The Tractor Project
Hello, My name is Benjamin Duggan I'm an 19-year old who's emotionally invested in a group of impoverished yet remarkable children 10,000 miles away. Upon returning from my trip to Kenya in May, I've been wondering how I can give back to all the children who taught me invaluable lessons of gratitude, a minimalistic way of life and a seemingly unalienable state of happiness. I think I've found a way that I can make such amends.
I plan on raising money to buy a tractor for Jipe Moyo Nursery School. I believe with a strategically organized and well-planned coalition of social media networking, collections at churches and fundraising at local schools this dream will become a reality. I plan to raise $10,000 through my GoFundMe page and $17,000 through collections at churches and fundraising at local schools. I believe I can raise my goal of $27,000 over the next 10 months. Why a Tractor? A tractor can be rented out months prior to their rain season for approximately 2000 Kenyan shillings (25.96 CAD) an hour (over half a month's salary for a teacher). A tractor can do weeks of manual labour in a couple hours time. This additional source of income will create economic stability in the lives of not only the phenomenal teachers but the students and their parents. A tractor over time will give administration the freedom to start other projects, such as a chicken coop, purchasing larger animals, sponsoring children in the surrounding villages who currently cannot pay the tuition, perhaps even a meal plan for the children who do not get the opportunity to eat breakfast or lunch.
The economic inequality existing in the world today is often perceived as an insurmountable dilemma that no one seems to have an answer to, as a result people tend to justify not doing anything due to the fact that they are "only one person" and that they're powerless in the situation. There is hope, by applying an attitude of gratitude and stewardship towards our possessions; that these things we've inherited as a result of living in a first world country are but only temporary gifts. Imagine a world where we eliminate the word "mine" from our vocabularies and share these gifts with those less fortunate, where we gain interest in the quality and well being of our fellow man's lives opposed to our own materialistic gain. I can ensure you that the satisfaction of doing something for someone else, significantly impacting their life surpasses the instant gratification that is associated with buying non-essential items. Happiness is not materialistic gain, as the capitalistic society we live in has deceitfully instilled in our minds, rather happiness is found predominatntly in human connection and the way we chose to perceive our lives.
A mid-ranged tractor, according to quotes from the websites autobazaar.co.ke and tractors.co.ke, are approximately 2,000,000 KES which translates to $25,940 (CAD). I plan on raising another 80,000 KES totaling $1,037 (CAD) for the construction of the shed made specifically for the Tractor. Any remaining funds will be spent on shoes for the children to prevent Jigger infestation. My father who is a financial advisor will set up a separate bank account for all proceeds when the money is released from GoFundMe.
I wish to have raised the funds by April of 2018 so I can oversee the purchasing of the Tractor and construction of the shelter for the Tractor during my next trip to Kenya in the Spring of 2018.
The betterment of the people's lives who I've come to love will bring me great satisfaction. A wise woman once told me that being born in this country is nothing but an unearned birth given privilege and that we mustn't forget about those living in impoverished countries. I hope what I've shared in this brief synopsis of my plan inspires you to donate to this promising cause; to give to a community 10,000 miles away with people not so different than you and I. Together we can make a positive impact in this world!
