Makuyu Education Initiative Inc.

This fundraiser supports the Makuyu Education Initiative (MEI), a non-profit organization working to improve access to education for vulnerable children in Makuyu, Kenya. Funds raised will be used to purchase school supplies, clothing, shoes, and gumboots — essentials that help children attend school prepared and protected. Many families struggle to afford these basic items, and something as simple as a sturdy pair of shoes or a new notebook can make a real difference in a child’s daily life. By donating, you are helping provide the tools children need to learn safely and confidently, and reminding them that their futures are worth investing in.

Hi! Many of you know our "older" children, the children who lived with us for many years while we were a children's home and who are now in secondary school (high school).

One of the children is Christine who joined us in 2012 with her twin brother Christopher. She and him had a rather difficult childhood. Their father passed away when they were young and the mother would sell firewood to make ends meet. They slept on the floor on a tattered mattress and often went hungry before joining us.

A few months ago, she gave birth to a baby boy, Kingsley. Unfortunately, the father is no where to be found. We feel the need to help her and the baby as much as possible during this critical time. Help includes food to make sure the mother is healthy, clothes for both the baby and the mother, a bed that they can sleep on, and all the other basic necessities that we so often take for granted.

If you have it within your heart and wallet to contribute, it would be very much appreciated.

Natalia is a 4 year old girl living in Makuyu, Kenya. She has two sisters and lives with her parents who are farm hands/farmers. She goes to a pre-school, the Makuyu Education Initiative, for underprivileged children.

Unfortunately, Natalia cannot hear due to a condition she was born with. Because she cannot hear her own voice, she also does not talk.

Natalia puts on a brave face every day. She joins kids in play time and does her lessons, but a world without sound, without music, without being able to speak is a difficult world to live in.

However, there is a solution: the cochlear implant. However, her parents cannot afford the cost and the surgery is costly. The hospital estimates $35,000 for both implants.

We believe no one, let alone a 4 year old girl, should live a life without sound or speaking if it can be fixed. Please help us raise enough funds to literally change her life for the better.

If we can raise the amount, we hope to film her hearing for the first time and share the experiences with you. Please join us on this remarkable journey of hope.