Project: Educating on the Edge of Adversity: Ngochoni Petals of Africa School

Join the tribe! A community-building education initiative among former warring tribes on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Petals has the vision of creating a community of purpose among Luo and Kuria tribes by providing primary and secondary education to impoverished villagers, and a vision for a college and vocational skills center. Coop Trust funding to local women, and agricultural and income-generating projects are designed to help the school be self-sustaining. Half of the 163 students are either orphans or non-paying children. Inspite of this, Petals is position academically #1 Division (out of 52 schools); #1 District (out of 167 schools), Class of 2009. Class of 2010 is #1 in Division;#10 in District. Immediate needs are to fund faculty salaries and provide nutrition. Its pressing building project is to build facilities for 9-12th grades. Income producing initiatives include a women's group store and restaurant, purchase of a posho-mill, and lease of arible land for planting.