Maragoli Community Development Foundation

“Expenses environmental projects 6,178 education 11,305 community resource ctr 18,032 emergency fund 1,420 total 36,935”

“The primary mission of the maragoli community development foundation is to assist the maragoli people of western kenya in improving their quality of life through the funding of sustainable development projects that they themselves conceive and implement. Funded projects focus on improving access to quality education and health care, the protection of the environment, the improvement of agricultural productivity, the support of local enterprises, and other endeavors that will benefit the daily lives of community members.”

“Environmental projects: because of the keen interest in solar energy in the village, our project coordinator, joyce adisa bunyoli, attended a week-long conference on solar energy and came back with many new ideas for encouraging solar use. We purchased a parabolic reflector for the community center, and through the wooster rotary club alternative christmas campaign, we distributed solar lamps to the elderly and to the poor. The growing use of solar lighting has lessened dependence on electricity, which is now available in the village but tends to be too expensive for many households. The popularity of rainwater harvest systems provide a reliable alternative to community springs, which sometimes dry up during the dry season. Through the tireless efforts of trustee wade powell, two kenyon college students received davis peace fellowships to support the construction of a water tank that is now serving the entire student body at ideleri secondary school. School staff and macodef officials expertly shepherded this project from start to finish. In addition, because of the considerable expense of drilling a borehole, we have installed a rainwater harvest system at the community resource center in order to offset some of the water needs of staff and visitors.”

“Education: orphans and students from extremely poor backgrounds received school fees and uniforms through the joshua and salome bunyoli scholarship fund. Once again these scholarships were generously supported by marilyn mcconnell, lemoine peart, bob and kathy gorman, and other donors. More than three dozen students received uniforms and/or scholarships in 2015. Patti moll continued to supply school materials to pupils of vigina and vigetse primary schools. The cumulative effects of these efforts are showing up in attendance and performance rates. We continued our collaboration with the non-profit, days for girls, which has enabled the entire female population of upper primary and secondary school students in the area to have washable sanitary pads throughout the year, all of them sewn by local tailors. New pupils entering the three local schools in january have received kits as well. Thanks to patti and john molls generous gifts, we have now completed the transition to reusable sanitary pads for more than 600 girls, and the reviews continue to be very positive. This year we supported a youth polytechnic institute for vocational training that opened at vigetse primary school. The institute has attracted more than two dozen students, and we provided used computers and other ict (information communication technology) equipment for the class. The technical skills gained by students who are unable to afford secondary schools will improve their employment prospects.”

“Community resource center: plans for a community resource center began almost seven years ago with the purchase of land and the drawing up of plans for a site that would house the macodef office and provide a central location from which to coordinate all of our projects. A local harambee (fund-raiser) raised more than 1000, and the opening ceremony for the new building was held in november of 2015. Along the way, donor gifts and grants from the noble foundation in the u.s. And from the wilde ganzen foundation in the netherlands helped purchase steel bars, cement, roofing, and other essentials, while local stakeholder groups, with periodic help from international visitors, crushed rocks for the foundation and donated bricks and other materials for the construction. The opening of the center not only provides a permanent home for the macodef staff and local board of governors, it also marks a real milestone in our efforts to serve the community. Two former volunteers who visited again last year, put it this way: what surprised us most is how nice the resource center looks by now having a central macodef office makes the organization way more clear and tangible. People come to the compound all the time to have stuff typed out or copied or to do volunteer work in the garden. Community members have many creative ideas for ways to use the resource center in the future, including growing mushrooms, raising goats, teaching adult education classes, hosting international visitors, and more.”

“Entrepreneurship: in line with the priorities of kenyas new public benefit organizations act, macodef inaugurated income-generating activities with an eye towards gradually moving from reliance on outside funding to local sustainability. Though we have always encouraged and funded stakeholder groups to engage in entrepreneurship, this marks the first time that the local board itself has undertaken such activities. These efforts have already benefited from the presence of the resource center, which has, for example, become a go-to site for ict services in the community. In addition, tents, chairs, dishes and utensils were purchased and are now being rented out for funerals, weddings, and other occasions. The center boasts a nice garden and board members are looking to find new markets for the produce. A small chicken coop has been built, and discussion is under way about opening a library. Emergency fund: in 2015, the local board of governors provided a social safety net for a number of individuals who needed emergency grants for health care or housing. For example, daglas ombima and joseph ladema received money for jigger treatment, diana got funds for a leg operation, and gunga received a small grant for a new house. Our efforts to combat income inequality and to empower the poorest members of the community continue to be central to our mission. Our attempts to narrow the inequality gap are paying off. As our project coordinator joyce adisa bunyoli writes, reports from the community show that especially the poor appreciate the work macodef is doing, for to some extent it has lessened the gap between the poor and the rich. Those who were not able to pay school fees now are in school. Those who finished school are employed and have lifted living standards in their families. Women who did not own anything now through the assistance of macodef have something like a goat, a cow, some hens or a business and are very proud.”