Making a connection with my Alma Mater, University of San Diego has been priceless for Daraja Academy’s development. USD’s School of Leadership and Educational Studies named Daraja Academy 2008 partner of the year, Dean Cordiero has directed several book drives which raised both funds and awareness for our cause. Our girls were fortunate to spend much of this summer learning about confidence, individuality and Drama skills from USD under grad Carr Cavender. Plans that will allow USD graduate students study abroad at the campus are currently worked out… and last summer, USD Professor of Education Nancy Hanssen visited us.
I hate being away from campus when we have guests. Seeing the campus through their eyes is both thrilling and motivating. Unfortunately, due to extra costs associated with start-up, I was fund raising in the states when “Nancy and Sue” (her friend and fellow educator) visited Daraja Academy.
After returning to Daraja, I heard so many stories about “Sue-and-Nancy”, “Nancy-and-Sue” from the teachers and students that today I think back on their visit like I was here with them. The professional development work that they did with Daraja’s teachers was as valuable as the real friendships they made with the students.
Everything could have stopped their impact would have been great, but Daraja is contagious and Nancy Hanssen clearly caught the bug and has passed it on to at least two of her friends, Karen Collins and Fred Essig, who have yet to visit the school but are working to help it none the less. Several Rotary Clubs in the San Diego area understand need and have volunteered their help, members of Nancy’s husband Jack’s Naval Academy classmates in an afternoon contributed $500
Please read Nancy’s words below and know that nothing is exaggerated. Water is so important to the success of Daraja Academy’s. It affects every part of the school: the meals, the hygiene, the physical campus and the student’s health. A constant source of water would allow us to grow more of our own food – teaching the girls environmentally friendly techniques while GREATLY reducing our weekly food bills.
Once again, it isn’t nice to think of the devastating effect that drought has on a region like ours, but as I’ve said many times, our struggles a real and we a small window into what much of the world is experiencing. With your help we can make a difference.
The Need for Water at Daraja Academy
Nancy Hanssen
Prior to spending two weeks working with the teachers and young women of Daraja, I thought nothing of letting gallons of water spin down the drain while waiting for hot water for my shower. A thirst for water is easily quenched but not if it has to be pumped from a borehole and boiled.
I brought only a few bottles of water with me to Daraja and little did I know that I would use that water not only for drinking but to bathe. The water that flows into the pipes on campus is a trickle of dirty water for a shower. In my small hut I had a flushing toilet and with guilt, in the evenings, I saw the glow from flashlights as the girls made their way to the latrines that were dug to conserve water.
Daraja relies on water from the Ewaso Nanyuki River, rain and run-off. Daraja is a victim of drought, water siphoned off up-stream, and disease.
The need for an education is a dream for these girls. The need for water is a necessity to sustain their dreams.
The major determinate for the expansion of the Daraja Academy is having access to and availability of fresh water. A team of project managers and civil engineers are actively involved in and are donating their time and travel to the process of finding more water for Daraja. The team’s preliminary calculations estimate $25,000 to $30,000 is needed to find a sustainable source of fresh water for Daraja. Your donation will go to the direct costs of this project (permits, licenses, materials and local labor).
Please join our team.
There isn’t much more to say than that, except that Nancy’ team deserves your assistance! The great part is… anybody can get involved. People have helped Daraja in SO MANY WAYS: organizing a goods drive, a remarkable middle school girl in Northern California raised over $2,000 selling baked goods and informing about the cause, another group of driven students at Hogan High raised as much simply by leading a coin drive in the classrooms of the school. Offices have pooled funds to help the girls of Daraja, families have done the same and of course individual’s contributions are always appreciated.
If I have learned one thing since starting Daraja Academy it is that things like this CAN be accomplished. If enough people believe that these deserving young ladies deserve healthy, clean water, then it will happen.
Thank you for caring,
Jason Doherty
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