Save the neglected Obama school in Kenya!
Conservative bloggers aren’t waiting for The One Who Is The Change He Seeks. No, they’re doing it for themselves.
Doing what, you ask?
Doing the job Barack Obama wasn’t willing to do: Helping out a little school in Kenya that bears Obama’s name and which he promised to assist.
Shocker: It was an empty promise. The school remains in dire need of help, as It’s Vintage, Duh pointed out. Via the Evening Standard last week:
[Obama] told the assembled press, local politicians (who included current Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga), and students: “Hopefully I can provide some assistance in the future to this school and all that it can be.” He then turned to the school’s principal, Yuanita Obiero, and assured her and her teachers: “I know you are working very hard and struggling to bring up this school, but I have said I will assist the school and I will do so.”
…Seven months ago I travelled to Iowa to cover the start of the US primaries and was impressed by Obama’s charisma and integrity as he kicked off a thrilling battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Now, with only John McCain standing in the way of him making history as America’s first black President, and amid the fanfare over his current world tour, nowhere is this possibility more eagerly awaited than in Kogelo, the place where his father and grandfather are buried. Yet there is disappointment and hurt here, too. Granting us access to the school and its records, Principal Obiero, 48, tells us: “Senator Obama has not honoured the promises he gave me when we met in 2006 and in his earlier letter to the school. He has not given us even one shilling. But we still have hope.”
The letter Obiero refers to – dated 22 June 2005, signed by Obama and addressed to her – was written after his election to the US Senate in 2004 and hangs, framed, on the wall of her spartan office alongside photographs of Obama’s visit to their school. It says: “I am honoured that you have decided to rename the Kogelo School in my name.
The land that the school is built on was donated by my grandparents and I am proud to carry on the tradition of supporting the school.”
Obiero and her board of governors followed up his letter offering ” support” with a bald, formal request for funds in the form of a nine-page proposal, a copy of which has been provided to the Evening Standard, laying out their ambitions for the school. In it they ask for 8.2 million Kenyan shillings (approximately £65,000) to upgrade the school. The money would be used, they say, to bring water to the school by sinking a borehole and building a water tank, erect a perimeter fence, complete the science laboratory and add muchneeded new classrooms, additional latrines, and a school dining hall.
Obiero recalls: “When the US Ambassador William Bellamy came to visit the school for the official renaming ceremony in February 2006, we gave him two copies of the proposal, one for the Embassy and one to give to Senator Obama. But we have not heard anything from either of them since.”
Kenyan-American milblogger Juliette Ochieng at Baldilocks is setting up a non-profit called “Save Senator Obama Kogelo School, Inc” to effect the change the village had hoped Obama would deliver.
Wrote Juliette:
Since I am of the same tribe as Obama, I think that it should fall to me to assist in filling in this gap. I’d like to start a fund to help this village school—and others, if possible.
Off the top of my head, the following information needs to be known:
1. an itemized list of the things which the village schools in Kenya require and that school in particular
2. supporting items and services for the above list
3. the logistics
4. the oversight plan of the money and the tasks
5. maintenance and upkeep requiredIn addition, there’s an over-arching concern about the infrastructure in the country: how much modern technology can the village handle?
I’m a fund-raising virgin, however, so as soon as I get some more information, we’ll get this ball rolling.
BTW, this will be a non-partisan endeavor. I’ve tweaked Obama as much as I’m going to on this topic. I’ll keep thumping him about other stuff but not about this. Heck, he can help–even get out in front of this parade as he is wont to do.
You can donate here.
And no, Michelle O, this conversation doesn’t help your kids.
But it will help one Kenyan village’s kids.
And you and Barack are all about saving the children, right?
Pitch in!
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
- Obama Ignores School Named After Him « Something should go here, maybe later.
- Barack Obama's Empty Promise To His Father's African Village | Stuck On Stupid
- The Other McCain: 'But we still have hope'
- Conservative Bloggers Carry Through On Barack Obama's Empty Promise To Help Kenyan School | Stuck On Stupid
- PAXALLES
- Rhymes With Right
- UK Newspaper Tells It Like It Is: Obama’s empty promises: No Money For Kenya School « Dianej’s Weblog
- This Goes to 11
- Are We Lumberjacks?
- Conservatives Following Through On Obama’s Promises « Tai-Chi Policy
- Save The School In Kenya Obama Neglected! : BigMouthFrog
- Michelle Malkin » Meet the anti-Obama
- Condoleezza Rice is a Classy Christian: « Riggword Weblog
- Pajamas Media » Barack’s Helpful Hints for Sarah
- Barack’s Helpful Hints for Sarah « The Liberty Boys
- Michelle Malkin » What should Obama do with his $30 million campaign surplus?
- Michelle Malkin » What should Obama do with the Nobel prize money?
- What should Obama do with the Nobel prize money? « Thoughts Of A Conservative Christian
- AntiObamaBlog.com » What Should Obama Do With $1.4 Million Nobel Prize Money
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Rob:
Ignore Captain Dogcatcher. Especially if he calls you “sanctimonious”. It’s his favorite big word.
Please, help some poor schoolkids? No way, he has 200,000 (oh Ok, 20,000,000) Germans and press to impress. It’s all about the crowds, not the need. The only need Obama wants fulfilled is his needy ego.
Kenya learns again the value of the promise of an American politician.
Whatever “change” he promised in Washington has already been put into play. No more on the horizon.
And, oh, btw, did my grandfather forget to tell you, the land was only on loan? I might be needing it back.
Rob, would’ve been alot easier just to say yes, but thanks for having the onions to respond.
MikeO, checked out your website. Big props to you for walking the walk, and thanks for sharing your insights on this subject.
Just as I said… libtards don’t want to listen to anything, they just repeat their tiny mind words… “racist”, “bigot”, “change”…Don’t stray from the talking points.
Thanks for the link, Michelle!
It’s always nice to wake up to a Michelle-lanch.
Rob, not much percentage in arguing this point with you to be frank. In my experience, folks are either bigoted relative to a particular group or they’re not. It has absolutely nothing to do with ideology or labels such as liberal and conservative. Neither does it have anything to do with being PC. It speaks for itself. BTW and FWIW, I’m a Goldwater conservative or a libertarian conservative if you prefer. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Yeah, like the bigots against Christians…
No doubt atheling. I’m not all that big on organized religion of any flavor, but you’re right. Bigotry against Christians, or anybody else for that matter, has no place in civilized society.
I’ll do it. I “waste” my money sponsoring a kid from Thailand (for nearly ten years) so I’ll throw some money at this school deal.
Why should a bunch of kids in Kenya suffer just because Barack Obama is a massive massive hypocrite?
I’m no fan of Obama, or coming to his rescue. However, in this case, I think the reputation of the United States in on the line. Thanks to “Baldilocks” and MikeO for their efforts for this. (And yes, also give to US-based charities.)
I think we call that tax money. But I’m for helping any kid go to a good school, here or there. I think they would waste less in both dollar amounts (duh) and percentage than we do with our schools.
Exactly! Imagine the audacity of funding a school that carries your name with the money of others. What an embarrassment. When will the MSM talk about this?
New Obama slogan: Empty Suit, Empty Promises, Change you can believe in!
Any chance we can get the school to change their name to “compassionate conservatives school”?
HA! First he’ll need some!