MISSION MOMENT

At SouthCol Advisors, our work with mission-based institutions is not just professional. It is personal. Like our clients, SouthCol has a mission to make a difference in the world. Here is a story that inspires us. We hope it inspires you.

Kilimanjaro Children’s Foundation – Educating Children, Empowering Families

When SouthCol Founder Jim Lumberg visited Tanzania in 2006 on an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro he had no idea the impact it would have on his life and the lives of thousands of local children.

Jim and his climbing partner John Kelly set off with their guide, Edward Lazzaro, whose nickname is “Teacher.” When Lumberg asked about why everyone referred to him as “Teacher”, Lazzaro explained that he had founded a school in his hometown of Moshi to help the growing number of at-risk children, many of whom were orphaned due to the AIDS crisis.

Lumberg and Kelly were inspired by Teacher’s vision, but quickly realized that his implementation was in need of financial resources and a long-term plan. In 2007, the two men formed the Kilimanjaro Children’s Foundation. The mission was simple yet aspirational: to create a joyful early childhood for children ages 3-8 by providing a place where they are seen, they are safe, and they are well prepared with a head start to enter public school.

By 2008, the foundation had secured the necessary funds to purchase land and build a new campus. Nearly 15 years after Teacher welcomed his first student, the Foundation has successfully constructed a new school to expand its mission and provide more holistic care for the children and families of Moshi.

A Day at Kilimanjaro Children’s Foundation

The Kilimanjaro Children’s Foundation operates six days a week, providing care and education in a safe, clean, and vibrant facility. A typical day starts before sunrise and the children’s arrival. Teresia, the school’s cook begins to prepare the children’s first meal of the day. Teresia devotes more than 10 hours every day preparing breakfast and lunch for more than 200 children in a new kitchen and dining building that was recently dedicated. For many students, these meals are their only dependable source of nutrition.

Following a welcome from headmaster Bella, the children meet their teachers in classrooms where they are immersed in a curriculum that covers languages, math, writing, and creativity. Bella and her team of four teachers play a pivotal role in giving students a strong foundation before they enter government-sponsored schools. But, to hundreds of local families, the Foundation represents much more than a school. It also serves as a reliable day care, enabling mothers to work and earn an income in support of their families.

“John and I knew instinctively that we needed to help. If we could provide funds and planning for food, clothing, and well-resourced teaching facilities and the teachers could provide education and love, then we knew that we could collectively help an entire community,” said Jim Lumberg, who recently visited the Foundation to officially open the new kitchen.

As an active community participant for good, the Foundation is continuously developing new ways to serve children and promote healthy families. A new area of focus for the Foundation is to explore programming centered around empowering women through micro-finance and skills training.

We invite you to learn about this extraordinary place, where children are seen, safe, and encouraged to reach for the stars. Visit: kilimanjarokids.org

Source: Kilimanjaro Children’s Foundation