Africa trip leads Groton student to raise funds for a school, a village
history and geography for six weeks.”
Aspinwall found herself in the village of Homa Bay, where she visited a school that, to her surprise, had a unit for students with special needs.
“The only materials the teacher and students had were a chalkboard, a piece of chalk, and a few wooden desks,” she said. “No books. No paper. No pencils.”
She said the teacher yearned for a book that would teach him how to teach the children, whose disabilities varied in both nature and degree.
“I spent a few hours with the children and returned to our camp a changed person,” she recalled. Now she wants to help. “When I returned from Kenya, I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing,” she said. “I created a fundraiser to raise money for the classroom.”
She hosted family parties and collected “random donations here and there.”
The woman who taught her Swahili, Mwalimu Judy, also lives in Homa Bay. Aspinwall connected with her and discussed ways they could help. Then she contacted the classroom teacher, Michael O’chieng, via email and asked him to hold a parent meeting to discuss needs of the children. The priority list included books, pencils, art supplies, volleyballs and soccer balls.
“Unfortunately,” Aspinwall said, “I received word that one of the students passed away, so I also decided to pay for his coffin and funeral costs.”
That consumed most of the money she had saved and collected. Still, in December, she sent nearly $400 and a list of items to Mwalimu Judy, who purchased them and delivered them to the school.
“She scanned the receipts and sent them over,” Aspinwall said. “I uploaded them on the Facebook page to ensure donors where their money was going.”
Photos of the village also can be seen on the Facebook page, “Speaking- Bahari itatufikisha popote.”
She said the parents now hold monthly meetings, and they are considering the needs of the entire village, like food.
“Through emails with Judy and Michael, we decided that a sustainable food program needs to be developed,” she said. “It would provide the children with food as well farming and planting skills they could use in the future.”
Aspinwall r e c e n t l y earned an Air Force scholarship to obtain her master’s degree. Before that, though, she wants to hand deliver enough money to Homa Bay to purchase supplies and get the farming project started.
Instead of receiving gifts for graduation, she is asking friends and family to donate to the cause. She will return to Kenya in June. By then, it is her goal to have raise about $2,000. She has $700 so far and is receiving help from a few student clubs at UNH. But she needs more help, she said.
She can be contacted through the “Speaking- bahari itatufikisha popote” Facebook page. c.potter@theday.com