Elimu hosted the first ever fundraising event with the Kenyan community. The event brought together Elimu’s local partners, friends, program beneficiaries, and community stakeholders. It was a huge success as we raised close to $ 5,000 from the 60 invited guests. Our Canadian and USA Board of Directors gave a generous contribution of about $ 4,000 that covered the costs of organizing the event.
On this night, we shared Elimu’s work and vision for the future with our guests, encouraging them to join hands in making our dream a success. People left for home with a deeper understanding of Elimu’s projects, and a shared vision of how to improve the lives of children, youth and women in Malindi, Kenya.
Our intern, Hosea Kamau, gave a moving speech about his journey of growth that shed light on Elimu’s impact on the youth of Malindi. Lucy Chengo, our partner at Heri Ministries College, witnessed the fruits of our many years of service to young women and the ripple impact in the communities where these empowered entrepreneurs returned after their time with us. We also had with us representatives from our partner Comundo led by their team leader Mac, who shared his experience working with communities in Kenya and the possibilities that await us in serving the needs of more children, youth and women in Malindi.
The dinner was also an opportunity for our Founders, Nina Chung and Cindy Rodriguez (Elimu Girls) to interact with many of Elimu’s friends from the community. For many, this was the first time interacting with our two founders. As our founders shared their stories, you could feel the sense of awe and wonder in the crowd.
Words of love and encouragement were shared, there was dancing and sharing of meals and drinks. In the end, we all felt so inspired, and encouraged to carry on. The community left feeling included and a renewed sense of belonging. Our Elimu team couldn’t be happier; after months of intense preparation, their dream of sharing the Elimu Vision with the Kenyan community had materialized.
This was surely a new beginning for Elimu as the community takes ownership of our projects. We will continue to nurture this relationship with the community through engagements as we work towards a complete community ownership of the Elimu projects.