Sponsor My Future – Tough Mudder Fundraiser

Supporting the education and livelihoods of vulnerable children in Kenya

Sponsor My Future Community January 19, 2023 at 12:55 pm
  • Description
  • FAQ
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Project Description

Sponsor My Future is a Non-Profit Organization which helps a community of children living in the slums of Ruiru, Kenya. The programme supports the education and livelihood of children coming from underprivileged backgrounds, with the primary aim to give them an education which will allow them to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Through the programme donors are directly able to provide a child with valuable opportunities for growth and development, enabling them to reach their full potential both at home and at school.

The staff of Arctech Innovation, a Centre of excellence for entomological research (arctechinnovation.com), will be running the 10Km Tough Mudder obstacle course in April in order to raise funds for this initiative.

Please see FAQ for more information on Sponsor My Future and how funds raised will be spent.

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Project FAQ

Where is the project based?

The project is based in Ruiru, Kenya which is approximately 25km away from the capital city of Nairobi. It is a densely populated and semi-industrial area, with people coming from other parts of the country in search of job opportunities. Most people live in single rented rooms with their families, often in substandard conditions due to poor maintenance, lack of electricity, water, and drainage systems. This leads to a highly unhygienic and polluted environment leaving the population vulnerable to several diseases and violence which can lead to deaths, and parentless children.

What exactly are donations used for?

The Kenyan government provides some assistance towards child education, however, this is not enough for most families. To attend school, families must provide their children with uniform, bags, books, shoes, stationary as well as tuition and exam fees. Unfortunately, for most living in Ruiru this is not possible as many parents/guardians are casual labourers and often find themselves without a job and sometimes even without food. This results in children dropping out of school and taking to the streets in search of money, food, and something to do.

How are sponsorship funds spent?

  • School Tuition and Public Exam Fees - The programme ensures that children are not only able to attend school but complete official exams all the way through primary and secondary school and where necessary vocational training and university.
  • Overcoming Barriers to Learning - We do whatever we can to ensure that our children can attend and fully benefit from being at school by providing uniform, shoes, books, school bags, stationary, hygiene essentials and decent nutrition through a daily meal.
  • Supporting Caregivers - We ensure that all children enrolled on the sponsorship programme live with an approved guardian. This can be the child’s birthparent/s, grandparents, an aunt, older siblings or even a kind neighbour. Caregivers from this community often struggle to make a living and we support them with practical things like food and medical supplies where necessary as well as job seeking assistance and food-aid packages once a month.

Additional activities

Any surpluses of funds generated by the project are used to support a wider group of individuals within the community. This includes distribution of food packages and medicine to single mothers and the elderly as well as a feeding programme which caters to all our primary school children and some 30 street children every day.