![]()
Hujambo (Hello)!
My name is Michael DeHart, and I've had the immense pleasure and satisfaction of working with Baobab Family International for about 10 years now(http://www.baobabfamily.org/index.php?id=1&L=1), in a strictly voluntary role as Baobab's US National Coordinator. We're a small non-profit/NGO operating in Kenya, and our primary purpose is transforming the lives of children from difficult backgrounds, often due to the death of one or more parents, into lives filled with hope, love, and the resources to become productive, empowered adults.
Baobab Family International operates a Children's Home near Mombasa, Kenya, where our beneficiary children live and where we provide additional services such as job skills training programs for impoverished mothers, HIV education, and a small microfinance program. Baobab Family International was founded by Andreas Triebel, a German man who married a Kenyan woman after living in Kenya for several years. We have a very dedicated volunteer pool in Germany, Kenya, and the US. We may be small, but we’re a proven commodity – we’ve been operating for over a decade continually and have seen our beneficiary children go from living on the streets to becoming top of their class students in many cases. Education in Kenya, even at good schools, typically means overcrowded classrooms and not nearly enough one-on-one time with students. We’re committed to overcoming this educational hurdle and giving our kids every chance in life.
- We already send our kids to school and provide after-school counseling and tutoring. We are expanding our educational services by creating an on-site Children's Educational Center.
- Your generous contribution will help guarantee that our children will break the cycle of poverty once they leave Baobab Family and reintegrate into Kenyan society.
- You’ll also help spark intellectual curiosity and creativity that comes with having access to quality educational materials on hand.
- And, you can select from one of our several excellent African perks as a way to thank you for your contribution!
What We Need
We already have a large, 300 sq ft. community room ready and waiting! Now it’s up to us to fill it with textbooks, reading books, art supplies, maps, chalkboards, computers, bookshelves, and desks. We’ll also hire a Children’s Educational Officer to assist the children in their studies. We’ll also hire a carpenter in the short terms to build bookshelves, desks, group study tables, etc. We need $7,500 to ensure our project’s success. If we receive more than our goal, we’ll use the funds to begin the creation of a 2nd Children’s Educational Center at our soon-to-open second location in Kenya.
The Impact
Creating healthy, productive members of society breaks the cycle of poverty that millions of Africans are forced into. Your dollars go very far in Kenya. What we’re creating in Kenya for $7,500 would cost much more than 10 times that amount in the United States. Our Children’s Educational Center will be used by Kenyan youth from 4 to 18 years old, on a year-round basis. You will be directly increasing the success rate of our students and providing a helping hand for our students who need a bit more hand-holding and confidence building.
Our Accomplishments to Date
While we are a small nonprofit, this also allows us to be nimble and extremely cost-effective. Typically less than 10% of our yearly budget goes towards administrative and staff costs. Here are some of our key accomplishments:
- Continually operating our first Children’s Home in Mikindani, Kenya (near Mombasa, in Eastern Kenya) for over 10 years
- Received donation of large plot of land near Kisumu, Kenya (Western Kenya) allowing us to begin the creation of a second and larger Children’s Home
- Received substantial financial donation from the Porsche family (yup, just like the car) as well as architectural renderings from Porsche-retained architects for the buildings at our second, soon-to-open facility
- Creation of an ongoing job skills program for impoverished mothers
- Food distribution in association with the American Red Cross
- HIV and health outreach information in the local communities in which we operate, reaching thousands
Our Thanks to You
As a way of saying thanks, we’d like to invite you to select one of our many Kenyan-themed perks! Choose from postcards and calendars, jewelry, clothing, or handmade Kenyan art. Postcards and calendars can be delivered to you before Christmas, jewelry, clothing, and Kenyan art I’ll personally select for you on my visit to Kenya this December and will send to you in January. Of course you can still donate any amount without receiving one of our thank you perks if you'd prefer.
Other Ways You Can Help
Baobab Family is always looking for caring individuals to act as long distance godparents and sponsor one of our children on an ongoing basis. Please contact Michael DeHart directly at msdehart70@gmail.com or visit our godparent’s sign up page at: http://www.baobabfamily.org/Pate-Engl.404.0.htm...
Additionally, SHARE OUR CAMPAIGN! :)
Accountability
I’m making myself directly available to anyone who wants to reach me. Send me an email at the above address and I’ll send you my phone number and set up a time for us to talk personally. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the wonderful work we’re doing at Baobab with anyone!
