Bratz Biz: When did this project start? How?
Vicki Swan (Parent Volunteer): The PA-MOJA Club at Spring Creek Community School (SCCS) started in May, 2014. A parent at SCCS became involved in PA-MOJA and proposed that SCCS become a sister school to a school in Kenya through the PA-MOJA organization. With support from the staff at SCCS, a partnership was formed between our school and Endana Primary School in Kenya.
BB: Where do the funds go?
VS: The funds go directly to PA-MOJA. PA-MOJA works with the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya to support education and wildlife in the Laikipia region of central Kenya. Some examples of where funds are spent are: student exchanges (North American students visiting Kenya and Kenyan students visiting North America), bursaries awarded allowing students to attend secondary school, building schools, building water systems, building biogas systems so children have milk to drink and sell and power for cooking stoves so students have lunches.
BB: How are the Whistler kids involved beyond beading? (The Whistler students will be selling beaded bracelets at Bratz Biz this year to raise funds for PA-MOJA).
VS: The PA-MOJA Club meets weekly to plan and do fundraisers, learn about the experiences of Kenyan students, brainstorm and create video, art, and writing that can be shared with Endana Primary students, share their learning with other students at SCCS and finally – celebrate our work and learning. After all our hard work making our bangilis our next club meeting is a video and popcorn celebration watching a video Endana Primary sent to us!