The Impact of OneTeam for Kenya
In August 2022 Brighton Jones launched our OneTeam for Kenya campaign – with a goal of raising $500,000 before year end in order to support three long-time partner organizations in Kenya.
Did we reach our goal?
We are thrilled to share that with support from community members, we surpassed our goal and ended up raising over $558,000 that will assist thousands of children and families throughout rural Kenya.
Where did we begin?
Compassion has always been a central component of the Brighton Jones way of helping people live richer lives. In 2018, we established The Brighton Jones Richer Life Foundation to empower our community to put compassion into action by supporting domestic and international projects grounded in the belief that collective action, done well, can change the world.
We coined the term OneTeam in 2018 during our first community-wide international campaign. Through this initial campaign, our clients, colleagues, and domestic and international partners raised funds to build an international volunteer center (the Brighton Jones Global Guesthouse) to be utilized as a community center, a space for volunteer lodging, and a source of revenue for nonprofit organizations working in Kenya’s rural Kajiado County.
In the five years since, we’ve developed deep partnerships with three community-based organizations in rural Kenya that provide critical services such as education, healthcare, and vocational training for vulnerable children and families in the local community. Our partnerships have brought much-needed stability to these organizations, and enabled our OneTeam to build life-long relationships with our partners in Kenya.
Why now?
East Africa has been enduring a historic drought. Agricultural harvests are low, food prices are high, and the UN estimates that more than 20 million people in the region face acute food and water insecurity. And all this is occurring at a time when international aid is focused on Ukraine, Syria, and Turkey, so awareness of this crisis is low.
What’s next?
The funds we raised will support our three partner organizations over the next three years, including providing support in strategic planning and local capacity-building to deliver efficient, effective, and sustainable programming creating transformational change for the individuals and communities they serve.
We will be walking alongside these organizations as they work toward their goals for impact. Let’s dive in to get to know the organizations and the impact your support is providing:
- GRACE NANANA is a rescue home for young girls facing child marriage and forced female circumcision. At Grace Nanana, they are given housing, food, and education, along with mentoring and counseling that empower these girls to change the trajectory of their lives. In 2023, your support will help provide this safe space to be offered to these young women: a bed, meals, schooling, and a new life opportunity for these young and brave girls.
- KAJIADO CHILDREN’S CENTRE provides education and life-changing medical care for children with physical disabilities. Whether through water therapy in their physiotherapy pool, specialized surgeries, lessons in the classroom, or in daily outdoor activities, Kajiado Children’s Center transforms the future for these children. In 2023, your support empowers these life-altering transitions for youth with disabilities to continue with their education.
- RUBEN CENTERis an ‘Oasis of Hope’ in the heart of Mukuru Community, Nairobi. Mukuru is a dense informal settlement where families live in typically one– or two–room tin houses. Ruben Center provides subsidized medical services, an educational radio station, women’s empowerment programs, physiotherapy to support children with disabilities, meals for their 3,000+ students every day, and highly engaging after-school programing to increase student retention and attendance. In 2023 your support will ensure that Ruben Center can continue providing these critical services to the Mukuru community.