About Us
Amini Community Foundation 10-year Anniversary
Who we are
Amini Community Foundation formerly Amini Mogotio CBO is a community-based organization founded with a goal to make a big difference in a small way.
Our mission
Our mission is to partner with community to improve socioeconomic outcomes. We do this in six different ways. (1) promoting environmental conservation (2) promoting skills-based education (3) promoting small scale women entrepreneurs (4) sponsoring needy students to access high school education and college education (5) connecting the academically talented students to scholarships abroad. (6) supporting athletes pursue their talents.
Our vision
Our vision resides in the word, Amini. We see a community where each of us believes in the power in our hands to make a big difference in a small way in every life we touch.
Travelling through our 10-year journey
We are very thankful for the 10-year work anniversary which we have accomplished together. We started off in 2014 without a thought or plan of what we would look at 10 years down the road.
Outreach to people with disabilities
Our first project was working with Emining Peace ambassodors in 2014-2015 to reach out to people with disabilities. Together with Emining team we were able to reach out to Esther. A physically challenged lady who was unable to walk. We donated a wheelchair and build her a small bedsitter. Thereafter, we supported her to get medical treatment and rehabilitation. By 2017 she was walking on her own.
Promoting Sports Talents
In December 2014 we also started our sports talent promotion by supporting soccer players through Amini Mogotion- Cheraisi cup tournament. All top 8 teams as ranked by FKF participated and well awarded cash prices. With those cash awards the teams were able to purchase much needed equipment making it possible for them to participate even more actively in FKF league. Chemogoch FC which emerged victorious has also been able to be elevated to higher division in FKF leagues. We did soccer tournaments again in 2015,2017,2018 and 2022.
We also support athletes in our small training camp in Iten.On of our athletes Aurelia Kiptui did very well last year placing second in stantchart marathon in Nairobi, third in Tunis marathon and fourth in Abu Dhabi marathon. She is currently preparing to participate in Barcelona marathon in March.
Tree planting
A forest starts with one tree. In 2015, 2018 and 2023 we started Amini Mogotio tree planting initiative in collaboration with local communities. Our biggest effort was in Noiwet Trading Center, Kiptoim trading center and surrounding areas. We have planted of 6000 trees so far. Some trees did not survive, and many did survive and currently providing shade to the people of Noiwet. Pictured below are those trees in 2015 and how those survived.
Skills based education
In 2016 we started the skills-based education promotion and support. We managed to sponsor several students to pursue diploma courses in Emining TTI. All of them have graduated and currently using skills learned to earn a living by either in gainful employment or being self-employed. Congratulations to 2023 graduates. Kiluge, Gilbert Kiprop, Felicity Toroitich, Daisy Sawe, Maurine Busi, and Norah Lagat.
Amini Sacco empowerment initiative
Our small-scale entrepreneurs face a lot of challenges accessing funding to facilitate their businesses. The challenge became even worse when COVID hit. Business became harder due to several market restrictions and fewer customers. This is when we started Amini Sacco initiative. We started initially with 25 women who requested small support. They saved 25,000 shillings and we boosted them with 50,000. The Amini Sacco initiative has since grown from 25 women to 300. From savings of 25,000 to now over 1.5 million shillings. Here are some of their stories.
Esther Chesire ( mama sharon) from kamar location, molos village is hard working Amini lady, she is in leadership position as chair lady of one of the groups.
She is one of our exemplary beneficiaries of Amini Women initiative. With the power of pooling their own resources together and we giving them a small boost, these women are able to put food on the table for their families and send their children to school.
All she needed to start off was 5000 shillings. Now she has her hustle up and running selling great produce, and more in Mogotio market. With this hustle she is able to provide for her family including school fees to her children in high school and even in college.
Judy Ngetich a mama mboga in Wetlands Mogotio town is one of our exemplary beneficiaries of Amini Women initiative. All she needed to start her off is a small boost and it is this business which has kept her going,
Women are not the only beneficiaries of Amini Sacco initiative. We also have men doing small business as well. Amini is about believing in the power in our hands and igniting the entrepreneurial spirit within us.
Dickson Cherutich, is an exemplary beneficiary of Amini group initiative. With the small boost he is able to keep on keeping on with his butchery hustle in Mogotio center. With this hustle he is able to provide for himself and his family
Supporting needy students to access education
Accessing high school education is a challenge due to increasing costs. Average cost of high school education is 50 thousand shillings even after capitation by Government.
As Amini Community Foundation we have been able to contribute in our small way to assist the needy students by fully sponsoring them in their secondary education. We have sponsored more than 30 students so far. Many are currently in school, and others completed their KCSE last year.
We congratulate the Amini sponsored students for stellar performances during the just released KCSE results.
1. Felix Soli- Emining Boys— B+
2. Jemima Kiprop – Kapropita Girls- B plain
3. Winnie Jelabat Sang -Kiptoim Secondary School- C+
4. Jepchumba Kurui- Ngubereti Secondary School -C plain.
The above four students we just highlighted out of the many other Amini students who graduated last year because each of them has unique personal life story to tell.
Felix Soli became orphaned at the age of 2, lost both of his parents and was left under the care of the Jepchirchir Muya aka mama (Achieng) who passed away immediately thereafter making Soli full orphan again for the second time. Soli got the help from different people from house to house as he went to school. Thanks to the good heart of our people. He was referred to Amini when he did well in primary school and being got admitted to Emining high school. As expected, he had no way to pay for his school fees. We sponsored him fully from form one to four. He just did well in Emining High. As you saw above, he posted exemplary performance in this year’s KCSE, earned a good B+. He wants to be a pharmacist.
Jemimah Jepkemoi Kiprop hails from Olmarai Village, Chemogoch sub location, Mogotio constituency. She attended Legetetwet primary school where she sat for her KCPE and attained 331 points. She was admitted to Kapropita High School. Her mother was undergoing several medical challenges and had no way to pay for Jemima’s school fees. She was referred to Amini after having exhausted all avenues including not securing government bursary. We managed to sponsor her fully from form one to four. She just completed her High school studies with a exemplary grade of B(stand). Having seen her mother suffer through several medical challenges, Jemima intends to pursue a course in medical field in order to help others like her mom in future.
Jepchumba Kurui completed her KCSE at Ngubereti secondary school with impressive grade of C plain. Impressive in that Jepchumba is a mother of three and was able to balance between school and caring for her young children. Jepchumba is a very determined young woman and intends to pursue a career in medical field or education.
Winnie Jelabat is from Tungtung village Kiptoim. She did not let her harsh economic situation detract her from chasing a dream and she scored impressive C plus which will make her eligible to join any college of her choice. She also intends to pursue a course in medical field. Congratulations to them.
Supporting students in Colleges and Universities
Accessing college education is also a big challenge to many students who qualify even with HELB. Amini Community has chipped in to help few exceptionally needy students. We will highlight just one or two.
Marion Chirchir is one of our exemplary beneficiaries. Marion comes from Koitebes in Mogotion constituency. She always wanted to be a teacher. She worked hard to attain a grade of B in High School but had no means to pay for college. She had given up on her dream. Together with many supporters like you, we were able to support her to complete her teaching education. She is now teaching Chemistry in one of the high schools.
Vincent Kosgei is a very bright young mant for Mogotio. Scored A- in KCSE out of Emining High school several years ago. His dream is to be a civil engineer in order to contribute to upgrading our infrastructure. Vincent is from very humble background and after high school he tried apply every kind of financial assistance in order to join Machakos University without a success. Together with most of you, Amini Community is now supporting him to continue with his studies. Thanks to great people who have held his hand along the way.
Connecting students to scholarship abroad
Studying abroad is very expensive and without scholarship, it is beyond reach even to the financially able individuals. As part of our mission, we have successfully assisted several academically talented students to obtain full scholarships in high level universities in USA.
Among our very successful students include; Anthony Kiprono who graduated with honors from Central Methodist University and currently a medical practitioner in the state of North Carolina. Bethwel Kiplimo who graduated with highest honors from Princeton University and currently a software Engineer in Microsoft. Our newest student is Elizabeth Jemosop Kenda who will be joining YALE this August.
To put it in proper perspective, the cost of attending Princeton, Yale and Central Methodist University is 90,000 dollars per year each. This is equivalent to 14 million Kenya shillings per year. In fours years it is 56 million Kenya shillings. That is the positive economic impact of each of those scholarships to our community.
