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24OctoberSt.Maurus Special School was established in 1989 as a not-for-profit institution that works closely with the Kenya Institute of Special Education in Kasarani, to identify genuine cases in need of attention. The school offers a holistic and inclusive education program to children with special needs or other special condition that requires assistance, focusing on the mentally and physically challenged; those with cerebral palsy; and deaf, hearing-impaired, and blind children.
In addition to their academic programmes, the school has a physiotherapy centre with no less than 30 of the 35 regular school-going pupils currently served by the centre and growth projections of 40 cases per day in the near future. Beneficiaries of St. Maurus reside within the immediate informal settlements around the school -including Mathare, Madoya,Ngei, Huruma, Jangwani, Riverside, Babadogo, Korokocho, Ngomongo, and other neighbouring catchment areas.
The vital funds were committed directly to the physiotherapy centre, which afforded the purchase of necessary equipment and urgent renovations. Lotto Foundation gave a grant of Ksh 3,848,480.
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24OctoberUnder the supervision of the Kenyan Forestry Service, Lotto Foundation partnered with over 300 children from various children’s homes in order to plant 2,400 tree seedlings at Ngong Forest, Kajiado County. Participants hailed from Shadow Mountain Children’s Home in Baba Dogo, Goshen Children’s Home in Githurai, Estelle Children’s Home in Kayole, and Racecourse Primary.
Trees and forests are closely linked with weather patterns and the maintenance of a crucial balance in nature. Deforestation is steadily increasing in Kenya with our forest cover currently at just 5%, or half the recommended 10% of total land mass required for optimum coverage. The deforestation process also has a devastating effect on water catchment areas resulting in soil that has negligible value for agricultural production.
Our commitment to the environment is in keeping with our mandate for community development and heritage protection, while the project also educated children on environmental concerns and fostered closer ties among this large and diverse group of children from various backgrounds. Mr. Peter Ngeno, Chief Operating Officer, emphasized that it is extremely important for all of us to not only take a keen interest in environmental protection, but to take action.
In addition to the project above, Lotto Foundation commissioned water tanks for different schools in Nairobi to help deal with the perennial water shortages affecting the city. The Foundation gave a grant of Ksh 1,056,500 to 12 Days KE.
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24OctoberWith the aim of enhancing the learning environment for pupils in five primary schools in Homa Bay County, this exciting project employs the community participatory process to identify and prioritize the schools’ infrastructural development needs.
Locally available materials are used in construction with contributions from the beneficiary communities, while training is available for key employees and volunteers in construction and maintenance with quality and sustainability guaranteed by the involvement of the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Health.
The project stimulates the respective communities to mobilize additional resources to further improve their education infrastructure. Lotto Foundation gave a grant of Ksh 2,000,000.
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24OctoberBIG SISTER PROJECT
The Leadership Development Consortium (LDC) provides specialized research, capacity building and best practice training in human rights and diversity for schools, groups and institutions. LDC’s goal is to provide institutional training and human resource development, while reducing the number of sexual crimes in schools.
The Big Sister Project is a mentoring, training, and career guidance initiative for girls in secondary schools, in association with women leaders at constituency level and women’s groups in the rural setting. Targeting 28 schools across Kenya, it is aimed at raising awareness and encouraging career development in relation to the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act.
The project will endeavor to ensure girls are aware of the various different forms of sexual violence and the associated criminal reporting procedures. The overriding goal is to reduce the overall level of sexual violence in Kenyan society. One-day seminars areheld in secondary schools for students and teachers, disseminating information on sexual violence and how to control and reduce it.
Personal hygiene is also covered, including education on and distribution of sanitary towels to the girls. This is designed to ensure that girls are not absent from school due to the unavailability of sanitary pads. The project’s future was secured by Lotto Foundation’s grant of Ksh 3.8 million.
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24OctoberUpendo Children’s Education and Rehabilitation Centre in Huruma, Starehe Constituency, is a community-based children’s project that was established in 2001 with the aim of providing community-centered solutions to the numerous social and economic problems facing members of the communities within the slums of Kiamaiko, Kambi Moto, and Madova. The centre is recognized by the Ministry of Education and the Complementary Schools Association of Kenya(CSAK) and follows the Guidelines for Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET Guidelines).
According to research conducted by local NGOs, major contributing factors to absenteeism and withdrawal from education by pupils in the region included insufficient dietary needs, prohibitive school fees, lack of uniforms, and limited learning materials. These challenges directly affect enrollment, attendance, and retention rates for affected children, thus encouraging engagement in vices and anti-social behavior. Currently, the centre caters for a total of 132 children, including 63 girls and 69 boys.
Lotto Foundation, in keeping with the centre’s motto ‘working for a better tomorrow’, has assisted the centre in the acquisitionof suitable tables and chairs for children between the ages of 3 and 6 as the current benches do notprovide adequate back support and can lead to injury and interruption of classes. In addition, the Foundation provided learning materials for both pupils and teachers and provided support for the Centre’s feeding programme. The Foundation gave a grant of Ksh 982,950 to the centre.
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24OctoberLotto Foundation has visited Likuyani Special Needs School, which borders the Rift Valley and Western Province, where the children were thrilled to receive warm bedding as the cold season was approaching. Lotto Foundation chairman Mr. Brian Waluchio was accompanied during the presentation by representatives from the office of the Deputy President’s wife. The Foundation gave a grant of Ksh 543,550 for these constructions and renovations.
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24OctoberThe toilet facilities at Dr Nganga Primary School, until recently, fell far below the standards that any Kenyan parent would expect for their children. In response, Lotto Foundation built a new block of toilet facilities for the school, a much-needed overhaul. The construction spanned the months of March and April 2016 and was officially opened on May 12th by Mr Brian Waluchio, chairman of Lotto Foundation, with representatives of the office of the Deputy President in attendance.
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24OctoberPersistent poverty, coupled with a prevalence of HIV/Aids in the region, have rendered even the healthiest of children in Rachuonyo Sub-County with limited or no access to quality education. For children with disabilities in the region, this dreadful scenario is exacerbated by the fact that they are unable to traverse the often prohibitively long distances to and from the few existing schools within the region.
Based on this understanding, Lotto Foundation funded the renovation and construction of twin dormitories that improve access to rehabilitation centres and education and also reduce the stigma that disabled children can face among their peers when studying from home.
The project aims to maximize study time for these vulnerable members of society given that they can reside within the school premises and are saved the burden of the arduous and challenging journeys to and from school. Since the announcement of the renovation and construction of the dormitories, enrollment by disabled children is rapidly increasing. The Foundation granted Ksh 4,500,000 to the centre.
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24OctoberRecently, Lotto Foundation funded the construction of a modern kitchen and multi-purpose hall for Magereza Academy, a public boys’ boarding school in Naivasha. With a growing population of over 400 students and teachers, the Foundation identified the need for these new rooms and responded accordingly.
The key beneficiaries include the students and staff of the Academy, the children of employees of the Kenya Prisons Service, and the wider Naivasha community as a whole. The school improves access to affordable education while also encouraging better hygiene standards with a corresponding positive impact on health.
Their motto is “Soaring Higher and Higher”, and the school is now doing just that with assistance from Lotto Foundation. The Foundation granted Magereza Academy Ksh 3,500,000.
