PROJECT #142
Project #142 | Building Classrooms in Rabuor, Kenya
Our partnership with Mwanzo
Prior to the HIV/AIDs epidemic, which devastated much of the sub-Saharan African continent, Rabuor Village, located in Kenya’s Nyanza Province (near Lake Victoria) was a healthy community of approximately 4,000 residents. When AIDS struck this community and surrounding villages, scores of adults died, leaving thousands of orphans and placing immense stress on survivors. Traditional economic activities collapsed. Youth in many cases were taken in by grandparents or other adults, or were living alone in their homes. Young girls in particular were left without traditional role models, who would have taught them farming and other essential life skills. Children who might otherwise have gone to school had to defer the dream of an education in order to survive. Those children who never had a childhood or a chance to go to school are now young parents themselves with school-age children. Mwanzo made a commitment in partnership with these communities to bring change and hope.
Our partnership with Mwanzo supported the construction of the second floor of their school building, where four classrooms now teach grades 5-8. The expansion of the school building has the capacity for nearly 320 students from Rabour and the surrounding villages. Beyond empowering students with education, this project also provided a place for the larger community to gather for meetings, celebrations, funerals, and other extracurricular activities.
Our collective impact
School Children Educated
Classrooms Built
Community Members Impacted
Meet Kevin
In 2016, Kevin discontinued his third year University education due to lack of money to pay college fees. He returned to the village with no hope. Rabuor being a poor community, odd jobs which pay around $2.15 per day were difficult to find. With no choices left, Kevin left for the city to look for work. After three months and no success finding regular work, Kevin – in his own words, “a broken man” – was forced to return to Orongo, his village. He lost hope and fell into deep depression. One day a neighbor from Rabuor suggested he stop by the MEC building site in Rabuor, and inquire about work. Though Kevin had no masonry skills, his hardship pushed him to give this a try. Patroba, our project contractor, hired Kevin, recognizing Kevin’s ability to analyze technical aspects of the construction work due to his prior years of education. Since 2016, he has been regularly employed by Patroba. Kevin has been saving his wages and plans to return and complete his fourth year of university studies. Thinking about the past four years, Kevin paused, and said, “I don’t know where I’d be if not for the work at Mwanzo which saved me from deep depression. And in addition, I’ve acquired skills which will serve me now and always” With a smile, he repeated Mwanzo’s motto – “Hope Has a Home Here!”
Thank you for making this possible!
Our movement is grassroots, to us that not only means the work on the ground is led by local leaders with the support of the community, but it also means that we raise the funds for our projects through everyday donors just like you. In addition to all the donors that gave $25, $100, or $250 and the campaigners that ran a race or donated their birthday to raise funds, we also want to thank our generous business, school, and faith sponsors who believed in our work and joined the movement.
If you want to support future projects like this you can make a donation to our children’s education fund.
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One Day’s Wages exists to alleviate extreme poverty by investing in, amplifying, and coming alongside locally led organizations in underserved communities.
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