Maragoli Community Development Foundation

“Expenses environmental projects 2,776 health care 4,434 education 8,864 emergency fund 4,774 total 20,848”

“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: for the third year in a row, a matching grant from cordaid made it possible for the parents of vigina and vigetse primary schools to pursue sustainable agriculture. We asked government officials to provide extension services and training on how to improve soil fertility and productivity, including composting, erosion control, cover crops, and double digging. After harvesting, the parents gave back 10% of their increased yields for the school lunch program and for inputs. Our project coordinator reports, "what has motivated us most is that this project has been an eye opener, for initially people believed and trusted artificial fertilizer more than organic. But now at least 30% do their composting or even buy organic compost and use water and soil conservation measures." in 2014 the parents will take full charge of the project. In 2013 we continued to support projects that harnessed solar energy. The bogo lights remained very popular this year for their ease of use and the reduction of smoke inhalation and kerosene use. The fireless baskets also remained in high demand, as they provide a useful way to keep food warm and safe after it has been cooked. We also continued support for tree- planting, which has led to a resurgence in the presence of indigenous trees in the two villages.”

“Health care: the past year marked a significant milestone in the progress of our rural health clinic. To enable the start-up of services, macodef bought a refrigerator, hooked up electricity, employed a clinical officer, a nurse and a watchman, and supplied medicines for the first six months of operation of the vigetse community health center. Macodef has now handed over the project to a health management committee, and from january 2014, the clinic has been running on funds jointly contributed by the county, the national government, and the maseno clinic.”

“Community resource center: our biggest and most time-consuming project in 2013 was the ongoing work to construct a community resource center in the vigetse area. Backfilling the foundation of the building up to the ground level posed a big challenge to the macodef stakeholder groups. As a result of the quantity of rocks needed and the labor intensive nature of acquiring them, work has progressed at a very slow pace. However, the foundation is now ready for the slab to be laid. The well at the site of the community resource center is producing some water, though the volume is less than we anticipated initially. The technicians who worked on the project are planning to do some readjustments on the fixtures for the optimum benefit to be achieved. We also implemented training of community members in tendering and procurement, first aid and safety measures, and disaster response.”

“Education: in 2013, we continued educational scholarships through the joshua and salome bunyoli fund. More than 30 orphans and vulmerable students at vigina secondary school received funds for school fees payments and uniforms, while three dozen vigetse and vigina primary school received school uniforms. The uniforms are made by a local tailor. For the third year in a row, a "pad fund" supported by patti moll provided sanitary napkins to girls of vigina primary, vigetse primary and vigina secondary schools. The sanitary napkins enable 419 girls to learn comfortably and improved school attendance as well as the health of the girls. Students at both primary schools continued to benefit from a school lunch program that is an offshoot of our sustainable agriculture project. The lunch program will be entirely sustained by parents by 2014. In an exchange facilitated by a macodef trustee, christine kiphart and the students of westridge elementary school in pasadena, ca conducted a pen pal exchange and raised a significant sum of money to support educational programming and sports/game equipment for vigetse primary school. Emergency fund: in 2013, the local board of govenors continued to identify individuals who had fallen through the social safety net and needed immediate assistance. The board used the wooster rotary club's alternative christmas drive to identify vulnerable individuals who could benefit rainwater harvest systems, wheelborrows and hoes, micro-loans for cows and goats, and school uniforms. In addition, the board gave out small grants in emergency situations.”