Iruri school kenya - catherine Survillas

Programs Chair Alan Gallaway introduced our guest speaker for the day, Catherine Survillas. He said that she is a Rotarian with the Elk Grove Club and has a special project that she would like to tell us about. 
Catherine presented a very organized slide show. Catherine said that she led safaris in Africa for many years. She decided that she wanted help the people in Kenya in some way. She met the head teacher at the Iruri school. It seems that in Kenya, the government just builds the shell of the school and then it is left to the community and others to build the infrastructure. The Iruri school is at 6,000 feet and situated in a harsh environment, cold and no electricity. Most people in the community only make 1 to 2 dollars a day – so they needed help.
Catherine said the school runs from kindergarten to 8th grade and has 350 students.
They have done many good things over the last seven years, too detailed to put in this bulletin, by partnering with her Rotary Club and grants and fundraisers from the community. They had a Feast in 2015, slaughtered two bulls and had 500 people. They got the school wired for electricity, and got windows and doors installed. Also had toilets installed, and a cement walkway finished.
What impressed me is that their interact Club, 37 of them, supported 9 new scholarships at $800 each enabling these student to get into higher education. Their wish list now is toilets for the staff, getting internet, and coverings for their walkways.
Catherine and the Elk Grove Club are to be commended for putting together such a wonderful project
To contact them and help out:
 
President John mentioned to Catherine that, in honor of her presentation, we are donating a book to the Carmichael library.
pics from the meeting
President John Mangels and Speaker Catherine Survillas
Five guests from Elk Grove, three Rotarians and two who were "checking us out"