Kusoma International

On the evening of Saturday, May 30th 2009, accompanied by lively musical offerings from board member Mbithi Muthini and his band of Kenyan instrumentalists, the Laurenti Mohochi Educational Foundation (LMEF) had its first evening of networking and fundraising. The event was hosted at a private home in Atherton, CA. Over 60 persons attended the event and as president and CEO of the foundation, Basil Burke, Ph.D., so aptly put it, “the evening was perfect!”

The conversation was stimulating, with ample opportunity for dialogue with the foundation’s board. Several board members also made more formal offerings, which commenced with a touching presentation by founder and chairman of LMEF, Sangai Mohochi. Sangai documented his growing up in the Kuria district of rural Kenya and his father’s determination to educate his children. He went on to address the goals of LMEF, to give scholarships to bright and poor students from Kuria who would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to high school. Currently in Kenya, access to high school is a serious problem. Almost half of students who finish primary school are unable to proceed to the next level, even if they have passed the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).

To date, LMEF has offered tuition scholarships to six needy and deserving students in the Kuria district. In the first trimester this year, they performed excellently in each of their respective classes. Thanks to donations to the foundation, Sangai explained, these LMEF scholars will be able to complete the 2009 academic year. LMEF also provides transportation scholarships to two additional students from Kuria who attend Daraja Academy, an all-girls school for orphans and very poor in Nanyuki, Kenya. Along with secondary education scholarships for students from Kuria, LMEF’s long-term goals include making improvements to the infrastructure of existing schools, and eventually building at least one additional secondary school in Kuria.

Sangai’s presentation was followed by a short address from Basil Burke, thanking attendees of the event for their continued interest in the activities of LMEF and welcoming further contributions.  Basil also recognized the hard work of the board members in attendance: Sandra Darrow, Janet Turan, Adam Brosamer, Mbithi Muthini, Edith Sangai, and Kamau Kayanga. In all, the event raised over $3,000.  Equally important, 50 new ambassadors and advocates were introduced to the cause. The primary goal of the event was to get together and provide an opportunity for conversation and interaction, which was met with great success.

Enthusiastic volunteers, mostly children and friends of the board members in attendance, circulated hors d’oeuvres. Quite a few Stanford students volunteer also supported the event, helping with set-up and clean-up, and serving beverages. Food was provided by the board members and Back-A-Yard restaurant of Menlo Park.

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