Towards Water Projects and Flood Victims

Wednesday, July 7, 2010……….Safaricom Foundation has donated Kshs75 million towards water projects in Arid and Semi Arid areas under the Maji na Uhai initiative being implemented by Kenya Red Cross Society and Action Aid.

Safaricom Foundation Chairman Mr. Les Baillie said the funds will be spread among several projects across the country for a period of three years, and will go a long way in improving access to safe and clean water within the selected areas.

Areas identified to benefit from the donation include Mombasa, Kibwezi, Nyeri East, Wajir, Machakos, Transmara, Makueni and Garbatulla.
At the same event, the Safaricom Foundation and the Vodafone Group Foundations donated an extra 50,000 Sterling Pounds towards recovery efforts of communities affected by floods caused by the just ended long rains.

The floods left an estimated 89 people dead, 11,500 households displaced, 69,034 people displaced and over 130,244 people affected countrywide.

The funds will go towards rehabilitating water and sanitation infrastructure that was destroyed by the floods, exposing the populations to water-borne diseases and related threats.

It will also target small scale farmers in efforts to help them access farm inputs to tame a likely food shortage that would affect close to 2 million people.
Receiving the funds on behalf of the Kenya Red Cross Society was Secretary General Abbas Gullet who called on more corporate organizations and individuals to donate towards alleviating suffering among the affected communities.

"It is our hope that more organizations will come up to assist the affected communities especially in the provision of health services and boost supply logistics," said Gullet.

Safaricom Foundation currently funds a range of projects in the water sector mostly targeted towards communities in the Arid and Semi Arid areas. The foundation also funds a cross section of sectors in health, education, arts and culture aimed at improving the living standards of communities.

Les Baillie said Safaricom Foundation would continue working with organizations and individuals keen on projects that have a positive impact on the lives of ordinary Kenyans.

Fafi district gets first girl's secondary school

Wednesday July 14, 2010.....Assistant Education Minister Prof. Ayiecho Olweny has opened the first girl's secondary school in Fafi District, built partly through funding by Safaricom Foundation to the tune of Ksh5.4 million.

Girls from Fafi District have been crossing over to neighbouring Garissa and Ijara districts for secondary education. The Safaricom Foundation Manager, Ms. Sanda Ojiambo said the school will increase access to girl secondary education within the district and entire North Eastern province.

The Executive Director of the Pastoralists Girls Initiative (PGI) Mrs Fatuma Kinsi Abbas, whose organisation approached Safaricom Foundation for the funding, said the first intake was done in February 2010, admitting 54 girls.

Ms. Ojiambo said the school will play a major role in increasing the number of girls who complete their secondary education, which over the past has been compromised by poverty forcing the girls to drop out of school.

"We believe that education is the key to a brighter future for both boys and girls. It's for this reason that we donated Ksh5.4 million to Fafi Girls School, through which a toilet block, four classrooms have been constructed and learning materials purchased," said Ms. Sanda Ojiambo.

He said girl child education was a sure way of eradicating poverty as it empowered women and helped them play an active role in development matters apart from enhancing civilisation from discriminative cultures such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which are still rampant in the region.

Since its inception in 2003, Safaricom Foundation funds a range of projects in the education sector by supporting the provision of learning environments that allow the students to thrive and succeed.

Ojiambo said offering education opportunities to both sexes have many benefits to the individual, family, community and the entire nation.

Although the government's introduction of free primary education in 2003 was a big boost for parents who couldn't afford school fees for their children, the initiative also led to increased school enrolment for both boys and girls. This also meant that more pupils qualify to join secondary schools hence the need to put up more schools which can accommodate them.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010……….Safaricom Foundation has donated Kshs75 million towards water projects in Arid and Semi Arid areas under the Maji na Uhai initiative being implemented by Kenya Red Cross Society and Action Aid.

Safaricom Foundation Chairman Mr. Les Baillie said the funds will be spread among several projects across the country for a period of three years, and will go a long way in improving access to safe and clean water within the selected areas.

Areas identified to benefit from the donation include Mombasa, Kibwezi, Nyeri East, Wajir, Machakos, Transmara, Makueni and Garbatulla.
At the same event, the Safaricom Foundation and the Vodafone Group Foundations donated an extra 50,000 Sterling Pounds towards recovery efforts of communities affected by floods caused by the just ended long rains.

The floods left an estimated 89 people dead, 11,500 households displaced, 69,034 people displaced and over 130,244 people affected countrywide.

The funds will go towards rehabilitating water and sanitation infrastructure that was destroyed by the floods, exposing the populations to water-borne diseases and related threats.

It will also target small scale farmers in efforts to help them access farm inputs to tame a likely food shortage that would affect close to 2 million people.
Receiving the funds on behalf of the Kenya Red Cross Society was Secretary General Abbas Gullet who called on more corporate organizations and individuals to donate towards alleviating suffering among the affected communities.

"It is our hope that more organizations will come up to assist the affected communities especially in the provision of health services and boost supply logistics," said Gullet.

Safaricom Foundation currently funds a range of projects in the water sector mostly targeted towards communities in the Arid and Semi Arid areas. The foundation also funds a cross section of sectors in health, education, arts and culture aimed at improving the living standards of communities.

Les Baillie said Safaricom Foundation would continue working with organizations and individuals keen on projects that have a positive impact on the lives of ordinary Kenyans.

Fafi district gets first girl's secondary school

Wednesday July 14, 2010.....Assistant Education Minister Prof. Ayiecho Olweny has opened the first girl's secondary school in Fafi District, built partly through funding by Safaricom Foundation to the tune of Ksh5.4 million.

Girls from Fafi District have been crossing over to neighbouring Garissa and Ijara districts for secondary education. The Safaricom Foundation Manager, Ms. Sanda Ojiambo said the school will increase access to girl secondary education within the district and entire North Eastern province.

The Executive Director of the Pastoralists Girls Initiative (PGI) Mrs Fatuma Kinsi Abbas, whose organisation approached Safaricom Foundation for the funding, said the first intake was done in February 2010, admitting 54 girls.

Ms. Ojiambo said the school will play a major role in increasing the number of girls who complete their secondary education, which over the past has been compromised by poverty forcing the girls to drop out of school.

"We believe that education is the key to a brighter future for both boys and girls. It's for this reason that we donated Ksh5.4 million to Fafi Girls School, through which a toilet block, four classrooms have been constructed and learning materials purchased," said Ms. Sanda Ojiambo.

He said girl child education was a sure way of eradicating poverty as it empowered women and helped them play an active role in development matters apart from enhancing civilisation from discriminative cultures such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which are still rampant in the region.

Since its inception in 2003, Safaricom Foundation funds a range of projects in the education sector by supporting the provision of learning environments that allow the students to thrive and succeed.

Ojiambo said offering education opportunities to both sexes have many benefits to the individual, family, community and the entire nation.

Although the government's introduction of free primary education in 2003 was a big boost for parents who couldn't afford school fees for their children, the initiative also led to increased school enrolment for both boys and girls. This also meant that more pupils qualify to join secondary schools hence the need to put up more schools which can accommodate them.