THE FINAL TWO CLASSROOMS

EL BOKOCH SCHOOL

2018, April - May

We are currently fundraising for the final construction of  two classrooms at El Bokoch School.  

Please go to the DONATE page to see how you can help!

EL BOKOCH PRIMARY SCHOOL

2014 TO 2017

In 2014 The MCFT started assisting the El Bokoch Primary School by providing school materials and books, as well as the children's daily meal.

In 2015 The Michael Cronhelm And Taft Conlin Foundation and The Michael Cronhelm Foundation Trust took over the ownership and running of this school several kilometers from Ileret township. 

2017 - JUNE 

We are back on the task of urgent fundraising to allow us to build another two classrooms and a library for El Bokoch School.  This will enable us in time (2018) to make this a dual primary and high school - the first in the Ileret Community.  

If you can help with this project please urgently get in touch with us!  Thank you. 

2017 - FEBRUARY

Due to the critical food shortage in Ileret we held the A-MAIZE APPEAL and raised the funds to buy 13.5 tonnes of maize, which Liza Cronhelm personally delivered and distributed to the people in Ileret.  This trip was combined with putting the finishing touches on the two classrooms constructed in 2016.  The floors and walls were plastered and look fantastic.

2016 

Liza Cronhelm spent two months in Ileret building the second set of two classrooms. There is still some finishing work to be done in 2017 but wonderful to have the building up and enclosed. What a huge success!  El Bokoch now has four new classrooms. 

2015

Liza Cronhelm spent three months working in Kenya (June - September 2015) at the school building two classrooms and laying foundations for the next two classrooms, which will be completed early next year. In addition to a library and teacher's accommodation.

Amy Cronhelm joined Liza for two weeks on the project and said "What an amazing achievement by Liza, Korie and the building team.  Working in this environment has many challenges combined with everything having to be done by hand ... the making of thousands of hand-made bricks, bucketing out thousands of gallons of water from the deep bore hole in the dry river bed ... such a massive team effort!"

Please see below our newsletter giving our donors and supporters an update of the El Bokoch Primary School project.

NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2016 OUR ACHIEVEMENTS...

EL BOKOCH PRIMARY SCHOOL
ILERET, NORTHERN KENYA

Dear Friends

Hello and greetings to you all. 

Last September Liza Cronhelm, Amy Cronhelm and the Kenyan crew completed the first set of two classrooms.

To plan the construction, much thought and consideration went into the environmental conditions of the area (high winds and extreme heat) and to the most cost effective building materials to use.

The main materials used for the construction were hand-made blocks using two manually operated block making machines. With the help of a stonemason from down country Nanyuki, two teams of Daasanach morans were trained in block making. Sand, cement (12%) and water were compressed into interlocking blocks which took approximately 14 days to cure.

In September 2015 we completed the first block of the two-classroom buildings, commenced the foundation for the second block and have approximately 4,000 hand-made bricks ready for Phase 2 of the build. 

Construction in this geographically isolated area of Northern Kenya is incredibly challenging and doesn’t always go according to plan in this environment. A major challenge we had was getting enough water, something experienced by the Daasanach people in the area every day.  It took too much time to haul a limited quantity of water the long distance from the lake to the three areas the water was needed: Base Camp, block making and school construction sites. To overcome this a dedicated four man water team were hired just to haul water all day out of holes dug in the dry riverbed. This was made especially difficult as the water fills so slowly into the bottom of the wells. Lake Turkana water is too saline for human consumption, so only water dug from the dry riverbed provides for human and animal herds alike.

One of our core objectives was to up skill the local Daasanach who worked on the project and we now have an able work force upon our return. By hiring local people we have not only given them much needed income but more importantly empowered them with building skills and raised their sense of participation and contribution to this project.

When we took over running the school in 2014 there had been no teaching materials for at least half a year. The resourceful teachers had been using small stones as teaching materials so the children could continue their writing and arithmetic lessons. With your support, much has improved at the school since those early days of our foundations involvement.

The Daasanach certainly appreciate the positive impacts generated by all our efforts. Here is a letter received recently from the Elders:

“Hello, how are you and how do you do? We hope that you are doing well, we are well and fine here in Ileret.

Last year you had done a very great and important job at El Bokoch community. And we as El Bokoch Elders appreciated you in a great and special way for the great and amazing classes you built. We even don’t know how to say thanks to you for your big help.

We again still need you to come and work with us for the remaining part. This is because Eel-Bokoch had took very many kids to school so that the kids can get the important knowledge. As elders we thanks you big and again we need you to come and accomplish your mission to this community.”

Elders Names:
Yierbookoch Kulugudo, Nasak Baryo, Job Koomoi, Guol Tete and Yereyenyang Kulugudo.
 
Funding has been gratefully received up until the end of the year for the running costs of the primary school, for which the Foundation is fully responsible for.  This includes the teacher’s salaries, school books and materials and the daily meal of beans and maize provided to the students.

Currently 96 children are catered for in five grades and in 2016 the school is performing far better than ever before which has been greatly appreciated by the elders and parents in the El Bokoch area. For the 2^nd term a newly qualified woman teacher from the community started the first in the school’s history. Margaret Chumakan is doing a fantastic job of up skilling the unqualified teachers and making sure the pupils are getting a quality education.

James Korie Haile in Ileret continues to do an amazing job of supporting so many in the El Bokoch area, improving their lives and overseeing our education facilities.

Our goal in 2016 is to complete the second set of classrooms which were started last year.

Amy and Liza are currently fund raising for Phase 2 of the building project. We are asking you all to donate critically needed funds so that this valuable work in building a school for the Daasanach children can continue. 

Thank you for your support in making this happen. You, the wonderful people who have been part of this tremendous effort to build educational facilities for the Daasanach children have made such a positive impact in their lives.

Warmest wishes

Amy Cronhelm & Liza Cronhelm
Founding members & MCFT
Project Managers

THE MICHAEL CRONHELM MEMORIAL LIBRARY - ILERET 2010

The Michael Cronhelm Memorial Library was completed in September 2010. The ongoing supply of books for this community will be a lifelong commitment.  The children of Ileret have benefited enormously by having access to books. 

"Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations".  Henry David Thoreau

Funding for all our projects is through private and corporate donations.   

THE MCFT INFORMAL PRESCHOOL - 2012

The MCFT Informal Preschool was established in 2012 in the grounds of the library. These classes are important to prepare the children for their Primary education and to provide a much needed after class meal. 

SEGERA SCHOOL - LAIKIPIA 2009

Support of the school children in the Laikipia region of Kenya with contributions towards school materials and new school uniforms for all 80 students.