Festus Molenje Memorial Boarding School and Health Clinic
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Kabrsa, Kakamega District Kenya
Project Province/State
Kemya Western Province
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Kenya
Your idea
Country your work focuses on:
Kenya
Website URL
What stage is your project in?
Idea phase
YouTube Upload
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
<$10
Name Your Project
Festus Molenje Memorial Boarding School and Health Clinic
Describe Your Idea
Innovation
Describe your idea in fewer than 50 words.
To build a boarding school and health clinic in Kakamaga, Kenya for AIDS orphaned and vulnerable children on land provided by the Molenje family in Silver Spring, MD. Our mission is to nurture, educate and provide comprehensive health care in a boarding school environment. The school will be a holistic care facility focusing on the "total child concept".
What makes your idea unique?
The distinguishing feature of our program is to keep sibling together to preserve the remaining surviving family unit, maintain a linkage and relationship with their communities, while providing essential counseling, nutrition, education and health care. We will also provide the necessary services to protect their family assets so the orphaned children can be reintegrated into their community after graduation.
What is your area of work? (Please check as many as apply.)
Children & Youth , At risk youth , Child care , Child exploitation , Child labor , Child protection , Early childhood development , Education , Girls' development , Mentorship , Youth development , Youth leadership , Development & Prosperity , Community development , Employment , Fundraising , Housing , Hunger , Income generation , Poverty alleviation , Sustainable agriculture , Food , Health care , Health education , HIV/AIDS , Infant mortality , Wellness , Human Rights & Peace , Abuse and violence , Child exploitation , Crime prevention , Food security , Vulnerable populations , Mentoring , Volunteerism , Youth leadership.
What impact have you had?
Anticipated outcome: Festus Memorial Boarding School in Kakamega, Kenya will reduce: the number of uneducated/illiterate children, child headed households, number of drug abusers, juvenile crime, homelessness, stigmatization, exploitation and discrimination of AIDS orphans. The program will commit to increase: access to education, psychological support, health and nutrition care, HIV/AIDS prevention awareness, job opportunities including for those that are HIV positive and free VCTs.
Describe the primary problem(s) that your project is addressing.
The program will address the urgent needs of AIDS orphaned and vulnerable children, many of who do not have access to the basic necessities or anyone to care for them. They also face a high risk of being sexually and physically abused, exploited and sometimes death. The school will provide 600 orphan children annually both- boys and girls with a safe, drug free and well supervised learning and nurturing environment.
Describe the steps that your organization is taking to make your project successful.
Fundraising to get enough money to construct the campus that will consist of 5 dormitories (1 infant and small children, 2 for boys and 2 for girls) 2 school buildings, a dinning hall and a clinic. We have met with The Minister of Housing and The Minister of Education and community leaders in Kenya who pledged their support. We have also obtained the land deed title, surveys, permits and approvals, acquired the architectural designs and construction cost bids.
Impact
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Success in Year 1:
Enough funding to complete the campus. Year 1 the construction of the campus will begin the construction phase is expected to take approximately two years to complete.
Success in Year 2:
Continue fundraising.
Start acquiring furniture equipment and supplies by purchase and from donations.
Start accepting applications, interviewing candidates and hiring staff.
Start identifying students and start preparing for school to open.
Success in Year 3:
Students will be welcomed to Festus Molenje Memorial Boarding School that will provide AIDS orphan children access to education, health care, nutrition and psychological support in a safe, well supervised and nurturing environment that will enable AIDS orphans in Kakamega district of Kenya to become productive and well prepared contributing members of the Kenya society and the world at large. The school will also promote prevention and advocacy strategies that target youth as agents of behavior change that are geared toward reducing the spread of the HIV virus.
Do you have a business plan or strategic plan? (yes/no)
Yes, for the construction phase and we are in the process of preparing a comprehensive business plan
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 1:
Continue fundraising.
Evaluation: The project will be evaluated based on its objectives. Continuous quarterly monitoring will be done to ensure the project is working within the set goals and is meeting or exceeding expectation. To achieve this we intend to hire a monitoring and evaluation specialist to do rapid assessments.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 2:
Accountability: We have also budgeted for an accountant and in addition to quarterly finance reports that will be submitted to the individuals that are responsible for making decision about the costs, revenue and take actions about them. We will also ensure that the funds will be used as intended by the donors for improving the quality of life for AIDS orphans.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 3:
Working closely within the community affected by the AIDS pandemic. Having a well trained professional and competent supportive staff, continuous support of government leaders, and the community and community leaders.
Creating income generating activities,
Continuous support of friends and donors.
Donations of items, equipment and supplies.
Describe the expected results of these actions.
Ensuring funds are use as donors intended will help retain existing donors as well attract multiple new donors and bring in new support to ensure the school's long-term prospects for success. Along, with creating income generating activities.
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
Gloria Molenje, Founding Director traveled with Howard University HIV/AIDS Prevention Study Tours through out Africa. Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This allowed her to see and witness first hand the hardship and suffering this disease brings about. Many orphaned children are left homeless with no access to the basic necessities or anyone to care for them.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
Social innovation within the non-profit sector to meet the social need of all kinds for AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children from education, health care, nutrition in a safe boarding school environment to community development that extend and strengthen the community.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
An e-mail from Jacqueline Kamau
Outreach Marketing Coordinator- Kenya
Ashoka's Changemakers
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
What would prevent your project from being a success?
A lack of funding… to ensure sustainability we will work closely within the community and involve caregivers and community members as partners in the education process by utilizing their skills and knowledge to support the development of the orphans. Plans for food production have been made gardening farming, raising poultry and livestock, donation of medical and laboratory testing supplies thus reducing the cost of food and health care. Also continued involvement with governmental and community leaders. We will also create income-generating activities and the Board Of Directors will continue to pursue other fundraising measures.
Financing source
No
If yes, provide organization name.
No, but we have the support of the "Bethesda Friends Meeting" in Bethesda, MD
How long has this organization been operating? (i.e. less than a year; 1-5 years; more than 5 years)
1-5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes, we have a Board of Directors.
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs? (yes/no)
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses? (yes/no)
No
The Story
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government? (yes/no)
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
We do not have any partnerships but we are registered as an international NGO in Kenya. The Minister of Housing and The Minister of Education and Community leaders have pledged their support in this endeavor to help the orphaned and vulnerable children in the Kakamega District of Kenya.
How many people will your project serve annually?
600-1500 annually
What is the total number of employees and total number of volunteers at your organization?
103 Enployees
40- 50 volunteers
What is your organization's business classification?
Non-profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Have you received funding from any of the following groups? (Please check as many as apply.)
African Development Bank .
 | 152 weeks agoFran Holuba said: It sounds like this school has great potential. Beyond keeping siblings together, are there characteristics that truly distinguish your ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 155 weeks agoTyler Ahn updated this Competition Entry. |
| 155 weeks agoGloria Molenje submitted this idea. |
