Whether you have seen them mentioned on the University homepage, hosting a concert at Psi U or organizing a walk-a-thon in front of Usdan, Wesleyan Friends of Africa (WFA) seems to be all over campus.
The group’s first project involves constructing a school for girls in the neighborhood of Kibera, Nairobi, where there is a lack of educational opportunities for girls in the slum. With limited prospects, girls often turn to early marriage or prostitution. The funding for the school will come from the benefit, the walk-a-thon and a recently received Davis Foundation Projects for Peace grant.
Jess Posner ’09 and Kennedy Odede ’12, who founded the group, wrote the grant. Despite their hard work writing the grant proposal, the two were quite surprised to hear of their success.
“It came as a great surprise; we were unsure about getting it,” Odede said.
University students will work directly with a Kibera based group, Shining Hope for Community (SHOFCO). With the land purchased and cash flow from the Projects for Peace grant and WFA fundraising, SHOFCO representatives have hired an architect, a teaching staff and principal for the school, which will enroll 105 girls in grades one through six. Odede, who grew up in Kibera, and Posner, who studied abroad in Kenya in the fall of 2007, plan to travel to Kibera this summer to oversee the construction of the school.
“[I am] so grateful to the Davis Foundation, to the Wesleyan community and the Wesleyan Friends of Africa for making a dream that I heard so much about during my time in Kibera into a reality,” Posner said.
Kennedy described the WFA members as an incredible and passionate group of people, and expressed his appreciation for their hard work. While Odede and Posner focus on the actual construction of the school while a group of approximately six students plan events and organize other students.
Members Nomi Teutsch ’11 and Alaina Artistide ’11 were both impressed by the independent nature of the WFA.
“[It] feels way more exciting than raising money to send to some huge multinational organization,” Teutsch said.
Other group members got involved because they were inspired by the students in the WFA.
“I kept with it because we have a great core group of people who really care about making things happen,” said Nathan Mackenzie ’12. “I think we’ve got a group of people in WFA who realize how fortunate they are in life and just want to give something back.”
Logistics seem to be the only hindrances to the group’s growing momentum.
“The [benefit] show was almost cancelled the week before because of a SBC issue, but I was really amazed with how people from all different parts of campus rallied around us to make it happen,” Mackenzie said. “This includes Psi U, ResLife, and the SALD [Student Activities and Leadership Development], among others.”
Some group members were pessimistic about the effectiveness of a walk-a-thon at the University.
“To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how that event would go,” Posner said. “But because of the many people who gave two dollars or five dollars, the organizers—who were incredibly dedicated—raised $2,500 in four hours. It seems like the community as a whole has been searching for a way to make a difference, and WFA has given many people that chance.”
Odede stressed the generosity of the University community. He has been overwhelmed by their show of support and emails from parents.
Beyond achieving realistic goals and tapping into the altruistic spirit of the University, WFA hopes to generate awareness and understanding of issues affecting the whole of Africa. Odede observed that people normally identify with one issue regarding Africa, such as HIV/AIDS or the genocide in Darfur, but the WFA is meant to provide a forum for awareness, understanding, and action about any issue that affects the continent.
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