How You Can Help

From 2004 to 2007, Jambo Jipya expanded from being one mud hut to being six mud hut classrooms.

From February 2007 to February 2008, Jambo Jipya expanded from being six mud hut classrooms to being nine cement classrooms, a cement kitchen, a cement dormitory room, as well as a cement office. The population of students grew from 85 to 185 during that year and 45 students live at Jambo Jipya ( 24 hours a day 7 days a week) as of February 2008. The teaching staff has grown from 4 to 10, and the cooking/cleaning/building staff has grown from 1 to 7, during that year.

In October 2007, after 5 months of fundraising within the United States, $40,000 USD was transferred to Jambo Jipya School. A portion of this money went towards paying the school's monthly costs for October through April ($2,500 per month --- $17,500 for those 7 months), while the remainder of it went towards the construction of three new classrooms, a large kitchen, an entry space (where the male students sleep at night), two new toilets, two shower rooms; and the costs of a 2,500 litre water tank, ceiling fans to increase circulation in each classroom, as well as chairs and desks for the increased number of students.

Jambo Jipya's growth has been measurable but there is so much farther to go. The 185+ students have outgrown the small plot of land (70 feet by 70 feet - which includes all the classroom, kitchen, office, living, and outdoor play spaces) and Christine Mwende's (the school's founder) goal, that she would like to see accomplished before the end of 2008, is to purchase a much larger plot of land.   Her dream is to build a large cement primary and secondary school (Kindergarten through 12th grade) with plenty of classrooms (including space for music and art classes, and eventually spaces for them to learn trades like sewing, building, and farming that the students will be able to use in order to earn their own money) and field space for the children to run and play.   She would like them to be able to live happily and healthily at the school (where they can receive three meals a day as well as proper sleeping and washing facilities), so a dormitory building is also part of her dream.   In order to achieve these goals however, funding is needed. That's where you come in.

100% of your donation will go directly to helping the children of Jambo Jipya School. The money will go toward helping to pay for the school's monthly expenses (food, salaries, rent on the land, building upkeep, books, school supplies, school uniforms, clothes and various other living items for the students who live at school, etc), as well as purchasing the land and eventually building the new school/living facilities.

Any amount, large or small, will make a difference in the lives of these children. They have nearly nothing but they do have hope in their hearts and smiles on their faces. Help this hope and these smiles continue to grow and multiply by donating today.

 

Donating in Honor of a Loved One

There are many special days that we celebrate each year (birthdays, mother's day, father's day, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc – just to name a few).   It is tradition to provide gifts on these days.   Material gifts often end up gathering dust and become forgotten.   Donating to an organization in honor of your loved one can be just as meaningful, if not moreso.   What better way to celebrate a special day than to honor your loved one with a donation to the children of Jambo Jipya School?  Check out the sample letter below to get an idea of what will be sent to the person you are honoring, and then contact Keela Dates (keela@reason2smile.org) for more information on how to do this.

Child's Name: Mwanaisha
Sponsorship Gift Recipient: Jeff
Donor: Cindy

Sample letter:

Front (with picture of Mwanaisha): Mwanaisha has been sponsored in honor of Jeff.
 
Inside:
Dear Jeff,
Because of Cindy and people like her, I woke up this morning surrounded by my "brothers and sisters" at Jambo Jipya School. I enjoyed three hot meals and a day full of classes where I learned things that will help me in the future. I was able to play football (soccer), jump-rope, dance and sing with some of my closest friends. I was able to be a kid.
Thank you for being an important person in Cindy's life so that she felt she could honor you by helping me. Thank you for giving me a reason to continue smiling!
Smiles,
Mwanaisha*

*written with thanks by Keela Dates and 'Reason 2 Smile'

 

 

Bracelet Info

By purchasing a bracelet for two dollars (or more) you are giving the children of Jambo Jipya School in Mtwapa, Kenya, (and yourself), a reason to smile. 100% of your donation goes to the improvement of the children's living and learning conditions.  

These bracelets can be purchased during events that are listed on the "Events" page or found on store counters in Saranac Lake, NY at Greens and Beans and Adirondack Lakes and Trails and in Lake Placid, NY at:

Adirondack Computers and Technologies
Al's Kitchenware Store
Ben and Jerry's
Bluesberry Bakery
Body and Sole
Bookstore Plus
Coffee Bean
Darrah Cooper Jewelers
Fallen Arch
Far Mors Kids
High Peaks Cyclery
Just Bead It
Lake Placid Christmas Co.
Lake Placid Library
Life is Good
New Leaf
Newstand
Pratt Insurance Agency
Ruthie's Run
Soulshine Bagel
True Vision Concepts

 

Or you can contact Keela (keela@reason2smile.org) and get them shipped right to your door.

The bracelet is a symbol of community. It communicates that we are all connected to each other in one way or another. By helping one person, you are starting a cycle that will certainly make its way back to you.

 

Sponsoring a Child

Most sponsorship programs require you to send money to help support the individual once a month or at least a couple times each year, but this program is a one time commitment.    With this sponsorship comes a picture and short biography of the child along with two bracelets (one that goes to you and one that goes to the child you sponsored – they act as a symbol of your connectedness).   The money you send will go to the school to use in the ways it deems necessary in order to better that child's living and learning conditions. At this time, 100% of the sponsorship money will go towards helping to pay for the school's monthly expenses, purchasing a large piece of land, and building a better school so the children can live and learn in a healthy and safe environment. In this sense, the Reason 2 Smile child sponsorship program allows you, as a donor, to put a face with your donation. It gives you a child to pray for, think about, and perhaps even correspond with through letters.

 
Your donation can be any amount, but this is a layout of the school's costs (including food costs, teacher's and staff member's salaries, clothing, school supplies, general living supplies, medication, etc):

Total School Cost per Month: $2,500.00 USD

School Cost Per Student per Month (Based on 200 students): $12.50 USD

School Cost Per Student Per Year (Based on 200 Students): $150.00 uSD

 

Two ways to sponsor a child:

-Attend a presentation and see the children's bios and pictures firsthand

-Email us (keela@reason2smile.org) with age and sex preference and we will mail the biography, picture, and bracelet to you

 

Examples of what your donation is worth:

 

How to make a donation

Reason 2 Smile is now officially affiliated with an already existing non-profit organization. The Adirondack Community Church, located in Lake Placid, NY, has agreed to host Reason 2 Smile for a year or two until it becomes a stand alone non-profit organization. Therefore, please make checks payable to "Adirondack Community Church" and write "Jambo Jipya School" on the memo line. Please mail checks to:

Adirondack Community Church
PO Box 511
Lake Placid, NY 12946

 

You can also  donate online . Follow the instructions provided and place the amount you would like to donate in the section for "Jambo Jipya School."


Thanks for your support. Every little bit helps!   Thank you for giving the children of Jambo Jipya a reason to continue smiling!   They appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine.