Foundation Projects
Projects – In Short
St. Timothy School – Serving 190 children in Athi River slum.
St. Timothy Feeding Project – Serving porridge and lunch to the 190 children
Kangundo Pre-School – Serving 129 children in Kangundo/Nairobi area.
Kangundo Feeding Project – Serving porridge and lunch to 129 school and additional street children.
Bisel Masai Pre-School – Serving 82 Masai children in Bisel/Kajiado area.
Bisel Masai Feeding Project – Serving porridge and lunch to the 82 school children.
Jitahidi School (Kibera Slum) Projects – Serving 65 children – sweaters, supplies, school latrine in Kibera slum.
Student Sponsorship Project – 65 additional children are sponsored to a variety of elementary and secondary schools.
Student Uniforms – 153 children are given uniforms in a variety of additional elementary and secondary schools.
Masai Adult Education Project – 75 adults – mostly older Masai women learning English, Swahili, counting
Masai Youth Activity Days - 188 children gather three times per year for food, dancing, drama.
Health and Wellness Screenings – 500 adults / children provided immunizations, prenatal care, de-worming, etc.
Emergency Food Relief – 36 widows, 101 other adults and children provided maize flour and rice due to drought.
Income Generating Activities – beadwork, cow cooperative, chicken cooperative and goat project to sustain schools.
Masai Adult Education Project – The Ed Colina Foundation conducts Adult Education Classes in coordination with the Athi River and Kenyan Ministries for Education. English, Swahili and Mathematics classes as well as HIV/AIDS awareness sessions are conducted for over 75 Masai adults. In addition, a group of 12 TOTs (Trainers of Trainers) meet regularly to learn about issues of hygiene, the changing culture and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
Masai Youth Activity Days – During the three yearly school breaks, The Ed Colina Foundation provides Youth Activity Days for nearly 200 students. These days are designed to encourage the students to remain in school, do their best and study hard. Dancing, drama, food and drinks are all part of these fun-filled days. They are planned and carried out by Masai young adults. In fact, we assist in the education of the social workers that oversee the Activity Days.
Health and Wellness Screenings – In January 2010, we began providing monthly medical screenings and assistance to the Masai community, especially to children and pregnant women. Local nurses were contracted and they visit five local villages around Athi River. Initially they are providing vaccines and immunizations to the newborns and very young.
Emergency Food Relief – There has been no adequate rain in Athi River for quite some time. In fact, most of sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing a significant drought. The Masai women and children of Athi River are left with no food, dying cattle and therefore no meat and milk. The Ed Colina Foundation has made numerous emergency food drops for the most desperate cases. Maize flour, porridge, rice, and powdered milk have been delivered to the Athi River Masai. This food has been delivered to the Masai communities but also to a group of 36 Kamba widows who live in an adjacent community.
Income Generating Activities – Masai women are skilled at beadwork and raising goats. To support these skills, the foundation has provided seed money for the purchase of beads and materials to make traditional belts, necklaces and bracelets. We are in search for markets for these crafts. We have also provided seed money for the purchase of 75 goats. The sale of milk and kids (baby goats) will help the women purchase food, and pay educational fees. There are other income-generating activities planned for the future. They include a chicken project and a small agricultural venture – new to the Masai!
Jitahidi School (Kibera) Projects
The Ed Colina Foundation recently purchased 45 new sweaters for a small school in the Kibera slum. The Foundation also began construction of a latrine located just outside the small classroom. Kibera is one of the largest slums in the world; home to over a million inhabitants living on one square mile of land.
St. Timothy School Projects
St. Timothy’s is a preschool through 3rd Grade school located in the Canaan slum nearby the Foundation’s major projects at Athi River. We initiated a school feeding program that serves daily porridge and lunch of rice and beans to the school’s students. In additional to some school materials and exercise books, we provide funds for the rental of three additional classrooms. In March, 2010, the Foundation purchased gutters and a 1500 liter water tank and some translucent roofing panels for better light in the classrooms.
