Help Millie Make a Difference in Kenya

This Fundraiser is organized by Paul Mburu on behalf of Millie.

Here's Millie in her own words:

Hello everyone,

 

My name is Millicent Kimaita from Nairobi, Kenya. I know that we are all trying to adjust favourably in light of everything happening around us and finances are constrained. Could you, however, please take a few minutes of your time to read my story & consider supporting me and/or sharing this within your networks. Asante Sana (that's the Swahili way of saying THANK YOU so much)!

I am passionate about local communities and culture with over four years of experience in community engagement. I love immersing myself in local stories, and I’m always eager to share raw, unscripted, untold African tales. I have traveled to some parts of Kenya and Bujumbura Burundi but have my eyes on all African nations. As a little girl growing up in a developing country, I was always keen on Women's & Children’s rights, but little did I know where that would take me. As a woman interested in uplifting other women and having a heart for the little ones in far-flung/marginalized areas in Kenya, my heart focused on quality education and sustainable livelihood. Little by little, I found myself working in the nonprofit world.

I’ve had a longstanding career in a nonprofit organization whose goal is to educate the next generation of conservationists and ensure the local communities in key wildlife areas (both in Kenya and Tanzania) receive tangible benefits of tourism. For example, quality education, quality school resources and quality healthcare. As an employee, I realized the gravity of the challenges faced in these areas; poverty, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), gender inequality, teen marriages and pregnancies, school dropouts, lack of quality education and then some. With weak and subpar policies, these areas often fall on the short-arm of the development "stick." I seek to analyze current policies and change their formulation to cater to the needs of the local communities, particularly women and children. So I decided to go back to school to pursue a Master's degree in Public Policy. At the heart of my pursuit are local women and little ones that I've formed bonds with during my tenure and the realization that more is possible.

 

I’ve been privileged to be accepted to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to study my Masters in International Public Policy and Management (IPPAM) at USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. My selection of Public Policy with a concentration in International and Economic Development for my graduate studies is so that I could gain the ability to examine different themes from a perspective of policy dilemmas & solutions and gain an adept knowledge into the interrelationship between politics and economics. I’m also interested in gaining practical tools/skills to analyze and formulate policies geared to solve global problems such as poverty, systemic inequality, and impaired education frameworks, which are at the core of my professional goals. This is ingrained in USC Sol Price School of Public Policy’s mission to improve the quality of life for people and their communities, locally and globally, achieved through education and research that promote innovative solutions to the most critical issues facing society.

To read more about my future goals upon graduation, please have a look here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jO7Jj6kcgS-tcwSSnzW2z1gK_t2ieGm229mw2vb273c/edit 

Program Details:

(I’ll share a complete breakdown once USC has published the Tuition and Fees for the 2022-2023 Academic Year).

Please find below a breakdown of living expenses:

My favorite Swahili saying is, “Kidogo, kidogo, hujaza kibaba” which when loosely translated means “Little by little, fills the cup.” Could you please help me raise funds to cover my tuition fees and take me a step closer to making a difference in remote parts of Kenya? Together we can change their world!

I’ll appreciate all your help; big or small; it will go a long way:)

 

Love,

Millie

Below is Millie's USC admission confirmation for the Fall 2022 semester.