The Maji Mazuri Education Center Project
This was a joint effort of The Rotary Club of Dayton Ohio USA and The Rotary Club of Muthaiga (Nairobi)Kenya with the primary goal of Rescuing AIDS Orphans from the worst and most dangerous slum in Africa – Mathare Valley (Nairobi, Kenya). This was a Rotary International (RI) and Rotary Distruct 6670 matching grant project. Phase One (MG 64471)is completed and we are well into execution of Phase 2A (MG 69905) and have started fforts under Phase 2B (MG 70349). Several of the elements, such as the Clinic (groundbreaking was May 1, 2010) and Farm Industry Building construction have already been completed. Construction of the clinic is complete and equipage is beginning. (Groundbreaking was May 1, 2010 – see progress photos in the Feb 14, 2011 update posted in left column). The Phase 2 Adoption Posting (As Of February 14, 2011) reflects opportunities for clubs and individuals to sponsor part of the project while getting matching RI/TRF Funding for non-construction elements. Major support for the school construction came from Tipp City Rotary and Dayton Rotarians Tom Laufersweiler and Tom Becker. Please consider helping us meet this challenge. A project update with photographs as of February 2011 is posted in hyper-links on the left side of this page. The children at the site all created drawings thanking Rotarians for helping build their new school – a sample of those drawings is at the hyperlink to the left of this page.
During the May 29, 2011 Site Visit and dedication of the Clinic, School, Bio-Gas Plant and Greenhouses, the children performed a poem thanking Rotarians for what we have done. “Thank You Rotarians – You Are Taking Us to Caanan.” The video is available at youtube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioO0hZruQmU
The Mathare Valley slum is 500,000 people existing in a one square mile area with minimum access to water, with open ditches for sewers, and surrounded by rotting garbage and waste. The slum has a 70% HIV/AIDS rate and estimates are that half the residents are children, many orphaned by AIDS infected parents.
