Two impactful community projects, one focused on upgrading the infrastructure of Ntinyika Primary School in Kajiado County and another on equipping a physiotherapy center in Nairobi’s Huruma slums, have emerged as winners of the 2024 LG Ambassador Challenge. Each project will receive Kshs 1 million to support its objectives, which aim to transform the lives of vulnerable groups in their respective communities.
The challenge, organized by LG Electronics (LG) East Africa in partnership with Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI), is in its fourth year and seeks to empower community-driven initiatives tackling pressing societal challenges. This year’s competition saw a record 53 submissions, narrowed down to two exceptional winners.
Ntinyika Primary School, located in the Ilmarba Location of Oloililai Subcounty, Kajiado County, caters to 180 students ranging from pre-primary to junior secondary school levels. Despite its commitment to education, the school faces significant infrastructural challenges, including inadequate lighting, lack of water, and insufficient classroom materials like textbooks.
The Kshs 1 million award will be used to address these issues, with the installation of essential equipment, water storage facilities, and modern learning tools such as computers.
“We are really happy to be selected for the award because this means that our school will now have critical items like sufficient lighting, water storage, and much-needed textbooks,” said Paul Kamau, the headteacher of Ntinyika Primary School. “We are also keen to acquire basic computers that will give our students a chance to interact with modern ICT tools.”
(left) LG Electronics EA Managing Director Dongwon Lee and Korea Food For The Hungry International Project Manager Erick Markarios hand over a one million Kenya shillings cheque to Furaha Community Foundation Co-founder & Executive Director David Oginga and Furaha Community Foundation pupil Godwin Odeng during the official awarding ceremony of the 2024 LG Ambassador Challenge winners.
In Huruma, the Furaha Community Foundation has been working since 2005 to uplift the lives of children in the community. However, its efforts to support children with special needs have been hampered by a lack of appropriate physiotherapy equipment and installations.
The Foundation’s project will now benefit from the Kshs 1 million prize, which will be used to acquire gym equipment, enhance the center’s facilities, and support nutrition programs for up to 30 children with special needs. Additionally, part of the funds will go towards wages for professional physiotherapists and caregivers.
“The winnings will help us provide inclusive, quality education and therapeutic support to differently-abled children,” said David Oginga, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Furaha Community Foundation. “We already have an existing facility, which we now aim to upgrade with the equipment needed to create a child and family-friendly environment for regular physiotherapy services.”
The LG Ambassador Challenge adopted a meticulous approach in identifying and supporting impactful projects. KFHI, in collaboration with LG, will oversee a tailored monitoring and evaluation process for the winning initiatives. This will include regular site visits, voice and video calls, and SMS communication with the project teams, ensuring progress is aligned with their objectives.
“This year, we received the highest number of applicants, all of which had great ideas. It was a tough process to select just two, but the winning duo really stood out,” said Erick Markarios, Project Manager at KFHI.
Speaking about the challenge’s impact, Dongwon Lee, Managing Director of LG Electronics East Africa, emphasized the importance of supporting grassroots initiatives.
“There are many groups running impactful projects in their communities, and from previous editions of the Ambassador Challenge, we have seen just how quickly their work can be impacted with some support,” said Lee.
The success of the 2024 edition continues to highlight the significant role corporate-social partnerships can play in addressing community needs and fostering sustainable development. While only two projects received funding this year, organizers hope that all participants will continue working towards their goals to create meaningful change