Library Project

The Koinonia foundation has a new initiative and we are all very excited about it. We are going to be putting in a library at one of the schools that we will be installing solar lighting in this summer.

Libraries are an esential part of the education of those in need in Africa. Students need to be able to read lots of different material to increase their English skills, as well as their overall education. It is important that there be a variety of material to choose from so that students will read for enjoyment as well as for their classes.

Ashley Garrigan, who can be contacted at Ashley@KFAid.com is heading up this project. Ashley is a librarian at the Hoke Library in Jensen Beach Florida.

We will be putting this first library at the ETO in Giterama, Rwanda. The ETO is a technical school that trains high school age children in subjects such as electrity, auto mechanics, construction, etc. These students also get a quality education in the basics as well. This means that we will be able to put in technical books for their specialized training, but also books on other subjects and literature for enjoyment.

The Koinonia Foundation became involved with the school when they approached us about coming in and doing some solar lighting training. What started out as a simple lecture class, has turned into a wonderful relationship. We will be doing the training by installing solar lighting at the school and having the students help us do it. Hands on training. The students will then continue their education by learning how to service the systems, and they will be installing solar power into a home they build for a needy family in the Giterama area. They do this every year as a final project.

This is going to be a great project, and I hope more people get excited about it. We need to raise $10,000 to complete the library for the ETO. If you would like to donate toward this project, please visit the donate page on our website and specify that you would like the money to go the library initiative.

Andrew Williams

K-Light

I just received a package of K-Lights, so I thought I would write about those. I know you can get info on them from our website, but I have been out of them since my trip to Rwanda and Kenya this past November, so I am excited to finally have more.

I can't hold onto the things. To do the interviews I have done over the past few weeks, I had to keep borrowing back the one I gave to my neighbor. He was nice about it, but I know it was annoying, as I see him use it every night.

That is the thing; this lantern is not just a nice way to provide some inexpensive light to those in Third World countries, or a way to stop the heavy usage of kerosene, it is just a great lantern. It is so bright, handy, and recharges. No searching for more batteries. The thing is just amazing.

I am hopeful it will be available for purchase in the United States this spring, because I don't want to keep running out of them.

Anyway, I just wanted to laud the K-Light today.

Andrew Williams

Holidays in New York

I wanted to let you all know that I will be up in the New York City area around the holidays. I am going up to spend this time with family, but since this is a family foundation, that means I will be working also. That being said, I am putting out the call to any journalists, fundraisers and /or potential donors, that I will be happy to make myself available. Just contact me via email at info@kfaid.com. I will be available for meetings, interviews, lectures and ice skating.

Now that I have done my shilling, I would like to remind all the readers of this Blog that this time of year is a great time to donate to a worthy cause. Everyone gives this time of year to those we know and love. It is time to think bigger than that. Look at all you have, think about that gift you really want, then add the numbers in your head and give a chunk of it away. It doesn’t have to be a lot. I know what that large screen TV costs: it is a lot. Give a percentage of the cost. It will make you feel great, especially if you are trying to get yourself into the holiday spirit.

So go and click on our donate button, or search for another cause. As much as is said about non-profits competing for donations, we really don't. I believe everyone who works in this field, as I do, is happy for everyone else’s success. It all comes down to helping those who need it.

And there are a lot of people who need it this Holiday Season.

Andrew Williams

Lots of news

When I say lots of news, I mean it. In the past week we have had a story done on the foundation by Channel 5 out of West Palm Beach, and had an interview with the Stuart News.

The TV spot turned out great. This is due to the skills of Brian Garner and Jenny Newell from Channel 5. They came out and spent most of the morning with us. Everyone joked about how difficult it would be to put all the things the foundation is doing into a 2 minute piece, but they encapsulated us perfectly. Any news story that gets the word out is great, but having such a nice piece is wonderful.

If you did not get to see it, we now have a copy of it on or website under the "news" category. Take a look. You can also hear past radio interviews and view other articles.

We were also joined by Ivy Atlas from the Stuart News. We had a wonderful time chatting with her about the K-Light and all the other past and future projects of the foundation. We are really looking forward to her article coming out, and will post it on our website when we can. So keep an eye out.

To top it all off, we have also heard from the Palm Beach Post, and they will be meeting with us in early January.

So, since we have become so good at dealing with the press, let your local media know about us. The more the merrier when it comes to getting our message out and hopefully getting donations in.

Take care;
Andrew Williams