Goals into Action
Our goal at Kamburaini Primary School in Naro Maru, was to construct a rainwater harvesting project, created in response to the need for water and food. Gutters were installed along the roof of the classroom blocks to feed into large catchment tanks. This water is then used to irrigate a school garden, tended by parents, students and teachers which supplement a food program (additional food is provided by some families who are able to contribute). Because of this new food garden driven by the rainwater harvesting and the donated labor of parents, teachers, and students working the garden, there is a more consistent quantity of food for the program AND the school can deliver two meals a day to all students rather than just one.
We’re 7 creative professionals based in NYC, Memphis, Los Angeles and Oakland.
Some of us are close friends, others are connecting for the first time but we all share the desire to build a better world.
What we’re doing.
This June (14-26), through non-profit organization Edge of Seven (Eo7), we’re headed to Kenya to volunteer in Naro Moru, a village north of Nairobi. There we’ll help the community install a water system at a local school and design a community mural themed around conservation.
Because most students don’t get meals during the school day, the water system will be used to set up gardens to make its lunch program self-sustainable. Capturing and sharing the experience along the way, we’ll cap it off with a safari tour.
Our goal. We’re raising $32,520 to cover all the costs associated with our trip, which include: Eo7 program/lodging/meal/transportation fees ($14,000), RT airfare ($11,200), safari ($5,320), and video/photo equipment for documentation ($2,000).
Our deadline is May 15 with specific milestones along the way.
Down to help? Here’s a few ways to chip in:
- Share this with family & friends
- Donate school supplies to the village
- Look out for updates on our in-person events Please contact NerdyDNA@gmail.com with any questions or inquiries. Thanks so much for your support; we’re looking forward to sharing this experience with you!
The Result:
Our plan was to utilize ACCESS to its fullest potential to execute on the project. While the outcomes and impacts may be complex, the execution of the project was not. Rainwater harvesting as a technical affair is relatively straightforward. We had our Architecture and Engineering Advisory committee draw up plans for the project, we worked with ACCESS to create a simple procurement and installation timetable and then worked with them to ensure they could source all materials and labor to match the timeline.
When we had all details ready the group set out to execute and Edge of Seven was able to monitor and ensure that no large snags occurred for the group. Had we needed to we were ready to assist and ensure that the group could reach all the milestones. We do this because we see that the capacity building (another principle) is at least as important as the physical structure that is put in place. If the group and its members can successfully take on their next project or challenge, then that is worth at least as much as the investment in the project itself. In this way, we believe that we create the emergent outcome of “collective impact” — by simultaneously thinking about sustainable outcomes, the infrastructure, AND the community-based training (capacity) that they are receiving.