EMO FOUNDATION

Emo Foundation 1

Emo Foundation is an independent arm of Emo charged with raising funds for various community projects as well as handling corporate social responsibility programs on behalf of the society and its arms.

Mission
To assist people in distress in order to alleviate their suffering and enable them enjoy dignified lives through; assisting needy children access quality education, assisting needy patients requiring urgent medical attention and those suffering from chronic ailments, helping communities to conserve their environment, providing relief to disaster victims and ensuring gender equity in resource mobilization and social development.

Core Values

The core values of the Foundation are; Unity of purpose, Justice and equality to all, Godliness in what we do and Participatory approaches.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Foundation are;

1. To assist needy children access quality education through financial support and counseling.
2. To assist needy patients especially chronic ailments access medical treatment both locally and abroad
3. To assist people faced with calamities, alleviate suffering and restore their dignity
4. To assist communities conserve their natural resources and environment for the current and future generations
5. To empower communities to participate and make informed decisions on various issues affecting them.
6. To enhance women and youth participation in resource mobilization and overall development in our society.

In order to drive the above objectives, Emo Foundation has set up five program areas. These are; Education, Health, Environment, Disaster Response and Advocacy.

Education Program

Through this program, the Foundation arm gives sponsorships to bright and needy students. To date, the Foundation, with the help of its partners, has managed to send some students to international universities and other institutions including our local universities. Among the beneficiaries of this program are 48 students who have secured full scholarships into world’s famous learning institutions in America such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Amherst, and Mount Holyoke Lehish among others.

 Fred Langat, an orphan engineering student at Makerere University has had his fees paid by the foundation. Several students have been assisted to get visas, advise, air tickets, bank statements etc.

 

Several other needy students in different education institutions have also benefitted from financial assistance from Emo Foundation.

Once this program becomes fully operational, the Foundation will be able to sponsor a good number of needy students and also assist those requiring scholarships abroad. 

Health Program

Health program started way back in September 2008 and since then, it has assisted several patients receive treatment in and outside Kenya. Through this program, Emo is dedicated to improving the lives and survival rates for patients in Kenya. It endeavors to promote social values that foster positive behavior for human development. It also facilitates the putting up of health institutions and helps create opportunities that would empower people economically.

Emo, through this program carries out sensitization and campaign programs against chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular, diabetes, breast and cervical cancer among other diseases. Many patients and Children’s Homes across the region have benefited from this program as they have received financial or material help such as wheelchairs, food and clothing etc. one of the beneficiaries of this program is Chepema Children’s Home in Rongai, Nakuru.

Marybeth Cherotich, a beneficiary of Emo Foundation program developed a heart complication at a tender age of 6 months. Through networking and fundraising, Ksh.1.3 million was raised to send the young girl to India for treatment.  She had a successful operation and is now living a normal life.

Bunny Chelangat, a 34 year old lady was diagnosed with terminal cancer and Emo came to her aid and cleared part of her medical bills. Through prayer by Rev. Jackson Kosgey at Emo Offices, she recovered and is currently healed.

Emo Foundation has made better the life of Gideon Kipchirchir who developed a neurological problem at the age of six that affected his mobility. He received a wheel chair from the organization and he is now able to move.

Environment Program

Emo Foundation has been in the forefront in advocating for environmental conservation especially on the western Kenya water towers such as Cherangany, Mau Complex and Mt. Elgon. Emo endeavours to reduce encroachment into such forests and reduction in illegal logging and other destructive activities in the forests. It also promotes rehabilitation and tree planting in the catchment areas. We also lobby and advocate for sustainable conservation policies. To ensure that these activities succeed, Emo networks and collaborates with local and International Organizations on conservation issues.

 

Various strategies have been laid down to ensure the success of the environment program. First through educating and sensitizing the communities on the need to protect and conserve the forests. This will be achieved by promoting sustainable use of forest products to improve income generating activities. Also among the strategies in place to guarantee the achievement of the objectives, is promotion of community-driven protection and conservation efforts.

Emo has also engaged in policy-making process on sustainable conservation efforts apart from establishing networks and building capacities of local partners to enhance conservation.

One such organization that has partnered with Emo to promote environmental conservation is Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). Training of farmers is one such area that KEFRI focuses on. By partnering with KEFRI, Emo Foundation is reaching out to many communities and sensitizing them on the enormous potential that conservation can bring.

Emo Foundation has also joined the Kenya Forest Working Group (KFWG) in her bid to partner with others in the conservation, protection and restoration of the Kenyan water towers. The group champions the promotion of sustainable forest management in Kenya and draws its members and partners from the Governmental, UN and Non-Governmental Organizations as well as individuals with the same goal of conservation of the forest cover facing a slow death due to human activities.

The KFWG is a gathering of individuals and organizations (government and non-government, local, national and international) concerned with forests, their conservation and management. The group has provided a forum for exchanging and sharing information and experiences among members.

Disaster Response Program

The Foundation responds to emergencies and also provides relief to different areas and situations such as natural calamities and disastrous events that occur in our country.

Some of the examples where the foundation came in handy to help victims of disasters include; evacuation of trapped victims of the post election violence (PEV) in January 2008 from Naivasha and Kisanana.

The February 2^nd 2009 Sachangwan fire tragedy killed over 130 people and injured over 100 others. Emo Foundation responded by setting up a tent at Kenyatta National Hospital to provide assistance to the families, relatives and friends of the fire victims. Through counseling, directing and comforting the families, relatives and friends of the victims, the Foundation was able to reach out to these people in their hour of need.

Emo Foundation was also helpful to the Mau evictees by assisting them to settle by the roadside as they awaited re-settlement by the government in late 2009 among others.

Advocacy Program

Emo Society advocates for peaceful coexistence among different communities living in the greater Rift Valley and Kenya at large. Through the Foundation it has responded to conflicts that have occurred in Kenya in the recent past, one being the infamous post-election violence that erupted after the disputed 2007 General Elections. In collaboration with other organizations such as the government and the international community e.g. USAID contributed and aided efforts to bring to an end to the violence that had broken out.

Appeal to calm and peace was Emo’s first action immediately the violence broke out. On 16^th January, 2008, Emo composed a message of peace that was frequently aired through Kass FM, a Kalenjin vernacular radio station. At the height of the mayhem, Emo facilitated frequent religious leaders’ meeting across the province that brought together leaders from the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities to preach peace.

Later that year, through Emo Society presented a report to the Commission of Inquiry into the post-election violence seeking to remove the notion created by certain quarters to the effect that the Kalenjin community planned and funded the violence. The report was done by the Justice Peace and Reconciliation Committee (JPRC) which is under the Foundation arm.

Through its ‘Amani Rift Valley' peace program, the JPRC  undertook to build consensus for peace preaching in the region. This program was aimed at creating a forum for the all the stakeholders from the region to work together towards bringing a lasting peaceful solution to the perennial conflicts.

EMO Society has enjoyed support and goodwill from the general public in the peace building processes in the region which has helped in promoting peace and reconciliation through the initiatives of the various stakeholders in the region.

The stakeholders taking part in the program included; religious leaders, local leaders, senior executives, professionals, seating and former Members of Parliament, business persons and the general public.