africa
November 2008 
9 Days Left To Support Change in Rural Kenya
Posted on Dec 18th, 2007
by 
L'el
L'el
THE ELECTION IS DEC. 27TH.
Maybe you have a connection to Kenya, through travel, volunteering, family or friends.
Or maybe you've just heard about the challenges facing African countries, from poverty to AIDS, and you want to do something-- but you don't know where to give, or you're concerned that corruption will make your efforts go to waste.
Either way, there's a Parliamentary campaign going on right now in Kieni, a rural province in Kenya, that you should know about: It stands to make a big difference in the lives of many rural Kenyans, and to the political scene of the whole country.
My close friend Edwin Macharia, a native of Kieni, is challenging a notoriously corrupt incumbent named Chris Murungaru (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Murungaru).
Edwin, who was educated at a top-ranked college in the US and worked in Management Consulting at McKinsey, could easily have stayed in the developed world and pursued a cushy, high-status lifestyle. He could just as easily have sat on his accomplishments in the two Director-level positions he has held at the Clinton Foundation.
But instead he's taken a leave to start a grassroots campaign in his hometown. And he's not waiting until the election results come out to start making real change: already he has teamed up with local NGOs to dispense treatments for a skin parasite that can cause permanent damage to hands and feet, and procured startup money and training sessions to enable unemployed youth to launch their own local businesses (even for ventures as basic as a roadside stand).
Edwin's Agenda For Kieni includes:
* Stringent Management of public funds
* Focused infrastructure development (roads, water)
* Increased income from agriculture
* Quality healthcare delivery
* Youth development and empowerment
* Better education for all
This campaign is important both for the people of Kieni, and as a turning point in Kenya's fight against corruption.
You can read more at the campaign website, http://www.macharia.co.ke/
...
Want to support Edwin?
To contribute financially to the Macharia 2007 campaign:
1. Send a check made out to Edwin Macharia to:
Edwin Macharia
PO Box 2011
Nairobi 00100
Kenya
or
Edwin Macharia
c/o James Mwangi
Dalberg Global Development Advisors
205 E42nd Street, Suite 1830
New York, NY 10017
2. Donate via paypal (www.paypal.com) to this email address: macharia2007@gmail.com
To make suggestions or volunteer for a range of programs running in Kieni, please email macharia2007@gmail.com.
Maybe you have a connection to Kenya, through travel, volunteering, family or friends.
Or maybe you've just heard about the challenges facing African countries, from poverty to AIDS, and you want to do something-- but you don't know where to give, or you're concerned that corruption will make your efforts go to waste.
Either way, there's a Parliamentary campaign going on right now in Kieni, a rural province in Kenya, that you should know about: It stands to make a big difference in the lives of many rural Kenyans, and to the political scene of the whole country.
My close friend Edwin Macharia, a native of Kieni, is challenging a notoriously corrupt incumbent named Chris Murungaru (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Murungaru).
Edwin, who was educated at a top-ranked college in the US and worked in Management Consulting at McKinsey, could easily have stayed in the developed world and pursued a cushy, high-status lifestyle. He could just as easily have sat on his accomplishments in the two Director-level positions he has held at the Clinton Foundation.
But instead he's taken a leave to start a grassroots campaign in his hometown. And he's not waiting until the election results come out to start making real change: already he has teamed up with local NGOs to dispense treatments for a skin parasite that can cause permanent damage to hands and feet, and procured startup money and training sessions to enable unemployed youth to launch their own local businesses (even for ventures as basic as a roadside stand).
Edwin's Agenda For Kieni includes:
* Stringent Management of public funds
* Focused infrastructure development (roads, water)
* Increased income from agriculture
* Quality healthcare delivery
* Youth development and empowerment
* Better education for all
This campaign is important both for the people of Kieni, and as a turning point in Kenya's fight against corruption.
You can read more at the campaign website, http://www.macharia.co.ke/
...
Want to support Edwin?
To contribute financially to the Macharia 2007 campaign:
1. Send a check made out to Edwin Macharia to:
Edwin Macharia
PO Box 2011
Nairobi 00100
Kenya
or
Edwin Macharia
c/o James Mwangi
Dalberg Global Development Advisors
205 E42nd Street, Suite 1830
New York, NY 10017
2. Donate via paypal (www.paypal.com) to this email address: macharia2007@gmail.com
To make suggestions or volunteer for a range of programs running in Kieni, please email macharia2007@gmail.com.
Access: Public
