Project Kilimahewa
Kilimahewa is the name of a village that lies in the shadows of the beautiful mountain that beckons adventurists from around the world. Extending from Arusha Road into the hills, Kilimahewa and the surrounding villages are populated primarily by subsistence farmers who live in mud, stick, or possibly concrete, one or two room structures without running water or electricity.
Men struggle to find sources of income, often falling into self-destructive behaviors… women struggle to shoulder the responsibility of both their families and their land… children struggle simply to survive –
and all struggle to gain an education – to learn fundamental skills that can be a real life “golden ticket” to a productive future.
In September 2006, a group of local citizens teamed up with Grace Lyimo, whose family owned property with a small building to provide an educational refuge for local teenagers - The Women and Children’s Centre for Education (KIWOCE).
EdPowerment commits to Kilimahewa
Through an international organization, a series of foreign volunteers visited the newly-formed Kilimahewa School to teach English and other subjects for short periods of time. In 2010, three of these U.S. teaching “alumni” banded together to support the needs of Kilimahewa as part of an umbrella 501-C3. Knowing that education does not exist in a vacuum, EdPowerment tackled a grassroots, hands-on program of economic and educational support to elevate this community, so close to the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro, and yet so overlooked by the world.
