We work out of a spirit of respect for the values and skills of the Kenyan people. We operate using a bottom up decision making model which allows the people who are directly impacted by our support to decide how the funds should be distributed.
All of our donations go into a single account. Paul Leringato, Ol Pejeta’s Community Development Officer, applies the bottom up method in the following way:
Bursaries and Uniforms:
Paul visits the communities surrounding the conservancy and consults with the village elders who provide names of the most worthy bursary students. We ask that the elders provide an equal number of boys and girls; however, beyond this, we do not interfere with their choices.
Allowing local leaders to choose their own beneficiaries is respectful and encourages greater accountability. The community knows best who its strongest students are.
Classrooms and desks:
Paul visits schools and identifies principals who show evidence of hard work and initiative in managing with very few resources. These principals are required to apply for our funds by creating a detailed “business plan” for their school.
Paul, together with a group of local leaders and parents, then decides which school should be awarded funds. The more success the school continues to achieve, the more funds Paul, through PKSS, allocates to expand its classrooms and programs.
As a result of this model, schools such as Loise Secondary and St. Augustine, are now among the top schools in their province.
Dairy Cows and Biogas:
Paul visits schools and determines whether they have the land, skills and basic infrastructure to operate and maintain a milk production and biogas operation. If the principal writes a successful application, the school is awarded two cows and a biogas station. The milk is used to supplement the diets of the school’s children while the biogas provides electricity for cooking and lights.
As a result of this model, the schools save money on food and electricity and have more funds available to purchase much needed books and school supplies.
