Trust’s educational building project is changing lives
Katikati family’s foundation is hard at work in Kenya
The Cronhelm Family of Katikati know how to take on challenges — including building educational facilities in one of the remotest areas of Ileret.
Liza Cronhelm from Katikati has recently returned to New Zealand after building a teachers accommodation block — some 17km south of the Ethiopian border in Northern Kenya — the third project completed under the umbrella of The Michael Cronhelm Foundation Trust.
The trust was founded by sisters Liza and Amy, inspired by their late brother Michael who worked in Northern Kenya.
The first project they undertook was to construct a library. They borrowed an old land cruiser, drove to a dusty town on the outskirts of the Chalbi Desert and provisioned a 10-ton truck of building materials. Friends who volunteered from Katikati were an integral part of the library build together with Faye and Grey Cronhelm, who was the lead builder.
Not long after the library was opened and exam results were announced in the central village primary school, grades went upwards in all classes. And as the former principal noted, the impact was from simply “having access to books”.
Liza says El Bokoch Primary School, the second project completed, is focused on encouraging girls to attend school with a capacity of 320 students. “This school is an important facility to empower young women’s futures, impacting their ability to have expanded economic opportunities, have better health outcomes for themselves and their children and have a stronger voice in community affairs.
“Global warming is rapidly changing traditional pastoralist way of life. Already vulnerable pastoralist communities have experienced the most extreme drought known in living memory over the last three years, devastated by massive stock loss from starvation. And animals are currency to these people, not only to sell but to also live off for milk and meat. This drought has been far worse than portrayed on international news channels with many families losing all their livestock.
“Despite their circumstances, the children are remarkably upbeat and wave excitedly every time you see them. They are so excited to practise speaking English and their enthusiasm is truly inspiring.”
Liza is responsible for managing
a crew of qualified down-country tradesmen with hiring local people to not only give them much needed income but teach alternative building methods.
Collecting water is an ongoing challenge.
Mostly girls collect water from the riverbed for their families and for some its 4km to their homes
balancing jerry cans on their heads.
At term end, a rousing ceremony was held, Amy’s birthday books were handed out and a garden of desert roses was planted. The children were asked to water the new school garden and the following day without further prompting were seen doing just that.
Word has spread of the achievements and vision of this school, with elders from a village 10 hours’ drive south of Ileret requesting a girl’s high school to be constructed, the first of its kind in the area. Land has been assigned for this Lake Turkana Girls High School, and the trust is now starting fundraising.
Pending funding being raised for this project the start date will be early in the new year.
Anyone wishing to assist with a donation to this life-changing girls high school project are welcomed to contact www.michaelcronhelm foundation.org or email info@michaelcronhelmfoundation. org or 027 667 7544.
— Supplied content