East African Center

 

The East African Center (EAC) is a non-profit organization committed to assisting communities achieve empowerment through adult and child literacy programs, health education and poverty eradication programs.  The EAC aims to connect health education, general education and poverty eradication information and services to women and children in villages throughout East Africa. Populations of many villages often demonstrate extremely limited access to potentially beneficial information and services.

How will the EAC accomplish this?
            The information and services offered will be organized in small, inexpensive, largely community-operated resource centers. By offering sites close to, or right in villages, we will increase the population’s ability to access and utilize the information and services they request. Where many other organizations may launch short-term campaigns, each of East African Center’s resource centers will become a permanent fixture in the community, much like a shop or a library. The only change over time will be a general increase in the amount of information available & the number of services offered.

History
            The Center began in September 2000 as the Kenya Kids AIDS Project of the Seattle Jaycees. The goal of the Kenya Kids AIDS Project was to collect two shirts and two pairs of pants for each of the 108 HIV/AIDS infected and/or affected children of the Boma Rescue (an HIV/AIDS orphanage for children in Nairobi, Kenya). In just nine months, the project collected over 2-tons of clothing, blankets, shoes, medicine and school supplies along with more than $18,000. The items were too many to donate to only Boma Rescue, so donations were made to nine additional similar organizations. Money raised went to build Boma’s first permanent stone building. Not only was the original project a success in the eyes of the donation recipients, but the Project was also awarded CARE’s International Humanitarian Assistance Award at the 2001 JCI World Congress, 2001 Project of the Year Award for Washington State, the 2001 Project of the Year Award in the International Area of Opportunity, and United States Junior Chamber’s 2001 Dr. Jerry Bruce Memorial Award. The Kenya Kids AIDS Project evolved into the 501(c) 3 organization, the East African Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children (EAC or East African Center). In March 2002, the EAC began its first library in the village of Takaungu, Kenya. September 2002 brought the arrival of the first group of volunteers from the US to Takaungu Village. September 2003 is the scheduled opening date of the EAC’s first resource center.

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Did you know that your chapter can usually earn USJC parade points for making donations to the JC-EAC?  It’s true!! Contact Ann Albrecht at aalbrecht@EastAfricanCenter.org for details.

What can you/your chapter do to assist the JC-EAC?  There are so many ways to help!

§          Make a monetary donation to the JC-EAC

§          Run a “Takaungu Night” with friends, family, chapter members etc.

§          Purchase/sell Vutakaka Sewing Club products

§          During any chapter meeting, spend a few minutes informing your chapter members about the EAC.

§          Purchase /sell EAC bookplates

§    Sign up to be a JC-EAC program manager and promote the JC-EAC across your state.

JC-EAC National Director:

Ann Albrecht is the current JC-EAC Director. Please feel free to contact her for EAC information and supplies.

Address:  Ann Albrecht/East African Center,  7 Arbutus Avenue . Braintree, MA 02184
Phone: 617.750.1141 Email: aalbrecht@EastAfricanCenter.org