Longonot Education Initiative

Thank you so much to the 1st grade classes at Beverly J. Martin for raising the money to put two of our students, Emmanuel and Stephen, through school for the rest of 2023!

We are in the process of updating our sponsorship program for 2023!

While we work on updating their profiles with more details and information - we hope you might take a look at who is in need of sponsors this year. If you are interested in learning more about our program or about a particular student, please reach out!

https://www.longonoteducation.org/sponsorship-program.html

The Longonot Education Center is doing everything they can to ensure the health and safety of all students, their families, and the teachers as they re-introduce in-school teaching! Wearing masks, encouraging frequent hand washing, and daily temperature checks will allow the school to remain open as we continue through the pandemic.

Happy Thanksigving from all of us at Longonot Education Initiative!

We first want to give thanks to every single donor, sponsor, and those who have supported our projects during this very unusual and difficult year of 2020. Despite personal challenges and hardships, so many of you have continued to give what you can to help the children we support in Kenya, we want you to know how grateful we are for you.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank two very important people to our organization, Joe Njoroge, and Felicity Koech, our Kenyan partners on the ground. For years now, Joseph and Felicity have been the two personally taking the time to make sure that all of the children we sponsor actually get to go to school! They are the ones who prepare all of the school budgets, spend hours in line at the banks to actually make the payments to the schools, and they make sure that every student has everything they need to go to school. They are constantly communicating with our team the needs of all of the children we support, from a new pair of shoes or backpack, to an unexpected medical bill. Without all of their hard work, our organization simply could not exist, and we cannot thank them enough. The same should be said about all of you, our supporters, as well – none of this would be possible without you.

We hope you and your family have a very safe and happy holiday season!

In honor of , anyone who donates $15 or more will receive a 2020 calendar made by our 1st grade partner classroom in Ithaca, NY! Just include your shipping address where it asks "Add any special instructions for LEI:" or message us directly via Facebook!

https://www.longonoteducation.org/donate.html

With the third term finished and their holiday break underway, the Global Hope boys are enjoying their well-earned free time and counting down the days until their Christmas celebration! Here are a few of the boys making quite the intricate house out of mud!

Brian Mwangi was one of the first street boys we started working with back in 2013, our goal was to get him off of the streets and back into school. It was certainly not easy, seemingly impossible at times even, but in the five years since Brian has gone from spending his days collecting scraps and sniffing glue in the streets to spending them in the classroom and in a safe and supportive home, the Global Hope Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

Currently Brian is apprenticing to become a car mechanic, we couldn't be prouder and we wanted to share with you his success and incredible transformation! We also want to thank his sponsor for supporting him over the years and making this possible!

Thank you so much Beverly J. Martin Elementary School for raising enough money to provide lunch and school supplies for the rest of the school year at the Longonot Education Center!

For everyone who saw our last post about Brian, thanks to a very generous donor, his school fees for 2018 are completely paid for! He is so relieved to know he will be able to return to school next term, and just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who read his story and showed their support!

We'd like you to meet Brian Mati.

At 16 years old, Brian is just two years away from finishing secondary school (high school). Brian lost his mother at the young age of 10, and his father is now unwilling and unable to pay for his school fees. Joseph Njoroge, the Director of Global Hope Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, found Brian walking the streets holding his exam results from primary school in an attempt to find someone willing to pay for his school fees. Joseph managed to find a school, Brother Beusangs, which allowed Brian to study for free in 2017. Unfortunately at the start of 2018 there was a change in the administration; the new headmaster is not willing to allow Brian to return to school unless he is able to pay the school fees. Brian has been stuck at the center for just over three weeks now, wanting to go back to school so badly that some days he even does, just to see if they’ll let him stay for the day.

We are hoping we can find someone, or some people, willing to either sponsor Brian or to contribute to pay for his school fees. Now that the first term is nearly finished, we are hoping to raise $336, enough to pay for Brian to return to school for the rest of the year. If you are interested in sponsoring Brian please email us at [email protected], or if you are interested in donating you can do so here:

https://www.longonoteducation.org/donate.html

EDIT: Brian's school fees have been taken care of for the rest of the year!!!!

It's always so great visiting the school that sparked our initiative eight (yes, eight!) years ago. We've come so far since then, and we owe it all to you - thanks for all the love and support!

Happy Easter everyone!