BACKGROUND

LemonAid Fund was founded as a 501 (c) 3 in 1999 with the belief that no individual, nor any individual effort, is too small to make an important difference.  We support people who believe in their own abilities to create positive change, despite any hardship or injustice they may experience… people who take action on their own behalf, to turn the “lemons” in their lives, into “lemonade”.  

Because of LemonAid Fund, individuals, organizations, and communities are creating more than they ever imagined, and doing more than they ever thought possible.

Today, a network of 10 schools and 2 orphanages in Sierra Leone are receiving support; 2 schools have been built, The Village is almost completed, the resouce center has recieved 28,000 lbs of books and 10 computers http://www.respectrefugees.org/ezine/2007/ezine20070420.shtml, over 3,000 children have access to quality education with 53 scholarships, and people in Asia (Tsunami Relief - see www.advocacynet.org) and Africa (War Crisis) are rebuilding their lives after devastations they have experienced.

Stephanie Paone is summoning her best self to answer a need she heard about. She is partnering with LemonAid Fund to bring aid to The Kamae Children's Group in Kenya.  Her efforts combined with those of LemonAid Fund and Omidyar.net rewarded her with $1,000 in 2006 to begin her support of The Kamae Children. Read Stephanie's story:  

I was talking with my friend Tabitha and she mentioned that she has just returned from visiting her mom, Anne Mburu, in Kamae, Kenya, Africa. She then told me the extraodinary story of her mom and some other Kamae villagers who are caring for children orphaned by AIDS. Kamae is a small village, home to many children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Anne and these other villagers have decided that these children will not go hungry and work to make sure the most vulnerable of these children have one meal each day. 

"How many children are there??" Too many for the women to care for, right now they focus on 15-20 of them. They prioritize those who are too young to find their own food, and those who can not get a meal if not for Anne.

Food is not easy to come by for anyone in Kamae, especially during the dry season, from September to January. Water is also a problem as it is drawn from wells and must be boiled with wood and sometimes charcoal fires before drinking. Then there are transportation issues such as reliable vehicles, fuel, and availability of cars.  Therefore, bicycles are more common.

There is little technology in the village. Solar power and small generators charge cell phones or a light bulb, although kerosene lights are the norm. There are no land lines, but Anne has a cell phone, allowing for contact. A fellow Omidyar.net member Samuel Musyoka in Kenya did just that to determine that they are not being funded by any other groups/organizations.

After feeding the children, Anne would really like to see the Kamae Children's Group go to school. But school fees, uniforms, shoes, and books make high school something almost unobtainable for the average child.  Those most in need, ones that are orphaned and carry the stigma of HIV/AIDS, would practically require a miracle since school fees for high school can cost $150-200 per semester.

And then the mother in me asks about toys. Tabitha lets out a short, disbelieving laugh, and tells me that the only toys the children have are ones that can be made from materials on hand like a soccer ball made from paper and string or sorting games made from pop bottle tops picked up off the ground.

I decide to ask omidyar.net users including Nancy Peddle of LemonAid Fund, Ray Brosseuk and David Bale for guidance on helping the Kamae Group. Nancy and I decide that I should tell the story here, to think out loud and give space to the collective wisdom to help me to help this wonderful work continue.

With hope and gratitude,