VISION:

A Kenya where all children have access to post-primary education and community members possess the skills and resources necessary to free themselves from the stresses of poverty.

MISSION:

We believe every child has the right to education and that education leads to personal enrichment as well as community improvement.  Communities worldwide play a major role in supporting children to realize this right.

GOAL STATEMENT:

To form solidarity between communities in America and in Bodo Village by using their respective local resources for sustainable development projects in Bodo primarily focused on ensuring all Bodo children have access to post-primary school education.

HISTORY:

The Bodo Initiative was founded in December 2007 by Lydia Spitalny as a branch of Education for the Future Foundation and is currently sponsoring 14 students.  Lydia began the Bodo Initiative (BI) in response to the lack of educational opportunities that exist in Bodo mainly because of poverty.  She spent a month in Bodo village doing research on this topic, and through conversations with parents, students, and teachers, decided that something needed to be done to help children access post-primary education.

Lydia discovered EFF through a mutual connection with Amy and Courtney, the founders and Directors of EFF.  They provided her with EFF student applications which she brought to Bodo.  Through sending emails home about her experience, family members and students from her program agreed to sponsor the first Bodo students under EFF, two boys and one girl.

Need was present that necessitated a sustainable project in Bodo so when Lydia returned to the U.S., she approached Amy and Courtney about forming the Bodo Initiative as an official branch of EFF, which they agreed to.  Lydia held fundraisers at her university in Ohio and in D.C. to support sponsoring more students.

In 2008, EFF applications were sent to Bodo again and 11 additional qualifying students are receiving sponsorships either through individual sponsors or through general fund money.  Lydia returned to Kenya and Bodo village between January and May of 2009 where she spent a month in Bodo, visiting students and hearing from the community about other needs.  It was evident that student sponsorships would not meet all of the underlying causes of the education problem in Bodo.  This developed into expanding the Mission of BI to address poverty in Bodo by supporting income-generating activities as well as continuing with the Student Sponsorship Program.

In June, a sponsor was found to fund the first project, the Sandal Crafts, where scrap sandals are used to make beaded curtains/ jewelry and sea animal key chains.  Completed products will then be sold in Kenya and in the U.S. Women in Bodo have also formed a group to make beautiful, hand-woven mats from palm leaves which will also be brought to local and abroad markets.