Recently, ERA Architects sponsored a silent auction and evening of drinks and hors d’oeuvres to raise funds for the continued construction of Oleleshwa Primary School in Kenya. The January 2013 fundraiser garnered over $14,000, making the total raised-to-date over $50,000, not including labour and in-kind donations, which have also been significant.
The project is one of several by Harambee 4 Humanity, which has been collaborating for several years with communities in Kenya on sustainable initiatives such as the building of schools, women’s cooperatives, and tree planting programs that all aim to maximize the area’s human and natural resource potential.
In collaboration with Harambee, Alec Ring and Karl Sarkis (both of whom have worked in ERA’s office) have been volunteering to design, raise funds for, and construct Oleleshwa. The first two classrooms have been constructed, but there is a huge demand for additional space.
All proceeds from the fundraiser are going directly to the continued construction of the school, and in particular the breezeway, which connects the recently constructed two-classroom unit, and completes the rainwater collection system for those two classrooms. Remaining funds will likely go towards the construction of a third classroom, following further consultation with the community in Kenya.
To learn more about this terrific project, or to make donations, please visit harambee4humanity.org.
