Founding of the association in May 2021: Galana Rivers School Project e.V.

New association with social engagement in Kenya as mission and mandate

Gerhard Große and Markus Dietzt (from left to right) met in Biberach to discuss the strategic direction of the Galana River School Project.

 CLUB WORLD IN BIBERACH ENRICHED - SUPPORTING MEMBERS WANTED

Verein “Galana River School Project e.V.” mit sozialem Schwerpunkt in Biberach gegründet

 

There is a new association with a foreign-sounding name in Biberach: the "Galana River School Project e.V." with its headquarters at Friedenstrasse 23 in Biberach. What does the association do and what is it all about?

Here are the answers:

In 2020, at an off-road meeting in Forchtenberg, the couple Sonja and Gerhard Große heard for the first time about the project that was launched by Markus and Birgit Dietz in 2014. At that time, the two Forchtenbergers went on safari in Kenya. They stopped in a village consisting of simple huts. Here they also saw how the children were taught by a teacher sitting on the ground under a tree. Later, they got into conversation with the teacher and he urgently asked for help to build a school.

Education is the key to a self-determined life, to progress and innovation. Those who do not attend school can only remain farmers and live poorly from the fruits of the fields. Without health care, without money.

Markus and Birgit Dietz took this speech to heart and have since supported the village, the "Mwanza community", collected donations and spent many months a year there. In 2018, the time had come: the first school building was completed under the leadership of Markus Dietz: three classrooms in an unadorned building and three teachers' flats. Through further efforts, the school was then recognised by the state, which has the advantage that the state provides and pays the teachers.

Currently, 240 children attend the school and unfortunately many children still have to be taught outside under a tree because the three classrooms are not sufficient. Due to Corona, many donations were not received in 2020 and the project could not develop further, even though Markus Dietz was on site for almost 10 months.
Enthusiastic about the idea and the commitment, the Große couple decided to actively support this project. By donating and helping with public relations.

To give the project an official status, it was necessary to found an association. Thus, the "Galana River School Project e.V." has been in existence in Biberach since May 2021. On the website https://galanariverschool.com you can find the Online donation form as well as all information about the project. There is also a link to the Membership application. The association is a non-profit organisation and donors receive a donation receipt for submission to the tax office.

Membership is free of charge, because each member decides for themselves whether and how much they want to donate. Non-donors are also welcome as members, because the larger the membership base, the more influence the association has in the Kenyan authorities.

In order to realise the extension for three more classrooms and teachers' flats, donations of 75,000 Euros are currently being sought. In addition, it is possible to sponsor individual children financially to enable them to receive schooling and vocational training so that the village community can grow even more. The sponsorship profiles can also be found on the homepage. A limited sponsorship up to a certain year or stage of life also helps immensely.

For example, Markus Dietz is the only person with medical training within a radius of 100 km or 4 hours of off-road driving, because he was a paramedic for years.

But a boy from the village is about to finish his medical studies and will then return to the community as a doctor. But all this only because there were people who made it possible for him to study through donations: because after primary school, school has to be paid for, as well as studies. And almost no one can afford that, especially not from the village areas.

The association currently has 28 members in Germany. The aim is to recruit 250 members within the next few years so that the idea of the "Galana River School" is always in the public eye. The name of the association comes from the fact that the village and the school are located on the "Galana River" in Kenya. It is a 4-hour drive through the bush without roads from the nearest town, Malindi.
The project has already been presented several times on the SWR radio interview and the magazine "OffRoad" has also reported about it. It has its own Youtube channel, where you can also get your own picture of the conditions: just search for "GalanaRiverSchool" on Youtube.
The association would be very happy to have new members, especially if they want to donate or are willing to take on sponsorships. Or want to actively participate.

here you can go to the Website