HERE'S THE STORY:

Dear Friends and Family,

Shannon and I are running in the Bay to Breakers to help a school for girls in Kenya called the Daraja Academy. Daraja is a very unique school where Kenyan girls who have no other way to access secondary education are provided a four year scholarship that will, literally, change their lives.

We would love your help!

We will be part of a team of 150 advocates racing in the Bay to Breakers on May 20th in support of the 77 amazing girls on campus!! Each advocate(s) is partnered with a Daraja student, our girl is a 12th grader named Elizabeth!! 10,000 miles across the globe on the exact same day, Elizabeth and the 76 other Daraja girls will be participating in a Daraja version of Bay to Breakers called the “Lap-A-Thon.” The students will be running 28 laps, approximately the distance of the San Francisco Bay to Breakers. Two countries racing for the same cause!!

We are very excited to have been matched with Elizabeth. Elizabeth is from the Kamba tribe. She hails from Kinangpop, an area just a few hours south of Daraja Academy. Her family was heavily affected by the drought that hit Kenya, and as a result her family was unable to send her to secondary school. The drop out rate from elementary school to high school is 80%.

Elizabeth has two nicknames on campus: Symobua (her second name) and "SBD" (stands for Small But Dangerous). Despite being a senior, she is one of the shortest girls on campus hence the SBD nickname. This name fits her well because, although she's little, Elizabeth has a very big personality and she is very comfortable taking control of a situation.

Elizabeth's life path was set to make her another statistic. Fortunately, she received a four year scholarship from Daraja Academy...a twist in her fate that will not only change the course of her future, but that of her future children. (Girls and women spend 90% of their earned income on their families, compared with 30% to 40% among males. Chris Fortson, “Women’s Rights Vital for Developing World,” Yale News Daily)

Help us to make a difference in Elizabeth and her family's lives. Your donation will provide access to education for an exceptional and promising young Kenyan girl who has no other way to get it.

If you contribute - all proceeds go to Moreen and the Daraja Academy. Any dollar amount honestly makes a difference!!! $1, 10, 15 or $5 for each mile = $35 $77 for 77 girls on campus - just some ideas. . .

Thank you for your support - it means the world to us, Elizabeth and the Daraja girls!

EDUCATED GIRLS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!