The soothing sounds of Colgate's a cappella groups have turned into some much-needed financial support for a Kenyan school that serves 250 poor and orphaned children.
The Colgate Thirteen, Dischords, Resolutions, and Swinging 'Gates teamed up last week to raise $500 during a benefit concert at Hamilton's First Baptist Church.
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| The Colgate Thirteen warms up before a benefit concert held to provide funds for Jambo Jipya School in Kenya. The concert was in Hamilton's First Baptist Church. (Photo by Andy Daddio) |
The money will go toward building new classrooms for the Jambo Jipya School, located in Mtwapa, Kenya. The school, which was founded in 2004 as a single mud hut, is in need of an expanded facility to accommodate the increasing number of students.
Jambo Jipya means "something new" in Kenya's native language of Swahili.
Sam Meyer '10, a Colgate Thirteen member, first heard about Jambo Jipya from a close friend who established Reason 2 Smile, a nonprofit organization which supports the Kenyan school.
"When I learned about Jambo Jipya and the children there," Meyer said, "I immediately felt compelled to have Colgate's
a cappella groups generate support for the school.
"Professors, students, and people from the village of Hamilton came together as members of the same community to help kids who don't have the opportunities that we do," added Meyer.
About 60 Colgate students and community members turned out for the charity concert on Oct. 2.
To raise money, the a cappella groups sold bracelets as well as 50/50 raffle tickets, and they collected cash donations for the school.
Click
here for information about donating to Jambo Jipya.