Our guest today was Stephanie Maticelli, from Humans for Education!
In attendance: Denise, Steve, Sharon, Bill, Ken, Tony, Braden, Ben, Mike, Moe, Omer, Peggy, Lisa, Alex
Ben reported on membership.
Guest Stephanie Maticelli from Humans for Education
Stephanie came to speak as the US Program director of HFE. Their focus is to provide sustainable education via economic development. 250 million people worldwide can not read. Their model uses available land near private schools to develop a sustainable business like cattle farming. The profits support education, health and sanitation, and scholarships. Clean water and hand washing stations greatly decrease the incidences of disease. The school we saw used 42 acres of unused land to raise 25 coxs to a mature healthy slaughter age. The profits were then used to add electricity, a water tank, more classrooms and establish a savings account. The ability to provide scholarship funding helps diminish the incidences of child marriages as education is possible when paid for. When COVID hit, the plans shifted from education (as no remote learning is possible with no internet or electricity in homes) to food programs. Within days people were in starvation mode. School is slated to reopen if possible in January.
- Sharon asked about the history of the non profit, started in 2015 in Kenya and opened first school in 2016.
- Mike asked about total budget and funding and was told the majority is by private donors ,Rotary along with grants.
- Steve asked about the notations on the map of Kenya and was told those were sites that hoped to establish schools in. The models for sustainability change due to the location and available land use. He was also told that transportation has improved but still makes operations difficult.
- Lisa asked about children working the farm projects but was told the school hires a farm manager for that responsibility. They do learn the business model of sustainability and how it keeps their education on target.
- Denise asked about retraining for the shift that COVID brought to creating feeding programs and was told the schools already had nutrition programs and morphed them into community feeding.
- Mike asked about equal education and was told that a huge focus is ensuring a 50% spread between boys and girls. Education for girls is the solution to child marriages.
- Steve asked about the status of schools and was told they are private schools, without a religious affiliation.
Ben reported that election results are coming in and the polls are open until January 1st.
Ben reported on membership.
Tony and Braden will host the Club's super Bowl fundraiser. Squares are $20 and members will be asked to purchase at least 3, extras are available. The winners will split $1,000 and the remaining $1,000 goes into the club funds not the foundation.
Sharon reported that we are on track to meet the scholarship winners in January.
Steve thanked members for supporting the Santa event, which generated tons of good will but no funds. Expenses were paid out of MASK up monies.
Denise will contact the Randolph club to ask about their tiered membership and how it benefited their club. Moe reminded us that personal connections, and people hearing about what we do generates the best new members.
Tony reminded us that the Record Enterprise will cover our Santa event tomorrow and that we need a new communications director.
Respectfully submitted,
Denise