The Jitegemee School is a grass-roots educational program that is run out of Machakos, Kenya with a Board of Dierctors working on the ground in both Machakos and also in the US. The program provides local street children and their families access to formal and vocational training, medical services and education, and access to a safe environment as an alternative to the streets. Students are encouraged and asked to participate actively in community organization and involvement with frequent self-assessments of their contributions. Because the goal of Jitegemee is to encourage self-sufficiency and the participants range in age, ability, and need, the program must provide a wide variety of services. Jitegemee means “sustain yourself” in Swahili.
The school (which could be defined more appropriately as a “community center”) is currently located in a rented building in Machakos. Jitegemee had plans to buy the building outright at the end of their lease in three years [exact dates requested], but were notified by the landlord recently that the sale would no longer be guaranteed. Jitegemee, which has approximately $50,000 USD in the bank appropriated for acquisition of land, has opted to purchase a new piece of land in the vicinity. They are currently looking at two sites in Machakos. Each will be assessed and the decision to purchase is scheduled for late August or soon thereafter.
