AmericaShare is dedicated to improving the lives of the children living in Mukuru, the second-largest informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Through our education and community outreach programmes, we seek to provide disadvantaged children with access to basic education resources in order to facilitate sustainable change for these children, their families, their communities and ultimately the country (and perhaps even the world!)
It all began over thirty-five years ago with one little boy. He was going from person to person in a Nairobi shopping centre with a note from his school headmaster. The note said that he was an orphan and needed to raise 700 shillings for a school uniform before he could come to class. He had only collected 100 shillings.
The boy approached Lorna Macleod, a Micato Safaris employee. She read the note and handed him the 600 shillings—the equivalent of $15. Tears running down his face, the boy stood there for a moment, said “God bless you,” and dashed away.
At that moment Lorna realized that Micato Safaris was an ideal bridge between some of the poorest people on the planet, and some of the wealthiest, Micato travelers. That bridge became AmericaShare.
Since then, AmericaShare has sent thousands of chidren to school and it's community centre is so popular that children wait in line to use the libraries and computer labs, to gather together for study groups, and to participate in classes and workshops..
Many children in Mukuru cannot afford to attend school. While public primary school tuition fees are covered by the government in Kenya, many hidden costs, such as uniforms, books and required lunch costs, for example, keep children from attending.
AmericaShare has three different programs aimed at helping children living in poverty remain in school, and have the opportunity to learn, as every child deserves.
One for One Commitment
In 2009 Micato Safaris launched The Micato One for One Commitment, sending a child to primary school for every guest on safari. Although the government provides free education, in Mukuru 62,000 children stay at home because of costs such as school uniforms, schoolbooks, and firewood..Thanks to Micato’s One for One Commitment, many thousands of these children are able to attend government schools. This program has enriched countless lives, of the children, their families, and the community at large.
Our School Sponsorship Programme
This programme allows for generous donors to sponsor a child’s education. Students in our programme are placed in private boarding schools in Nairobi, where they are able to focus on their studies in a safe and peaceful environment. Sponsorship covers a student’s school fees, room and board, uniforms, food, school supplies, and anything else a student needs to focus on their learning. Sponsors are invited to correspond with the student they are supporting through regular letter writing, sharing photos and experiences from across the world. In the video at the top of this page you'll hear from several sponsors, who talk about what the sponsorship journey has meant to them.
Community Outreach
AmericaShare’s headquarters is located in the heart of Mukuru at the Harambee Community Centre. The centre provides an oasis of calm to the residents of Mukuru, and affords children a quiet place to study, learn and play away from the commotion and chaos of daily life in this impoverished area.
Harambee Centre is home to our community outreach and education programmes. The library is stocked with over 20,000 books and students of all ages use the library to do their homework, study for exams, and form study groups with their peers. Books are a rare gift in Mukuru. Many schools do not have adequate textbooks, and novels are a luxury most cannot afford.
We also run educational sessions with local schools. The sessions engage younger students in lessons about their health and education through games and music. Additionally, we also host reading clubs at the centre to foster a love of reading amongst the children that frequent the library. These group sessions allow students to discuss and express what they are learning in creative ways: through skits, short stories, and songs.
Harambee’s Computer Centre provides Mukuru’s residents with free digital learning resources and internet connection. We started with a humble 6 computers and now host over 60, and our on-site computer technicians conduct daily computer lessons, teaching students Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as how to search the web, look for jobs, and create an email account.
Serving the Mukuru Community with the following programs:
