Desks for schoolchildren

Jonathan

Mombasa, Kenya

9% paid forward

Entrepreneur

Name

Jonathan

Member since

May 2017

On-time repayments

46 installments  •  46%

About Me

Living on a semi-desert, Kang’ole area in Uganda, I was among 5 who went to school out of over 200 youths in the area. At the beginning, my friend, Wabwire who studied at Lwatama Primary School helped me to read and write.

While on grazing grounds with my friend Wabwire, I requested him to teach me how to read and write. I paid him tuition fee of roasted cassavas, ripe bananas and mangoes. He dearly accepted my tuition fee. He was a very good teacher.

Through him I was able to read and write in Swahili and English. I used my skill to write the name of my father on different trees along roads and walls. When two village elders read it, they passed information to my father. He got shocked!. In the evening of a Sunday, while totally drunk, he called me and told me to go to school, 13 kilometers away from home. I went to school on Monday without school books, pens, shoes, bag, place to stay, food, so on. I walked all the 26 kilometers per day to school with hope to succeed in life. I went to school for 2 days and decided to burn charcoal to get money for school supplies and food. I did it until I completed 7 years of primary education. In high school I became great charcoal, alcohol seller and farmer to pay my tuition fees. This helped me to complete high school.
With no option to university education, I got married then left for Mombasa in search of a job. I was successful to secure a job at private security company, Fast Force/911.
After two years, my wife came to stay with me. Life was so hard because I earned little money from my job and no education to our own children. We decided to start Joyland Prime Academy to help eliminate cost of children’s education and generate some income to feed family. It was the only one of the kind. My wife and I became anonymous carpenters for the first time to make desks because we had no money to buy them. My little money was used to feed family and other basic needs. Life became simple. I started school with KES 1500 in 2008
One good thing is, there are many middle class parents and population is big enough for school to grow.
I have 6 children. 1 son and 4 daughters with 1 total orphan under my family care.
Felix is interested in becoming entrepreneur
Eileen is interested in becoming tour guide
Paula is interested in becoming doctor
Pauline is interested in becoming doctor
Michelle is interested in becoming entrepreneur
Alexis interested in becoming engineer (orphan)
Welcome all

My Business

On 8th of September 2008 Joyland Prime Academy was born to educate self sponsored and 10 less privileged children. The community around school used not to give any consideration to education but nowadays community members have known that education opens chances to employment.

The reasons why I chose education
=will provide a platform for my kids to get educated
=will provide a platform for community to get education
=opens chances into job market and self employment

The cost of project
School Desks cost $ 5000.
The first installment is $ 500.

The Advantage of buying desks
=increase population of children in school
=sitting space reducecovid-19 spread

I am staying positive and knowing that I will get through this. However, I have a plan. I have found cheaper desks on sale.

I am not selfish; I have decided to give back. In my school, I helped 5 children from poorest families complete primary education and still providing free education to 10 poorest children. 2 are in high school now. Cheers! This project has not been so successful in 2020 because of covid-19 prevalence and impact

Project Proposal

Buying 5 desks will help children sit in classrooms comfortably, happily and makes me stress free. The business will increase by KES 3000 per week

My Videos

Jul 5, 2021: Joyland kids

Feedback

1

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  • J    May 31, 2018

    Neat on time repayments. Good status updates.

    Log in to reply • Share


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Project Info

Project Type

Pay It Forward

Disbursed amount

$139.00

Date disbursed

Jul 9, 2021

Backers

H

hilde

seattle, United States

J

Netherlands

Maria Lawler

United States

Elizabeth

Ghana, Ghana

Rose

Techiman, Ghana

Emmanuel

Accra, Ghana

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