Two Island groups will be teaming up to help lift Kenyan youth out of poverty.
The Mikinduri Children of Hope and Royal Canadian Air Force Association 201 (Confederation) Wing in Charlottetown have partnered up with a lottery to finance the building of a classroom and ecosan toilet in Mikinduri.
The partnership was inspired through the work of Lew Black, who spent countless hours volunteering with the Mikinduri Children of Hope’s annual gigantic yard sale, which takes place every May.
Black, who was a past president of RCAFA 201 Wing, died three years ago due to complications from a brain tumour.
Elaine Black said her husband believed that education could help raise youth out of poverty.
“If the people of every city or province in developed countries would do as much for an area of a developing country as Islanders have been doing for the villages of Mikinduri and Bondo, Kenya, since 2003, we could change the world,” she said.
Debbie Reid, president of the RCAFA 201 Wing, said the group jumped at the opportunity to partner with the group, a P.E.I.-based charity established in 2003 with a goal of relieving poverty and sickness in Mikinduri. That goal has since grown to also include western Kenya.
Over the years, the group has seen thousands of Islanders volunteer for or donate to the organization along with plenty of support from Island businesses, organizations and churches throughout P.E.I.
This lottery will sell only 250 tickets and will have a grand prize of $7,500. There will also be two $1,000 prizes and four $500 prizes. If a name is drawn in one of the first three draws, the ticket will be returned to the drum for each subsequent draw.
Tickets are $100 each and the draw will be held during the third annual Lew Black RCAFA Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, June 24.
Those interested in purchasing tickets can contact Reid at 902-367-0450 or [email protected] or Black at 902-569-9124 or [email protected].
