Back to School Fundraising Campaign

BUILD a school.  EDUCATE a child.  CHANGE a village.

A big part of our efforts in Eburru revolve around the Camp Brethren School complex, where local children are being given the opportunity to attend an alternative school and receive a quality education.  Right now three classes are operating for pre-school, kindergarten and 1st grade students.  The children are progressing remarkably - our 1st graders tested at the same level as 3rd graders in the local public school.  The also receive daily meals and Christian education classes as a part of the program, providing nourishment for their bodies and souls.

It’s clear to us that educating children ties directly into our vision of promoting self-sustainability in the community.  These children will grow up and bring skills and vision to Eburru, creating lasting change and a better way of life.

Our goal for the school is to build one new classroom each year, so the students can move up to the next grade.  This year’s 1st graders need a 2nd grade classroom for next year.  By 2017, Camp Brethren will be operating a full K-5 to 8th grade primary school for over 300 students.

It’s a big vision and we’re taking it one step at a time.  Building the 2nd grade classroom requires $7,500.  This will cover the cost of digging a foundation, building walls & a roof and equipping the room with chalkboards, desks, chairs & more.   Would you consider donating to help make this possible?  Any gift from $5 - $500 will help the students head back to school.

When you donate please write “BTS” in the check memo field or PayPal comment field.

Donate via PayPal

Or mail a check, payable to David’s Hope International, to:
c/o Nancy Waskey
122 S. Hilltop Road
Catonsville, MD 21228

Katie & Kari in Eburru: School Days

“We have had many teams visit Eburru but your team that started David’s Hope International was the only one that caught the vision.”

These last three days working at the  school have been so good. It is hard to believe that it only started 6 months ago. Currently, the school has three teachers and three full classrooms but every day people come wanting to know if we have room for their child. They like our school better than the other primary school in the area because they can tell quality education is being offered. Not only that but they are being taught the word of God daily.  The pastor and teachers want the children that are the most destitute  to be the ones that are accepted into the school….the children that would never have a chance of education otherwise because they would not be able to afford it (education is not free in Kenya). One of the best things about the school is its feeding programing. Many of the students that go to the school were extremely malnourished before but because they get a cup of porridge in the morning and a bowl of beans, vegetables, and grains for lunch many of these children are now at a healthy weight. In fact, most Kenyan schools would be on break for the next three weeks but the David’s Hope School has decided to stay open because if the school is closed, the children do not get to eat.  Because of the funds raised through David’s Hope the school now has a garden and three goats (two are already pregnant ) in order to have self-sustainability as these will provide vegetables, fruit, grains, and milk for the feeding program. In fact some one already asked if they could buy the offspring of the goats which will also help bring financial sustainability.

Pastor Steve says that Kari and I will be “pioneers” since we are the first American teachers to visit the school. In addition to helping the teachers and leading chapel hour, the pastor also wants us to develop a “training guide” on how the school runs so that other education teams that come to work in the school will have an idea before hand of what is being taught.