THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
TOILETS & WASH ROOMS, COMMUNITY GARDENS,
SCHOOL WATER CATCHMENTS SYSTEMS
OUR INVESTMENT (YOUR GIFT) DELIVERS CONTINUOUS IMPACT
Enhances students’ performance – each school has students going on to a technical
school or the university
Educates students on planting, maintaining and harvesting food in the community
gardens
Provides nutritious food for the schools; sometimes, school lunches are the only source
of quality food for the day for many of the students
Enhances school attendance of girls in school by having wash rooms to use during their
menstrual cycles
Avoids girls being taken advantage of by local fisherman if Lake Victoria is the school’s
source for water
Supports the parents who truly sacrifice for their student’s education. Parents are
responsible for providing 60 percent of the school’s operating budget – teachers,
buildings, electricity, etc.
ON SITE EVALUATION
Growing Community Roots community partner IMBO Community Action Program (ICAP), a certified NGO conducts annual on-site evaluations of each school. The school projects funded to date are correctly installed, well maintained, and in excellent working condition. The community gardens include planting and harvesting kale, onions, parsley, and tomatoes.
Growing Community Roots and IMBO Community Action Program (ICAP) use a Six-
Step Process for the Funding, Implementation and Oversight of our School Projects:
Step I: Project Background and Key Information provided by ICAP
Step II: Growing Community Roots Review and Approval of Project by the GCR Board
Step III: Funding (GCR) and Construction by a Contractor with ICAP oversight
Step IV: Post Construction (ICAP)
Step V: On Going Relationships with Growing Community Roots and Donors
Step VI: Annual On-Site School Visits conducted by ICAP; annual reports
submitted to GCR that are posted on the GCR website
ICAP, the Principal and the School Board oversee the construction that is completed by
a professional contractor. ICAP provides meals for the workers. The school ensures the
educational infrastructure is well maintained and is in excellent working condition. ICAP
provides seeds for the community gardens that include planting and harvesting of kale,
onions, parsley, and tomatoes.
MOVING FORWARD
OUR INVESTMENT WILL ENCOURAGE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS STUDENT COMMUNITIES!
To protect the environment, GCR are asking schools to plant and maintain a tree farm on
their school land as part of receiving an investment from us. This will help address the
critical deforestation problem that exists in the Homa Bay area of Kenya.
To help clean up Kenya, GCR will provide an incentive for schools to keep their grounds
litter free. Once the students, faculty, staff and parents see school grounds litter free,
they will keep the beautiful land of Kenya free from litter too.
To help enhance the overall school performance, we encourage school administrations
to share best practices with other GCR schools.
HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION FUFILL THEIR HOPES & DREAMS
THERE IS MORE TO BE DONE
The Administration, faculty, students and the parents’ associations expressed deep gratitude for the critical investment that has been made in their schools. It truly is making a substantial difference in their lives.
We must continue to offer hope to the youth by investing in their educational environment. Having safe water, decent sanitation systems and washrooms, and a community garden at their school ensures that we care and value them. And, that they are not the forgotten generation. Our work invests in a brighter generation of students in the Homa Bay area of Kenya.