Arusha, Tanzania and its local villages are on the fringe of the Mt. Kilimanjaro's base. Despite the villagers' best efforts, the system of schooling is no match for the demand. In the village of Oltoroto, 969 students pile into the overcrowded classrooms with up to six students to a desk. Perhaps the most shocking condition of all is the fact that there are only four latrines for the entire student body and faculty.
"I know we can make a difference," says Todd Grossman, a public relations executive from New York City and founder of the Kilimanjaro Education Foundation (KEF). Grossman visited local villages after completing his trek to Kilimanjaro's summit. From the climb of a lifetime, Grossman descended the mountain with his Tanzanian guides and porters, and was welcomed into their homes. There, he saw firsthand the everyday challenges faced by these school children and immediately decided to embark on another journey. "The Kilimanjaro Education Foundation will strive to bring this critical issue to the attention of others by exposing people, the climbers directly and the donors indirectly, to its urgent need. I view this as not merely as a charity, but an investment in humankind."
KEF mission is simple: to improve education and build adequate schools with basic amenities such as bathrooms for underprivileged children in Tanzania and other countries bordering Kilimanjaro. The overall impact of the program is intended to provide African children the same education opportunities as children in developed countries.
With the launch of its new website the foundation intends on raising money and awareness about this alarming need with surprisingly easy to deliver solutions. Volunteers who participate in charity climbs, hikes and other fundraising efforts support KEF's goals. The problem is complicated but the solution is simple, to find out how you can help visit http://www.kef4kids.org/
Kilimanjaro Education Foundation (KEF), founded in 2006, is incorporated in New York State and organized as a 501(c)(3). KEF strives to improve education and to build school facilities for underprivileged children in Tanzania and other countries bordering Kilimanjaro. KEF's volunteers and directors share in and impart not only the Foundation's passion for children and education, but also in KEF's core values of honesty, integrity, creativity and imagination.
Additional information is available at the foundation's website at www.kef4kids.org/ or by calling 646.461.6157.
For further information contact: Todd Grossman, Founder, Kilimanjaro Education Foundation, KEF, Tel: 646.461.6157, Email: todd.kef@gmail.com, Skype: Todd Grossman
Website: http://www.kef4kids.org/
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