Lift the Lid’s Classroom Fundraiser in Westport last December was a huge success! You supported the development of Keneni Stars Academy primary school in rural Bomet County, Kenya, helping us educate our students through middle school and serve more students, increasing our enrollment from 240 to 400. THANK YOU!!!

Check out these exciting photos showing the progress you made possible and the children celebrating. Also, a few students showed their gratitude by sharing what they love about their new space to learn and grow. We can’t say THANK YOU enough!!!

THE CONCERN: Before constructing Keneni’s three-story, ten-classroom building, 240 students had to find a lower-quality, farther-away primary school for 7th to 9th grade, then change schools again for high school, without the structure and solid grades needed for admission to a high-ranking school. As a result, earning a scholarship to a good university becomes much harder, if not impossible.

NOW: Thanks to your generous support, Keneni is in the final stages of construction and has received a Certificate of Compliance from the National Construction Authority. Next, we must show the Ministry of Education that we are fully equipped to teach our children through middle school (9th grade). Honorable Patrick Maritim, the County Executive Committee Member for Education, Youth, and Vocational Training in Bomet County, attended our 5th Annual Writing Competition Ceremony in July to experience Keneni’s dynamic learning environment. We feel confident about moving forward!

TO RECAP: Our goal was to raise $65,000 to complete construction for the upcoming school year. We raised $45,678 during our December fundraiser and $19,598 between 2022 and 2025. We’re so excited about how far we’ve come and are stepping into phase two with a goal of raising $15,000 to furnish classrooms, fill the library with books, and stock the science and computer labs with the equipment and technology our students need to compete with the rest of the world.

Thank you for helping us reach this milestone and for directly impacting the students’ education and future!

If you know someone interested in donating to or volunteering with Lift the Lid, please contact me at saragoff@saragoff.com. There’s still time to be part of Keneni’s Classroom Construction Project by furnishing a classroom and, if you’d like, having your name on a plaque in the room.

*Keneni Stars is a joyful, loving school that opened its doors to kindergarten and primary children in 2017 with Joash and Phyllis Bii at the helm. When Lift the Lid started in 2010, we supported Joash in attending university. He went on to earn his PhD and gave back to his community by opening Keneni Stars Academy! This is how the ripple effect of our work continues, going far beyond what we can tally. Thank you!!!!

100% of all donations go to our schools and students. We show highly motivated, disadvantaged kids that we believe in them and help them achieve their educational goals. You’ll find secure options for making a tax-deductible donation here, and we’ll send you a student’s essay. Thank you!

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