We are working with the community in Longonot to rebuild the pre-primary school in the area.  The school's current building is wholly inadequate--insecure, unsafe, too small, leaky, etc.  The building also restricts the teachers' ability to keep supplies and adequate desks and chairs as break-ins have been a problem.  Overall, it does not create a good learning environment for the children despite the teachers best efforts.  We will build a new, improved building as the first step towards improving and expanding education opportunities for children in the area.  We aim to create a better learning environment with a secure, permanent building which will accommodate (and attract) more students.  We are proud to say construction will begin in February 2012.

We are partnered with the Faraja Children's Home in Ngong, Kenya.  The orphanage is a fantastic institution helping vulnerable children.  LEI has helped the orphanage with building improvements and security (a major problem).  We will also be beginning programs to support the children's education and overall well-being as well as promote the long term sustainability of the orphanage.  LEI's support for the Faraja Orphanage has made the news and gone viral on Reddit.com, Twitter, and blogs.  Check out the story at the Huffington Post, the Daily Dot, and ZDNet.  Visit our Faraja Children's Home page or Faraja Blog for more information and updates.

This program began in September, 2011.  For approximately $250 dollars a month, all the students receive one meal a day consisting of rice, beans, or other vegetables.  Prior to the start of this program, students did not receive any food during the school day, and many students were not getting adequate nutrition and sustenance.  Improving the student's nutrition will improve their ability to learn and their overall health and well-being as an unhealthy, hungry student will struggle to be a successful student.

Upon completion of the new school, we would like to help the entire community of Longonot by providing a clean source of water, something they currently lack.  Due to the volcanic activity of Mt. Longonot, clean, drinkable ground and aquifer water is difficult to obtain.  In addition to this, the community borehole is broken.  The residents of Longonot are forced to buy water from passing water trucks at high cost.  Our goal is find a sustainable solution which will provide the community and children with safe drinking water.

Studies have shown that deworming children leads to better health, improved cognitive development, and higher school attendance. Treatment for one student costs less than $1 and is effective for one year. So far, our organization has funded the treatment of all current students at Longonot ECD Pre-Primary School.