishers, quantity of each book and the highest priority books should funds get tight. They are great that they thought through all the detail; it really helped. Before I left Kenya, I visited the Textbook Centre with GEF Alumni Fredrick where we pulled the books on the list. We took them back to the office where a group of current scholars and alumni gathered to catalog each book and discuss how to manage the lending process. It was encouraging and exciting to see the students step up and make this project their own.

There's so much more going on, so we'll have another post soon. Cheers!

Send a Sparkle, Help Raise $25,000

2010-06-25T13:56:00.003-06:00

Send a short message to a friend (aka. an IZZE sparkle) through facebook and IZZE will donate $1 to Global Education Fund! Join the movement today and help IZZE raise $25,000 to support Global Education Fund's programs in Kenya!

Click here for more!

GEF Kenya Workshop Update

2010-05-25T01:15:00.004-06:00

By Suzanne

Julie (the Global Education Fund Executive Director) and I arrived to Kenya Friday night. Saturday morning we made our way to this month's workshop for the students in the Kenya Youth Scholarship and Leadership Program. About 60 students were in attendance. The discussion of the day centered on conflict at home, at school, in the community, in the country and particularly around how one can approach conflict in a peaceful, thoughtful way in order to facilitate a nonviolent resolution.

The students spoke of conflicts in their lives such as bullies in school, domestic violence, alcoholism in the home, peer pressure and feeling isolated. On several occasions the conversation focused on what to do when one has a strong emotional reaction to a situation and feel the need to immediately react in some way. The facilitators of the workshop helped students learn to take a moment before acting out on an emotion, to listen to their bodies, to breathe deeply and to take a moment to think. One facilitator told the students that "before you deal with any conflict you have to deal with yourself."

Another facilitator offered a method of thinking through the situation before action. He called it the "3M Method of Thinking:"

Ask yourself:

Meaning - does the action I'm about to take have meaning? Is it appropriate? What is the overall purpose of the action (is it simply to satisfy a feeling)?

Manageable - Can I manage the action I'm about to take? Is this the best method to respond? Can I deal with the consequences?

Measurable - Can I measure what the impact will be? What are the various implications of the action I am about to take?

The students were later split into smaller groups to discuss conflict: ways of resolving it peacefully and ways to manage it in a healthy way. When everyone came back together each group gave a presentation to illustrate what they had discussed and learned. One group had talked through three real life situations and the possible ways to overcome and resolve the conflicts. Another group offered a debate presentation, where one side argued that peaceful resolution of conflict doesn’t always work and the other side argued that it does and it always can. The final group offered a hilarious and thoughtful drama about how friends resolve fights.

More soon! Stay tuned.

Book Packing Story

2010-05-03T12:04:00.006-06:00

By Suzanne

We had a great group of volunteers come together yesterday to pack books for communities in Kenya and India. Thank you to everyone who came out and gave their time for others. This morning I was trading emails with some of the volunteers at the book packing and one of them shared this wonderful story. I hope you will like it as much as I did:

[My daugther] was less, let's just say, eager to participate early on. However, when we got home, she thanked me for bringing her and said, "Today, I really wanted to keep playing dolls with Emma (her cousin) but I can play with her any day. I can't help kids in Kenya everyday.

Girl Scout Troup for GEF

2010-04-21T08:49:00.002-06:00

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Boulder three 8th grade girls from Cadette Troop 938 organized a presentation at Meadows Public library to raise awareness about Global Education Fund and conclude their Book Drive. They invited friends and family to come and share a lovely spread of delicious cupcakes, cookies and lemonade. Luckily, I was asked to be there along with two other representatives from Global Education Fund -Tracy Mangone, our CU intern, and Caroline Joyce, our student ambassador.

Jessica, Sarah and Tara had worked hard to collect books during a month long Book Drive. They collected books from three schools in Boulder - Southern Hills, Manhattan and Eisenhower. They also generously decided to donate the money they had raised during their Girl Scout cookie sale to GEF. They presented a check to GEF for $260 - amazing!

We showed a short video on the work that GEF is doing for children around the world and especially girls in Kenya. Then I shared some personal experiences with them about our scholars in Kenya. The group asked many great questions about GEF and the children we serve. It was a wonderful way to see how thoughtful, hardworking girls in Boulder, Colorado can have such a meaningful impact on girls in Nairobi, Kenya.

Cheers,

Claire Joyce
Member of the GEF Board of Directors

Kenya Visit - Update 6

2010-03-12T11:08:00.010-07:00

By Suzanne

I arrived to the Nairobi Museum around 11:00 am, three hours or so before the GEF/TICAH event began. Before driving up to the venue I had scurried through a brief downpour picking up last minute things, and the rain made me a little worried about the forecast for the event. Just as we had sorted out where to arrange chairs and tables it began to rain once again. Ugh. We stacked the chairs and pulled everything back under the lone tent we had rented and waited it out. Luckily that was it for the rain for the most part. The weather ended up being pretty fantastic for the event.

Angela from TICAH (Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health) arrived with TICAH educational displays and books, including some very interesting body maps and testimonials about health and wellness written by Kenyans. Soon the entertainment arrived, more bands and dancers than I had anticipated, but was thrilled to have them there because in the end everyone was great. Then, from a far, I caught a glimpse of student uniforms as the GEF Scholars from Nairobi came parading in. I found myself as the event greeter, shaking numerous hands and hugging those particularly excited Scholars that I have come to know well. It was no time at all that everyone else arrived: the rest of the GEF staff, the Board, ANU representatives, teachers, GEF supporters, friends, etc. It was then that I stopped worrying about the weather, the setup, the food, the arrangements and started enjoying what was going on, that everyone was there and that we were all celebrating together.

Fadhili was a great MC (not to mention singer/songwriter/generally talented guy), introducing and moving the various bands and dancers along, including an impromptu drama performance by GEF Scholar, Ruth (she was very brave and excellent by the way). In between the music and the dancing were a few speeches made by Fred, TICAH, and others. I was very happy with how the speeches were organized. Fred did a beautiful job putting this together. Now as a comparison, let me illustrate for you another event I attended where speeches were not, in my view, a effective thing. I went to an event in Kibera on a rainy day after the GEF/TICAH event. I was there for a couple hours and there were speeches the entire time. After perusing a program of the day, it occurred to me that the whole thing was pretty much speeches, from about 8am to 4pm or so. That's a lot of speeches. We didn't have quite so many speeches, just enough to thank everyone, to explain what was going on and to celebrate the GEF Scholars. It was perfect. At the end of the day we enjoyed a riveting performance by TICAH dancers and a few more songs by Fadhili and his band. Everyone left happy and with a little skip in their step (or at least I did).

Thank you to everyone who made the event what it was: The Nairobi Museum, TICAH, the fabulous TICAH dancers, Mary Ann, Fred and Grace, GEF Journalists Esther and Freddy, Ruth and Elizabeth, Fadhili and all the awesome bands and dancers, ANU, Alice, Nancy, our "security" team, Elizabeth (thanks for "guarding" my bag), GEF Kenya Advisors, GEF Board members, Julie and of course the GEF Scholars and Alumni.

Kenya Visit - Update 5

2010-03-07T22:39:00.004-07:00

By Suzanne

GEF staff, US Board, Kenya Advisory Board and several of the GEF Scholars came together for three days of strategic planning for the Kenya programs. It was fantastic to have the group together debating ideas and working as a team towards a common vision. We will definitely have a lot more to report on this front, but for now I just wanted to let you know that it was a successful meeting of really committed people. Enjoy these few pictures from the meetings, most of which were taken by Esther, GEF Alumni Scholar and GEF Journalist.

Kenya Trip - Update 3

2010-03-03T08:52:00.007-07:00

By: Meg Porfido, GEF Global Board Member

Dateline - Nairobi, Tuesday, March 2.

I've always wanted to say that.

Yesterday was a day meant to get a sense of two things: what is possible in terms of education in Kenya and what are others who serve people in poverty doing that is working. The result a fascinating view into the contrasts in Kenya.

First stop was a visit to the Kianda School - a Catholic primary and secondary school in Nairobi. The primary school has about 600 kids; the secondary/high school has about 600 kids. It costs about $1400 a year to send a child to school there.

One of GEF's Kenya advisors went to this school and has kids attending there now. She joined us for the visit, along with another of our Kenya advisors. First of all, both of these women are impressive -- as people, lawyers and community leaders. They were very helpful in providing a Kenyan perspective on how the education systems works in Kenya, warts and all. We are lucky to have them engaged in this work.

The school was remarkable, with beautiful facilities and grounds. We spent a few hours as a team meeting with the principal, talking through the school's philosophy as well as education broadly in Kenya. We learned a lot about the system and also about what she thinks works in student learning. Fred, our GEF Kenya director, also shared some of his work, specifically in supporting teacher training.

We then traveled to Kibera, the slum within Nairobi that is home to one million people, about half of which are children. We met with the leadership of Carolina for Kibera. The founder of CFK is also one of our Kenya advisors. This organization was started through an affiliation with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They provide a variety of services for the children of Kibera including Daughters United (reproductive health and women's rights center), Trash for Cash (garbage collection, income generating), Tabitha Clinic (community-based medical center) and a large sports program. They've also recently hired an education specialist to work on the quality of education available to their kids.

There are two government schools on the border of Kibera but none inside. They also have many "community""informal" schools where most of their kids go. Not surprisingly the quality of these schools is pretty low.

The programs are great and we learned some tips which will help us in GEF's work. The biggest take away for us was the quality of the team leading CFK and their programs. All of them were smart, saavy, dynamic and charismatic. We all left inspired about the possibilities for working together going forward.

Today was my first real view of Nairobi -- a place of wealth and promise along side staggering poverty and lack of opportunity. One thread was common -- everyone agrees that education is the key to bridging these worlds.

Sure feels like we're on the right track.

Signing off now from Nairobi. Always wanted to say that too.

Cheers.

Meg

Kenya Visit - Update 4

2010-03-03T07:39:00.008-07:00

By Suzanne

I've been having some interesting conversations with the GEF Scholars and others about choices. While in school is it best to take seven subjects or eight? Should I study 24/7? If I want to pursue career X, do I need to study subject Y? There are a lot of questions facing the GEF Scholars when it comes to their secondary school educations, but sometimes the real challenge is coming to understand the opportunities, challenges and overall questions that need to be addressed when school is wrapping up.

Having the chance to attend university is one step towards reaching one's dream, but the Scholars are realizing, as many of us do, that it is not an end all. If we are able to make the most of what we have available to us at any given moment, whether it is a class, a pencil, a car or the chance to listen and learn, than we have the opportunity to grow our skill set and to ultimately better ourselves. In my opinion it is the way that we end up really finding our role in the community or in the working world. As one of the Scholars put it, "We have choices. It's just a matter of deciding" and, if I could add, recognizing the opportunities and translating choice into some kind of action.

So whether someone is trying to decide between chemistry and biology or which route to take to the office today, there are always choices to be made and things to be learned. The big challenge is recognizing what choices are really available at any given moment and deciding to take action... and one step further... actually taking action.

This week the secondary school results came out (the KCSE - a extremely rigorous exam that determines many Kenyan students' educational paths). The GEF Scholars were disappointed even though they all scored well. They are coming to understand that maybe their first choice might not be realistic right now. After some guidance, one of our scholars realized that the exam wasn't going to determine her worth, that she is the only one who can do that. She has decided to proudly moving forward knowing that she still has choices to be made and paths to explore.

Kenya Visit - Update 2

2010-03-01T07:28:00.008-07:00

By: Julie Shaw, GEF Executive Director

One of the three GEF Board members, who have planned to be here in Kenya this trip, has arrived safely. Meg and I just had a light dinner and tomorrow we will play tourist -- then back to work.

Suzanne, Rob (a GEF volunteer) and I met this morning with a number of GEF alumni students at our new office in Donholm. The students are such an inspiration, planning for their voluntary activities to support younger GEF scholars and others in the community -- and they prepared for their meeting with four GEF US Board members, Meg, Todd, Eliza and Liz, on Wednesday. That should be an amazing day.

This afternoon Suzanne co-led a workshop for our form 4 (senior high school) students and recent graduates. The students explored their dreams for the future and how those ideals match their skills and favorite activities. It was a lively discussion that ended with each scholar coming up with ideas for how they can create a livelihood for themselves in the near future that can help move them toward their ultimate career goals. Their ideas ranged from selling vegetables to making jewelry, catering, tutoring and so much more. The workshop was Alice's idea (Fred's wife) and was held at her school, Candlelight. Suzanne was great and the kids are amazing -- we all left the session feeling encouraged and excited about their plans, and amazed by their creativity.

On the political side, the government has now extended the deadline requiring students to present birth certificates to school authorities until June, which gives us a bit of breathing space. Nonetheless, Fred is still concerned, particularly for our two non-Kenyan students. There is a lot of local backlash against the policy and we have now become aware of some coalition efforts, including the Kenya Parent Teachers Association, to respond. We're eager to hear from our experts panel on Thursday for their take on the situation.

We also had dinner with the Deputy Director of one of our partner organizations working in the Kibera slum. She directs their young women's program -- we are all eager to bring our two communities of young women together. There are many terrific opportunities for nurturing local partnerships.

We will keep sending updates as the week progresses.

Hope all is well in the US. More soon!

Kenya Visit - Update 1

2010-03-01T07:19:00.008-07:00

By Julie Shaw, GEF Executive Director

Crazy busy here -- our days are very long, but we are learning a lot! Suzanne is spending much of her time with the students, filming, listening, and encouraging. Izze tee shirts have been distributed and everyone was thrilled. Here's everyone in their new shirts. They look great. We'll have lots more pictures when we get back. I've been absorbed with the business side of things particularly with our advisors and local supporters. I have now been several times to our new office to work with Fred and our new office manager, Grace.

The office is working well, Fred is proud to have the space and so are our scholars -- there are usually several hanging around including two interns Elizabeth and Ruth. Grace, the office manager, is terrific. She and Suzanne are running around today buying office supplies and things we will need for our celebration on March 7th -- that seems to be falling into place nicely. We are hoping for a good turn out. As usual there have been unanticipated challenges. Fred spent a good part of the day yesterday sorting permits that we were just informed are needed: a noise permit for the music and a catering permit because we will have food.

The situation was quite tense in town for a while with a stand off between the president and the prime minister but that has now been (temporarily) settled and parliament is back in session. Nonetheless, there is much discontent so we are eager to learn more from our advisors about their view of the coming months. We have organized an excellent panel presentation to start off our meetings on Thursday. We will have three very distinguished experts present their views and engage us in discussion. The topics are the social/political environment, education from a "rights" perspective, and challenges facing the girl child. We will video all the sessions and have a recorder to capture the most important points.

One very significant development is a new government ruling that requires all students to present a birth certificate in order to register for school and to take official exams. This affects not only our secondary scholars but students as young as 8th grade so Alice (Fred's wife who runs a primary school of 350 children) is also worried.

The entire educational system here relies on these exams from a very young age. It is the results of the exams that determine not only your potential for further education (and the kind of school you might attend).

Securing an actual birth certificate is a very difficult challenge for many young people, especially those who have immigrated here or who are orphaned. Two of our scholars are in a particularly difficult position because they have moved here from other countries and are about to graduate. Anisa, a GEF Scholar since 2008, is a Somali refugee. Although she is in Kenya legally, obtaining a birth certificate is not possible. We will be working with our Advisors and organizing some sort of letter writing and other appeals to ensure that she and Hamza, who is from Tanzania, will be able to take their exams. We will keep you informed.

I'll try to write more later. Thank you all for your support!

Fred Afwai on Colorao & Company

2009-09-25T08:46:00.007-06:00

Fred Afwai, GEF Kenya Director, and Julie Shaw, GEF Executive Director, were on CoCo this past Tuesday, Sept. 22nd. Fred had previously been interviewed on the show when he visited Colorado in 2007, so he was an old friend to the local NBC team.

Fred and Julie spoke about the programs taking place in Kenya: the Scholarship and Leadership Program, providing bright but disadvantaged Kenyan youth with secondary school scholarships, skills training, mentors and a network of support; and the Book Program, providing donated and purchased in-country books to orphanage homes, schools and community centers.

Here are a few pictures!

GEF/BoldeReach Family Event

2009-09-23T08:41:00.012-06:00

Here are a few images from the Family event held this past Sunday at the ATLAS Center at CU. Thanks to everyone who came out. Thank you BoldeReach for putting this together, Timolyn for taking these pictures, the CU Ski Team for coming out to support the event, Susan Henderson for the schoolroom experience...

Kenya to Colorado: GEF welcomes Fred Afwai on Thursday

2009-09-13T14:41:00.005-06:00

Fred Afwai, GEF Kenya Director will be arriving to Colorado this Thursday, Sept. 17th! Join us at one of the following events to meet Fred and the rest of the GEF Staff and Board. We are excited and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Sunday, September 20th 2:00 - 4:00 pm
BoldeReach and Global Education Fund Family Event
ATLAS Center at CU
1125 18th Street, Boulder
Click here for all the fun details!

Thursday, October 1st 5:00 - 7:30pm
GEF Cocktail Event
Plus Gallery (Denver's Leading Progressive Contemporary Art Gallery)
2501 Larimer St.
Join us for IZZE cocktails, wonderful food and stimulating conversation with GEF staff and Board.
Click here for more and to RSVP!

Saturday, October 3rd 6:00 pm
BoldeReach Gala to benefit Global Education Fund
Join us at a beautiful private home in the Boulder foothills with fine international dining, drinks and entertainment, including a Kenyan schoolroom replica, festive music and videos from GEF programs in Kenya. An auction and live appeal will be held to benefit GEF.
Click here to purchase tickets and for more information.

GEF will host additional intimate day and evening receptions between September 20th and October 3rd. If you are interested in attending any of our fall events please call us at 303.415.9935.

Family Event - Sept. 20th 2-4 at the Atlas Center

2009-09-04T13:10:00.004-06:00

Join Global Education Fund and BoldeReach on Sunday, Sept. 20th at the Atlas Center at CU for a Family Event!

Click HERE for all the information

Presentation in Denver Aug. 27th at 5:30pm

2009-08-11T14:22:00.001-06:00

Education in Kenya: Inside and Outside the Classroom

Shared via AddThis

Meet Esther

2009-06-09T14:02:00.006-06:00

Esther is a bright seventeen year old who is in the twelfth grade at BrightStar Secondary School in Nairobi. Consistently at the top of her class, this amazing student is also a caring leader within the GEF Leadership Program. Dreaming of one day becoming a doctor, Esther works to improve her community by speaking out and encouraging others to work hard and give back.

In 2008, Esther attended all the GEF skills training workshops, mentor meetings and experiential learning opportunities. At the end of the year, Esther and her GEF BrightStar group won a business plan competition sponsored in part by GEF. Esther wrote to GEF about their school's business plan saying, "We've been planting some vegetables to sell, and we are also planning to start another project of domesticating hens. We've come up with this project because we thought it's going to be a benefit for our society and even the school."

In a letter to GEF, Esther wrote about how the Leadership Program has changed her life. "I just want to take this time to thank you a lot for all that you've been doing in my life. It's true that you are the people who have changed my life totally and completely. Since I have you, I'm very sure that I am going to be among the top 100 in the world... I promise you that I am not going to waste this chance. I am studying very hard to achieve my goals. Also, thank you for building our relationship with the Africa Nazarene University students whereby they have taught us a lot, and I still believe we are going to learn more from them. I am still learning more about leadership and its qualities... it has really made me to be who I am right now. [GEF Kenya Director] Fred has been so good to us, he always comes to our school for a visit and even takes us to meet with other GEF members. I will make sure that I don't let you down. I am trying my level best to be always the best student in the world, so that I will be able to stand with much confidence and say how good the GEF has done in my life!"

Meet other Scholars by watching their interviews on youtube

Guest Post: GEF Student Ambassador, Molly

2009-06-05T11:04:00.007-06:00

My name is Molly Joyce; I recently graduated from Niwot High School and plan to attend the University of Virginia this fall.

I have volunteered for Global Education Fund for the past several years but have been the organization's Student Ambassador since last summer. This past August I was privileged to have the opportunity to travel with Eliza Woloson, Suzanne Thomson, and Claire Joyce to Kenya and meet 50 of GEF’s scholars.

Here are a few excerpts from the journal I kept while on the trip.

“Today we went to St. Matthew’s. There we met Antony, Sammy, Alex, and Scholastica. They told us a lot about their school and then explained about the devastating fire they had just experienced. The damage was horrifying. But they did not seem too phased by it, they planned to continue on with school when it began again and further their education whether there had been a fire or not. Antony said at one point that the reason he liked school was because he wanted to succeed and be prepared and successful in the future.”

“August 11th- day 6- Batian’s View… Not too long after our arrival they began to come up to me and introduce themselves and shake my hand. I met Milly, Angelica, Krista, Esther, Vivian, Mercy, Margaret, and Virginia. After a quick intro from the Batian’s View counselors we went to an open field to play games. They were all so excited about everything. Vivian grabbed my arm as we were walking over and pulled me with her. We played games that reminded me of ones I'd played before like “steal the bacon” and “freeze tag” but they were all new to them. And just watching them experience these things (things that I experienced when I was just a kid and undoubtedly took for granted) and seeing them so happy made me realize how much more appreciative most of us need to be for what we have.”

“I sat down with Suzanne to watch Freddy conduct some incredible interviews. Celestine came over and we began to talk and watch the interviews together. She told me about the ins and outs of the different tribes and how their relationships with each other work and how they've changed over the years. Then we talked about her family and school and about Colorado. When it was time for Steven’s interview he decided he wanted to rap. He and Freddy are clearly leaders here, they are outgoing and inspirational and they know they have the power to make a difference so their interview was very positive. Steven decided he wanted to rap during it as well which was very entertaining."

South Dakota Bookdrive for GEF

2009-05-29T09:59:00.000-06:00

As a teacher and parent, Allison Baas believes strongly in the power of education and literacy. When her daughter's kindergarten class started learning about citizenship, Allison began searching the internet for organizations to support and ideas for her daughter's class. When she found Global Education Fund, she was excited of the possibility of organizing a book drive in support of the education of children around the world. She took the book drive idea to her daughter's school suggesting to teachers that the students "learn that part of good citizenship is giving to others less fortunate."

Over two months, the kindergarten class in South Dakota collected over 1,000 books! In email exchanges with GEF staff, Allison was excited about the success of the book drive, "I guess we did better than anyone expected, good for the kindergartners!" GEF was thrilled to have the support of Allison and her daughter's school. Thank you for collecting books for deserving children around the world!

Update from GEF

2009-04-10T09:19:00.010-06:00

There is a lot going on at Global Education Fund and we are excited to give you an update:

GEF Kenya
- Fred Afwai spent this week in Vihiga (near Kisumu) to visit the Shangilia orphanage and to hold several skills training meetings for the GEF Leadership Scholars living in the area. A full update will be coming shortly.

- Usalama Primary School in Kenya received several boxes of books from GEF Kenya recently. The staff and students were very excited about the delivery of the books to stock their empty library and has plans to construct a building to serve as a community library.

GEF Headquarters - Boulder, CO
- GEF staff and board are developing a calendar of events for the remainder of the year, including several fun opportunities this fall when GEF Kenya Director, Fred Afwai is in Colorado. Stay tuned for more!

- CU students have started a GEF Club to build awareness of the organization within the university community and to fundraise for GEF programs. The club will have a table set up outside the UMC today to spread the word and recruit club members.

- Several bookdrives are underway in support of the educational needs of Kenyan students and adults: Hygiene Elementary is currently hosting the IZZE book trailer for the month of April, GEF supporters in South Dakota are holding a bookdrive and have 8-10 full boxes collected so far and Westview High just wrapped up their month long bookdrive, collecting over 1,000 books.

- Fairview High School students will be having a fashion show tonight (April 10th) to benefit GEF. If you can make it the show will start at 7:30 in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Boulderado. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for students/children.

Thank you for your continual support! More updates to come.

Meeting with University Mentors

2009-02-23T08:31:00.004-07:00

On Saturday, the Leadership Scholars had their first meeting of the year with their Kenyan university mentors. Fred wrote to us about the impact the meeting had on the scholars:

We started by putting the scholars in groups of 6 with a mentor in each group to share their personal testimonies. I was pleased with what one of the ANU mentor said to his group; he also shares the same experience like most of the scholars. After sitting for his KCPE [Primary school exam] he passed well but had no money to proceed on with secondary education. A good Samaritan came to his rescue and managed to complete form 4. He also performed well but did not have money for university and therefore he started to do manual work of house constructions. He continued to safe money because his aim was to join a university. I saw determination in this young man's life, in that he joined university some 8 years after sitting for his KCSE [Secondary school exam]. It was encouraging for our scholars as they reflect what they want in life.

The scholars were then separated into groups of two-girls with girls mentors, the same with boys. They were to talk of their struggles in life among themselves. They were advised to make right choices in life, be morally upright and work on having good friends. They were told sexual relations affects their academic performance. They also discussed the importance of managing time, not looking at the failures of the past but to concentrate on the future.

Fred

Packing Books for Kenya

2009-02-19T11:49:00.003-07:00

Earlier this month Kelly Little, along with 13 volunteers she recruited, joined Global Education Fund and other volunteers to sort and pack books for Kenya. For the past several months Kelly and her colleagues at the Discovery Church in Broomfield, CO have been collecting books; they amassed a wide assortment of over 2,000 titles, including recent textbooks, children’s books and adult reading materials.

In just two short hours, the group of nearly 25 volunteers managed to sort through several huge stacks of books and built two pallets containing nearly 4,000 books! These books will make a direct impact in the lives of children and adults in Kenya who live in communities that lack reading materials.

Thank you Kelly Little, the Discovery Christian Church, communities across Colorado and all the GEF volunteers, including Maria Ranallo, Lisa Zinn, Kathy Groth and Sally LaVenture.

Meet some of the new Leadership Scholars!

2009-02-13T12:10:00.006-07:00

GEF expanded its Kenya Leadership Program to provide more orphans and vulnerable youth with the high school education, skills training and support they deserve. We are so happy to welcome the new scholars to the program. Here are a few profiles of some of the scholars:

Jane N. Simiyu
This seventeen year old has been staying with her unemployed sister after her father died. Jane's mother works hard to feed her 9 children but is unable to afford the school fees for Jane's education. As a new Leadership Scholars, Jane was able to join Lorna Waddington High School, located in Nairobi, as a freshman this year.

Faith Anjera Obuya
Faith is the last born in the family of 9 children. Faith's father passed away when she was very young and her mother has struggled to pay for her children's educations. Faith didn't think she would do well on the primary school exam because she was frequently sent home as a result of her family's inability to pay the school fees, but she worked hard and scored well on the exam. Faith’s dream is to become a doctor and help the suffering people around her.

Mumo Wambua
After doing really well on the primary school exam, Mumo was accepted to one of the best schools in the country. When his father died, his jobless mother, caring for two other children, was unable to afford the fees to attend the school. As a Leadership Scholar, Mumo is now able to continue on with his high school education at St. Matthew's Secondary School in Nairobi.

Ruth Atieno Onyango
Ruth is a seventeen year old attending Kayole Secondary School. When her parents died, she was unable continue her education. Ruth has two older siblings that try to help when they can. Despite these hardships, Ruth is determined to make the most of her education by studying hard everyday. GEF is happy to welcome her to the Leadership Program.

Entrepreneurial Training for GEF Scholars

2009-02-09T10:12:00.011-07:00

On Saturday February 7th, GEF Kenya held its first entrepreneurial training workshop of the year for its Leadership Scholars. Led by SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) as well as community leaders, the scholars learned, through several activities, how to think creatively, work as a team and how to implement business plans. GEF Director, Fred Afwai was proud of the innovation the scholars showed:

The SIFE lessons have opened the minds of our scholars, and we were very happy to hear the way they are thinking. The fact that some of the scholars had already engaged in doing some businesses was an encouragement and a sign to show they are serious.

During one activity, the scholars divided themselves into groups of 6 and were given an assignment to write a proposal based on the assumptions that they would have 100 Ksh and they needed to invest in a business that would make 5,000 Ksh after 5 months. The scholars were given 15 minutes to work on their business plans and 5 minutes each group to present them.

This activity showed us that our scholars are innovative. Some said they would start by selling candies and end up supplying sodas, others were to plant seedbeds and start selling seedlings to people and would get more than the required money in the given period. Among the 6 groups the above two gave good business plans and were given 500 Ksh each to start their businesses.

GEF Kenya Director Meets with Scholar Guardians

2009-01-19T09:57:00.003-07:00

This past Saturday, Fred Afwai, GEF Kenya Director, met with the guardians of the Leadership Program scholars. As many of the GEF Leadership scholars have lost one or both parents, many of the guardians that attended the meeting were extended relatives or friends of the family. Over the course of the meeting the group talked about the importance of encouraging the scholars in their studies at school in addition to their involvement and participation the training workshops held by GEF. Here, Fred talks a little more about the meeting:

I asked them [the guardians] to tell if the program has been of any help to them, and they started to speak out their mind. I was impressed with the points they gave, some noted that were it not of us some of the scholars could have either committed suicide because we have heard of many cases where children commit suicide because they have no one to take them to school. For the girls some could have even gotten married as the only option. Others said some of our boys would have joined bad boys in the society and were very thankful for what Global Education Fund has done.

I had invited someone to come and talk to both parents and the scholars on their role in our scholarship program. This man, Joshua had a very good word of advice, he talked the power of desire. He challenged our scholars to have a desire to become best students and should not take their opportunity as normalcy. The parents were encouraged to talk good of their children and encourage them to be best in all subjects. Both the parents and scholars were happy with the talk.

250,000 primary school graduates to miss Form One

2009-01-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

By Sam Otieno

Almost 250,000 pupils who sat last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations will not be admitted to Form One. Only 445,872 (64.2 per cent) candidates out of the 695,728 got Form One places in national, provincial, district and private secondary schools countrywide. A total of 249,865 students will, therefore, not be absorbed.

District secondary schools will absorb 277,693 pupils representing 40 per cent. This is compared to 122,365 (17.6) percent, who will be admitted in provincial schools while 3,331 (0.5 per cent), got admission in the 19 national schools. The Form One students are expected to report to their respective schools between February 2 and 6. However, Education Minister Sam Ongeri regretted that a large number of the candidates were still unable to proceed to secondary education.

Prof Ongeri while launching the Form One selection exercise at the Kenya Institute of Education yesterday said the secondary schools had not expanded enough to capture increased enrolment in primary schools. He noted that the Government was in the process of registering 70 secondary schools that could be operational by the end of February. The minister said schools with extra facilities should increase the number of streams in order to accommodate more students. The Government, he said, had released Sh4 billion to secondary schools this year. With regards to school fees, the minister issued a stern warning that no principal had powers to increase fees or impose extra levies. "Any increase must be discussed by the Board of Governors and approved for presentation to the parents AGM for deliberations," he said.

The chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Cleophas Tirop asked Ministry of Education to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and have schools buy cereals at subsidised prices.

Education challenges in Kenya

2009-01-09T08:50:00.001-07:00

By Wachira Kigotho

The jubilation that each year accompanies the announcement of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results ends in disappointment after most parents realize their children would not be admitted to some of the best secondary schools.

Already most parents are worried for their children, especially those who scored less than 70 percent in the last year’s KCPE examination. The number is high. Almost 350,000 candidates scored less than 250 marks out of 500 and only a few of those pupils are assured of a meaningful secondary education.

Kenya like so many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa subscribes to an elitist education system that provides opportunities for further learning to a few selected students. The limited chances, especially in the best secondary schools, go to the academically strong, leaving behind large numbers of weak learners, who score marginally in KCPE.

The legacy of colonial education and the political economy of post-independence Kenya have led to an education system that favours the most advantaged students. Subsequently, the aim of the Ministry of Education to enrol most of primary school leavers is still-born, taking into account that there are only 4,250 secondary schools compared to 18,900 primary schools in the country.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, gross enrolment rate-—number of students enrolled in secondary schools, expressed as a percentage of the population in the age group for secondary education—stands at 35 per cent for boys and 30 percent for girls.

Damning report
The figures are enough evidence that Kenya is far from translating its education from an elite to a mass system, where more than 80 per cent of adolescents aged 14-18 would be enrolled or complete secondary education.

The problem is critical in rural areas, where schooling is marked by factors that make it hard for pupils to gain access to education beyond the primary level. Standards of education are low and repetition and drop out rates are high. Chronic absenteeism among teachers and pupils in rural schools has significantly contributed to loss of instructional time and impacted negatively on pupils’ learning capacity.

According to a World Bank study by Prof Paul Glewwe, an economist at Stanford University and other researchers, pupils in Kenya fail to perform well in KCPE because they have fallen behind the official curriculum as a result of absenteeism. The study, that was partly carried in 300 schools in Busia District, noted low achieving pupils eventually dropped out of school or performed poorly in KCPE examination.

The researchers said most of the pupils who repeated classes or dropped out of school were weak in English, the language of instruction. The report noted that textbooks written in English benefited only the bright students. "There was no evidence that textbooks had any impact on weaker pupils," concluded the researchers.

Contrary to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where English or French is the second language, in Kenya, the principal language of instruction has been relegated into fourth position after the mother tongues, Sheng and Kiswahili. The outcome is that many children in primary schools cannot read and comprehend textbooks written in English.

Recent studies carried by the Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ), a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation project encompassing 15 African countries in eastern, central and southern Africa, indicate many pupils have trouble using textbooks. SACMEQ results show on average, the scores of Kenyan pupils in mathematics are relatively higher than in reading. The situation is understandable in that mathematics requires limited reading skills.
Many pupils are performing badly in KCPE and even the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination, not necessarily because they have low IQ, but because of their limited capacity to read textbooks written in English. Heavily disadvantaged are children in rural areas and urban slums where children rarely use English until they go to school.

"Middle-class children in Nairobi and other urban areas grow up with constant exposure to English, good nutrition and electricity and their parents make good school choices," says Prof Glewwe, commenting on why textbooks are not making big difference in raising performance in KCPE in schools in rural areas and urban slums in Kenya. Studies carried by Unesco in several countries indicate children do better in school, when they speak the language of instruction at home.

Although enrolment in primary schools shot up from 5.9 million in 2002 to almost 7.4 million last year, as a result of free education, the demand for primary education is likely to be affected by the probability of entering secondary schools. Parents are also worried by quality of education offered in public district and low-cost secondary schools, as only few students from those schools obtain grades to join public funded universities.

Consequently, in many parts of the country, the perceived lower rate of return for girls’ education will continue to dictate behaviour and parental choices in regard to gender’s future schooling. "Low perception of girls’ education by some parents will continue to encourage early marriages and teenage pregnancies in Kenya unless there are incentives for girls’ access to primary and secondary education," says Keith Lewin, a professor of education at University of Sussex and a keen observer of Kenya’s education system.

Unending cycle
Decreasing number of teachers in public primary schools, cattle rustling and last year’s political instability greatly reduced performance in last year’s KCPE more than what the Ministry of Education was willing to admit. However, budgetary constraints towards improving school learning facilities will continue to impede pupils’ outcomes in KCPE

It is regrettable that most of the disadvantaged pupils will end up in public district and low-cost secondary schools that offer a narrow curriculum compared to public national, provincial and high-cost private schools. Based on merit, the national schools on average will admit candidates who scored over 80 per cent in KCPE while provincial schools will admit those with an average of 70 percent.

District public and low-cost secondary schools will eventually select from candidates with average scores of about 50 per cent. Expectedly, these patterns will somehow be repeated four years later in KCSE where average scores in national schools on average stands at 75 percent, provincial schools 52 per cent and public district and low-cost secondary schools at 37 per cent.

Under such circumstances, the Ministry of Education must find ways and means of addressing the mismatch in the primary and secondary school education. Understandably, the traditional role of secondary education as a mechanism for the selection of a limited number of candidates for the university education is not only too costly but outdated. That mode of education system among Asian Tigers ceased in 1960s when 80 per cent of their adolescents had only primary education as their highest level of education. But in 2000, over 84 per cent of adolescents in those countries that had similar socio-economic profiles with Kenya had completed secondary or university education.

Unfortunately, Kenya like so many other African countries is trapped in a low level economic cycle where the human capital is inadequate to support higher growth. However, amid efforts to address the problem, there is need for high quality schooling in primary and secondary education that prepares most of the pupils for further learning.

Towards this goal, the country has no alternative but to develop primary and secondary education systems that lay emphasis on learning without comprising quality for quantity. Currently most schools in the country are overcrowded, have leaky buildings and insufficient classrooms and lack basic facilities such as desks and latrines.

According to Unesco, the official instruction time in Kenya’s primary schools is the lowest in the world, making it difficult for pupils to cover the school curriculum.
For now the task that confronts the Ministry of Education is to find out how relevance and quality of the school curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment can be improved and standardised in both primary and secondary schools across the country

2008 Wrap Up and 2009 Plans

2009-01-09T08:44:00.004-07:00

Global Education Fund made great strides in 2008 and has exciting plans for 2009! Under the leadership of Kenya Director Fred Afwai, GEF was able to improve the lives of thousands of Kenyan orphans and vulnerable children through a range of educational programs. Thanks to your generous support, several libraries were established to provide books to under served communities and orphanage homes. Needy classrooms were also stocked with hundreds of textbooks. A partnership with a Kenyan publisher trained hundreds of teachers, who were using textbooks for the first time.

Your support also enabled GEF to launch the Kenya Leadership Program in response to the complex educational challenges at the secondary school level. Most orphans, especially young women, are unable to afford high school; the few who manage to complete high school are unable to put their education to use because they lack tangible skills and a network of support. In its first year, the GEF Leadership Program provided nearly fifty participants, primarily young women, with a four year high school scholarship; a range of practical skills through entrepreneurial training, community service projects and experiential learning activities; and a network of support through university student mentors, adult coaches and advisors, and peer support groups.

In just a short time, participants in the Leadership Program have demonstrated remarkable progress. Students have cleaned up the slum neighborhoods where they go to school, started a Leadership Club for their entire community, established small businesses using local products, and supported one another through traumatic events such as a fire in one of our partner schools.

We plan to serve many more deserving orphans in 2009 by expanding the Leadership and book programs in Kenya! Thank you for your continual support.

GEF Scholars meet with their ANU Mentors

2008-09-23T08:53:00.005-06:00

This past Saturday, the Nairobi-based GEF Leadership Scholars met with some of the students and faculty of Africa Nazarene University (ANU). The meeting was held at St. Matthew's Secondary School in Kayole and was organized in part by GEF scholars.

The meeting was held to introduce the two sets of students to each other as a first step towards developing an ANU/GEF student mentorship program. The GEF and ANU students exchanged ideas and goals for the program which will include academic and career guidance.

The Afwai Family Introduces Riva!

2008-09-23T08:38:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday night, Fred and Alice Afwai welcomed their new daughter Riva to the world! Everyone is healthy and happy. This is the third child for Fred and Alice, whose other children are John and Karina. Here is a picture of little Riva Grace.

Letters from Leadership Scholars

2008-09-08T14:37:00.015-06:00

Read letters from some of the GEF Leadership Scholars by clicking on the images below!

More Pictures from the GEF Leadership Retreat

2008-08-27T13:58:00.001-06:00

Click on the Flickr pictures on the right for more pictures from the trip!

Visiting BrightStar and Viriginia's Home

2008-08-26T13:22:00.004-06:00

“Look around here,” Fred says to me as we pull up to Fuata Nyayo slum. “There are around 30,000 people who live in this one slum and there isn’t one public school.” There are community schools started by individuals to fill a need, but many don't have the facilities, quality of education and funding that a public, government funded, school has. The one government school nearby, which in fact is quite a ways away, only accepts maybe 200 students into their form one class per year. The other thousands of students are simply out of luck.

I met John, the principal of BrightStar Secondary School, a community school where six GEF leadership scholars attend. We crossed the metal bridge into the community to visit one of the scholar's home. We started walking deeper into the slum. There are plastic bags and piles of trash all around. I see several animals who run freely through the streets passing small children and their mothers. As we walked, I had a conversation with the principal of BrightStar Secondary School about his school and the challenges he faces but also about the opportunities he has to encourage and help shape the futures of the students who come through his school.

We eventually arrive to Virginia’s home. Hopping over puddles through an alley we arrive at a door and Virginia pushes it open. “Here is my home,” she says, finding the courage to expose her life in this way to me. I step inside the dark room and immediately get a new perspective and respect for our scholars. Virginia’s home would probably be the same size as a small Tuff shed in the US. It’s big enough to hold a twin size bed, a shelf of pots for cooking meals and space for two people to stand.

Virginia explains to me that her father hawks on the street to make money to support the family. The father sleeps in the bed while Virginia and her sister sleep on the floor. Being such a great sport and making light of the situation, Virginia grins and says, “I’m more comfortable boarding at school.” I give her a big hug and together we walk back to BrightStar talking about her life and how brave she is.

GEF Leadership Retreat

2008-08-26T08:35:00.004-06:00

On the morning of August 11th, 42 students from schools around Nairobi and Kisumu met together for the first time as the 2008 GEF Leadership Scholars. These, seemingly shy and passive, students joined together to travel to the Leadership Retreat at Batian's View in Naro Moru where they learned how to problem solve, speak their minds and work within a team through a series of group activities and games.

It has been a week and a few days since returning from the retreat, but the determination and resilience of the scholars stays with each of us from the US GEF team who shared the experience at Batian's View. We learned that, despite the difficult backgrounds of many of these students, each one possesses a great sense of community, of working together and of figuring out solutions to problems in a creative and inventive way. We learned that by taking these bright students out of the normal regimented world of their schools, these youth flourished and opened themselves up to new and challenging concepts.

The response from the scholars was overwhelmingly positive. Each one of us on the US GEF team heard over and over how much each scholar had learned and how much the experience changed them.

There is obviously more to come on this, so stay tuned!

GEF Team heads to Kenya

2008-08-05T11:03:00.003-06:00

GEF founder Eliza Woloson, Program Manger Suzanne Thomson, Board member Claire Joyce and Claire's daughter Molly will be heading out to Kenya tomorrow morning. They will be joining Fred and the 2008 Leadership Scholars on an experiential learning retreat at Batian's View to celebrate the first year of the GEF Leadership Program.

The team will have the chance to get to know the scholars as well as see the schools they attend. In addition to all this fun, they will have the opportunity to see the newly constructed GEF library at Candlelight School.

Check back for updates from the team, as they will be posting news while they are in Kenya.

Christine's Last Book Packing

2008-08-04T09:19:00.004-06:00

GEF Book Packing Volunteer Coordinator, Christine Ashe supervised her last book packing this past Saturday before her move east later this month. Christine has been a champion of GEF since its inception ten years ago. In fact, she helped at the very first book packing in 1998, "I can remember packing books with Eliza in her backyard while drinking beer," she recalled. "I never imagined it would grow to be something this big."

Over the years Christine has overseen the packing of thousands of books that have gone to help children around the world. From all of us at GEF, thank you Christine for your years of support and dedication. You will definitely be missed at future book packings. Thank you Christine again and again!

GEF staff will be taking over the coordination of future book packings. Our next one will be held on Sat, 9/6. Please email suzanne@globaleducationfund.org if you would like to be involved.

Update from Fred

2008-07-18T08:07:00.003-06:00

I have also been working on the Candlelight library because I would like when you come to go back with good report. The work is going on well with the construction of the library and we are very proud of it. Here are some pictures of the library, next week they will start the walls.

We so far have managed go purchase 379 books for St. Matthew and still I will get them some more and let you know the exact number of books we will have bought, they are very thankful for our support.

-Fred

The Girl Effect

2008-07-18T08:02:00.000-06:00

Textbooks for St. Matthew's Secondary School

2008-07-14T13:41:00.003-06:00

As we reported back in May, St. Matthew's Secondary School (one of GEF's partner schools where ten GEF Leadership Scholars attend) was heavily damaged in a fire. While no one was hurt, the school lost a great number of rooms and supplies. The school unfortunately couldn't afford to rebuild the school and replace all the materials lost in the fire. The community pulled together to rebuild their school. GEF supported this work by providing St. Matthew's with funding to purchase new textbooks.

The Books have Arrived!

2008-07-10T10:11:00.008-06:00

After three months of traveling across oceans and various countries, our first pallet of books have arrived in Nairobi!

Fred has been distributing the books to partner schools and orphanages who are excited for their new libraries. So far the books have gone to Candlelight School, Sister Louise's Home and Rachel's Home.

Here are a few pictures:

Kayole Leadership Scholars paint their School

2008-07-01T09:47:00.004-06:00

We just received the following pictures from Fred of the Leadership Scholars who attend Kayole Secondary School working together to paint their school as part of their community service. More to come!

GEF Kenya Director featured in Leadership Magazine

2008-06-27T09:51:00.007-06:00

GEF Kenya Director, Fred Afwai, was recently featured in an article on the post election violence and the need to develop a united Kenyan identity. Click on article pics below for more.

Douglas Co. High Book Drive and Fundraiser

2008-06-04T08:26:00.004-06:00

The following is a guest post from GEF friends Serena Patel and Nikki Look (pictured on the left)about the fundraiser and book drive they recently held for Global Education Fund. Thank you Serena, Nikki, Kate, Melissa and everyone who worked so hard to make this amazing project a success!

A team of students at Douglas County High School decided to take part in creating a better education for Kenyan children. Nikki Look and Serena Patel with the assistance of Kate Johnson and Melissa Hudec organized a book drive with Douglas County Libraries and a school wide T-shirt sale at Douglas County High School.

Serena Patel organized the partnership with the Global Education Fund, in which all profits from t-shirt sales was directly gifted to the organization. Nikki Look organized and designed the actual fundraiser of $8 t-shirts, selecting the quotes and colors. A projected profit of around $250 was met after the first week of sales.

The response of the student body at Douglas County High School was incredible while students at Castle View High School were also involving themselves in the project. It requires about 30 minutes to make a single t-shirt with a group of four helpers, and an estimated total of 48 t-shirts were created.

Kate Johnson excitedly managed the cooperation with the Douglas County Libraries to ask for used books to donate toward the GEF project. Around 300 books was collected with a special thanks to both the Highlands Ranch library and the Castle Rock library.

We are all extremely grateful for our own educational opportunities and believe those in Kenya should be given the same. It is our pleasure to assist these children to obtain greater goals.

Boulder's Border's Book Drive

2008-05-22T12:48:00.002-06:00

Borders Bookstore on the 29th Street Mall had a book drive in for GEF from April 14 - May 3. Ben Cameron, manager of the book store, contacted GEF with the book drive idea. Books were pulled based on recommendations by GEF staff and customers were able to purchase the books for GEF. The event was a success as Ben writes,

"We wrapped up our book drive last night and came out with a total of 638 books at a total value of $3,684.55. I hope that these books are all of use to your organization in your wonderful work around the world. I'd like to mention the names of Cynthia Kruez-Uhr, who personally collected 213 of these books, and Jasmine Mako, who collected 169 of them. I had these two put their heads together and start teaching their methods to our other booksellers, and everyone they taught managed to increase collections in the week that followed. These two did an exemplary job, we clearly owe our success largely to their efforts, though our whole team worked hard to make this happen. Thank you for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful charity for such a wonderful cause."

Thank you Ben, Jasmine, Cynthia and everyone at Borders who helped make the book drive a success. Thank you to Boulder for purchasing the books that are going to make a big difference. Finally, thank you to Meg and Scott of Izze who picked the books up from Borders in their fun Izze mobile.

Izze launches national PepsiCo Book Drive

2008-05-20T14:40:00.002-06:00

The Costco "Nourish" Team of PepsiCo supported GEF with a book drive at the PepsiCo Plaza in Chicago. Employees were able to sample IZZE, collect books and raise funds for GEF.

The Chicago drive was able to collect around 600 books, and another book drive event is planned for a PepsiCo plant in Atlanta. This is a great way to spread the word about GEF to the broader PepsiCo family.

Thank you to Michelle Morovitz, Peter Hickey and all our friends at Izze and PepsiCo for such a fantastic event.

Update on St. Matthew's Fire

2008-05-15T08:20:00.004-06:00

We've received more information on the fire at St. Matthew's Secondary School in Nairobi. Fred tells us that,

"The engineer has visited St. Matthew and has said that the walls were not badly affected, therefore they are good. He will just work on roofing it when he gets money. Mean while he is now working on two rooms where some students can move in."

Luckily no one was hurt and everyone is working hard to keep the school running.

Tragedy at St. Matthew's Secondary School

2008-05-12T09:15:00.005-06:00

We received the following email from GEF Kenya Director, Fred Afwai, over the weekend:

This evening around 3 pm the school caught on fire starting from boys' dormitory and destroyed the whole school. We cannot know the cause because there was no power in our area neither do they use gas at the school.

This is a huge tragedy for the community and the students that attend the school. Our thoughts are with our friends in Kenya during this trying time.

GEF continues to support all its scholars, including the ten attending St. Matthew's.

More to come...

Fred Afwai's Speech from Nov 3, 2007 GEF Event

2008-05-05T10:11:00.003-06:00

New GEF Blog!

2008-04-25T15:32:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the new blog for Global Education Fund. We will be posting quick program updates, pictures and video so everyone can be a part of the work being done. Please stay tuned.