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Help Maree Bring Hope to Kenya's Young Learners

  • Thank you from Igarooj Primary School and myself

      16 October 2025
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    Thank you to each and everyone of you who kindly donated to the school. After some negotiation, preparation, planning, building and transporting during the first three weeks of September, 20 desks and 3 storage cupboards were built for the school. With thanks to support from IVHQ, Carpenter Chris in Nairboi undertook on a tight deadline to build furniture for the school so we could make an impact with your donations for both this generation and generations to come. 60 students now have solid secure desks to sit at and complete their work, as well as being able to lock their exercise books away each evening so they no longer have to carry them to/from school each day. At the beginning of each class, the class prefect would collect the subject text books from “the office” and return to then hand these out for the lesson. This would take up the first 5 minutes of a 35 minute class. With 6-8 classes a day for 9 grades, this equates to 4.5 hours of lost teaching time a day. The books would often be broken as a result of being moved around the school so frequently. Having cupboards in 3 classrooms now means we are giving back 7.5 hours of teaching each week as well as maintaining the quality of the text books. The school community of parents, the Board Chair and Board Members were all present on the day the furniture was delivered. This was an enormous event for everyone and they all pass on their blessings to each of you for your generosity.

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  • Volunteering in Maasai Mara – incredibly rewarding!

      16 October 2025
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    Teaching for one month in rural Kenya has been one of the most rewarding experiences. A public school of 180 students between 4 and 15 years and each student was hungry to learn. A 45 minute walk between “home” and school each day along the dusty and remote trails, was well rewarded to be greeted by smiling, energetic and engaged children. Many wanting to talk, touch my skin, play with my hair or hold my hand. I taught approx. 50 lessons in Grade 4-9 classes of some 20-25 students per class which included English, Maths, PE, Social Studies, Christianity, Agriculture and Music.

    Emmanuel and Alice were my host “parents” and the combination of their Christianity faith and Maasai culture meant that I was well cared for by them and their wider family of four brother’s and their respective families. The 100 acre farm included 6 cows, 130 goats, 8 dogs, hens/roosters and cats with each having a role to play whether to produce or provide security against the hyena’s and leopard who appeared at night.

    The greatest reward was teaching as a volunteer and being embraced with love, care and compassion by Emmanuel and Alice and family. The greatest challenge was having the resilience and tenacity to carry on volunteering when I was met with adversity.

    If you or anyone you know would love to volunteer abroad, I would be more than happy to connect with them to share my experience.

    Thank you again for being part of my village.

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  • Maree Begins Her Journey to Kenya!

      30 August 2025
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    THIS JUST IN!

    Maree has officially started the first leg of her incredible journey to Kenya, and she's taking with her a monumental amount of generosity. Thanks to the support of 45 amazing donors, she has raised a total of $3,050, more than triple her initial goal of $1,000!

    The funds will be going directly to the Igarooj Primary School, where Maree will be volunteering as a teacher for math, science, and English.

    Your support is truly making a tangible difference in the lives of these children. Maree will be staying with a local family in the Olmaroroi Village and is excited to share more of her story with you all upon her return.

    This journey is the fulfillment of a 28-year-old promise for Maree, and thanks to each of you, it's a promise she's now able to keep.

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  • This time tomorrow….. Thank you and farewell!

      29 August 2025
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    ✈️ FINAL CALL! I'm leaving for Kenya in 24 hours! This time tomorrow I depart from Christchurch to start making my way to Nairobi.

    Firstly , THANK YOU to every single person who has donated, shared, or supported this campaign. The original goal was $1,000 and here we are at 3 times that! For those who would love to donate, there's still time until midnight tonight!

    FINAL TOTAL: $3,050 AMAZING DONORS: 45

    My placement is going to be at the Igarooj Primary School and I’m being assigned to teach Math, Science and English. I am staying in the Olmaroroi Village with a family including their 3 children aged 9, 7 and 4 years. The school has identified that their needs are:-

    • Stationery – textbooks, exercise books, pencils, pens, crayons, chalks, sport balls

    • Food for the feeding program

    • Sanitary towels for girls

    • School uniforms

    These children are about to receive something special – and it's all because of your generosity. I look forward to sharing the final chapter of this story when I return.

    A special heartfelt thank you to my tenacious, energizing and very patient colleague Dena Cowen-Willis who has been the (unofficial yet quite incredible) Campaign Manager during the past 6 weeks. We would not have raised this without you Dena. Thank you 😍.

    To everyone who has supported this campaign, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me keep a 28-year-old promise. 🙏❤️

    Donations close: midnight 29 August. Last chance to be part of this mission!

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  • FINAL DAYS! In just 11 days, I'll be boarding the plane to Kenya!

      20 August 2025
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    Not long now! Last chance and thank you to everyone who has donated to the school!

    I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported this mission so far. We're at NZ$2,840 – this will go a long way! Would be wonderful if we could hit the NZ$3,000 mark for the school and school community. For those who haven't donated yet, there's still time! This is your the chance to be part of this incredible journey. If I could welcome 8 individuals to offer $20 each, that’d be amazing.

    This week, I've collected my travel documents and some US$ currency and started to pack my bags. I'm bringing:

    ✓ Courage, compassion and optimism

    ✓ A heart full of hope

    ✓ Your donations (converted to local resources)

    I’ve realised the amount of pacing about the house this week, along with additional walking and cycling as I begin to visualise my adventure ahead.

    Last night I received an email from the volunteer organisation IVHQ, inviting me to join a 2-day Outreach Program when I'm in Kenya. An opportunity to see other volunteer-initiated programs along with doing some outdoor activities with children from the slums. There’s a camp visit for those displaced and impacted as a result of 2007 elections which left many people homeless, followed by a cycle ride through Hell’s Gate national park, before hiking up through the gorge. What a bonus to be invited to this program. Can’t wait.

    Off to do another walk 😉.

    Current total: $2,840 Goal: $3,000

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  • Starting to countdown

      4 August 2025
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    ⏰ Final few weeks! In just 27 days, I'll be boarding the plane to Kenya!

    I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported this mission so far. We're at $2,540 – way past the original goal of $1,000! Thank you to each of you and in particular to my 89 year old Mum who has been so generous.

    This week, I've been rapidly checking off the “list” (you could imagine 😊) which now seems to be looking clearer. The big ones have been:-

    ✅Keeping physically and mentally fit, Africa’s a tough continent to travel through so need both of these

    ✅Vaccinations – all 8 of them

    ✅Flights ticketed

    ✅Special volunteers travel insurance

    ✅Clothes – being respectful in a country where Christianity is the largest religion

    The other big one’s have been final catch-ups with friends before I depart so the reality of this adventure, my personal safety wrapped up in excitement and nervousness, is all starting to get real. Thank you to those who continue to stand beside and behind me, including your willingness to look out for and after my two gorgeous young adults whilst I am away. Takes a village ❤️.

    Current total: $2,540

    Goal: $3,000….. which sits at about a further 23 donations of $20 🙌.

    Please feel free to share this post, would be amazing to provide this to the school!

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  • Why Kenya Called Me Back

      29 July 2025
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    Hard to believe that this time next month I’ll be having my final night in Christchurch before making my way to Kenya. Thank you to everyone who has kindly donated to the school and school community.

    "Why Kenya Called Me Back"

    🌍 STORY TIME: It was 1997 when I stepped foot in East Africa for the second time. I was young, wide-eyed, and completely unprepared for how deeply the experience would mark my heart.

    For those that could afford it, I met children who would walk for miles to reach school, often without breakfast, carrying torn exercise books and stub pencils. Their eyes were full of hope and determination. They knew that education was their ladder to a better life.

    After 3 months of camping and travelling in East Africa, I made a promise to myself that day: I would return as a volunteer, not just a visitor.

    Twenty-eight years later, I'm finally keeping that promise. This time, I'm bringing my TEFL qualification, years of life experience, and hopefully, your support to make a real difference.

    Current total: $1520 Donors so far from 33 donors. Days until departure: 31

    Every donation brings us closer to giving these children the resources they deserve. Thank you💙

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  • Thank you to everyone who has donated!

      23 July 2025

    We've exceeded the $1,000 mark in 4 days so am now opening up the goal as unlimited. This has gone far beyond any expectations - thank you 😊.

    "Small Dollars, Big Impact"

    💡 DID YOU KNOW? The impact of your donation goes further than you might think!

    Here's what your support can provide:

    • NZ$0.34 = One exercise book for a child's entire term

    • NZ$40.00 = A football for 75 children to share during break time

    • from NZ$4.00 = A novel that could inspire dozens of young readers

    • NZ$10.00 = School uniform for a child who's never owned one

    When classes have 50-75 students, every resource gets shared and cherished. Your donation doesn't just help one child – it ripples through entire communities.

    Current total: $1150. Days until departure: 38

    Thank you to my gorgeous children, the wider family, my dear cuzzies, Aunts & Uncles, my valued friends, my supportive colleagues and those individuals who have donated because they believe in the cause. Your generosity is already making a difference! 🙏"

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  • "The Journey Begins"

      20 July 2025
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    "🎉 LAUNCH DAY! In just 24 hours - we're off to an amazing start!

    Thank you to everyone who has already donated!

    This week, I want to share why this mission means so much to me. Growing up in rural Canterbury, I know what it's like when resources are stretched thin. But I also know the power of a community coming together to support its young people.

    In Kenya, I'll be working with children who walk hours to school each day because they believe education is their ticket to a better life.

    Your donation helps provide books, uniforms, sports gear, and sanitation support, some of the essentials that make learning possible and dignified.

    Current total: $345 Goal: $1000

    Every share of this page helps us reach more people who care about education. Please share this with your networks! 📚✨"

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