By Antynet Ford
Two community projects, one seeking to upgrade the infrastructure of a Kajiado County school and another that will equip a physiotherapy center in Nairobi’s Huruma slums, have been selected as the winners of the 2024 LG Ambassador Challenge, taking home Sh1 million each to advance their initiatives.
The Kajiado project targets the installation of equipment at the Ntinyika Primary School, which is located in Ilmarba Location of Oloililai Sub-county. The school, which has 180 students across the pre-primary to junior secondary school levels, lacks critical infrastructure, with a dire need for electricity, water and classroom equipment, including books.
The school’s head teacher, Paul Kamau, said:
“We are really happy to be selected for the award because this means that our school will now have critical items like sufficient lighting, water storage and much-needed textbooks. We are also keen to acquire basic computers that will give a chance to our students to interact with modern ICT tools.”
In Huruma, the second winning project hopes to equip a physiotherapy center that will benefit up to 30 children with special needs.
The project is run by Furaha Community Foundation, an NGO that has since 2005 been working to support the transformation of the lives of children within the community but has been limited in their support to those of different abilities, owing to a lack of appropriate equipment and other installations.
Its prize winnings are targeted at the acquisition of the tools, including gym equipment, required to run the program effectively.
Part of the budget will also support the provision of meals to the children, and wages for professional physiotherapists and caregivers.
“The winnings will help us provide inclusive, quality education and therapeutic support to differently-abled children. We already have an existing facility, which we now aim to upgrade with the equipment needed to create a child and family-friendly environment for regular physiotherapy services. This is in addition to offering nutrition support.” David Oginga, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation said.
Now in its fourth year, the LG Ambassador Challenge is run by LG Electronics (LG) East Africa and the Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI), a renowned non-governmental organization. It aims to recognize and support groups that actively address the pressing challenges within their communities.
This year 53 groups submitted their applications, which were whittled down to 10 from whom the final two were selected to win the cash award for investment in their communities. Among other review criteria, applicants were required to submit comprehensive project plans and comparative estimates for each item purchased, ensuring transparency and accountability.
A rigorous monitoring and evaluation process will be implemented to the two winning projects, with KFHI providing customized project progress and monitoring based on the location of the project screening, community selection, and unique characteristics of their teams. This individualized approach aims to maximize the impact of each project and facilitate meaningful change within communities. Additionally, KFHI’s Kenya branch will conduct regular visits, voice and video calls, and SMS communication with the winning teams, 2-3 times per week.
LG’s Managing Director for East Africa, Dongwon Lee, said the Challenge has over the years drawn attention to the numerous projects that are transforming the lives of people in their communities.
“Many groups are running impactful projects in their communities and from previous editions of the Ambassador Challenge, we have seen just how quickly their work can be impacted with some support.”
Erick Markarios, the Project Manager of the KHFI added: “This year, we received the highest number of applicants, all of which had great ideas. It was a tough process to select just two, but the winning duo really stood out. We also hope that the other groups will keep advancing their business plans, as they all portend a great impact.”
The LG Ambassador Challenge is part of LG Electronics East Africa’s community social responsibility engagements, which provide an opportunity for investment in local solutions that create lasting change and build resilient communities.
The company has to date given out KSh11 million in prize money to former winners, who have gone ahead to leave a notable impact in their communities.