One hundred percent of your donations go directly to the primary and secondary schools in Okela village. There are no administrative costs in our charity, and everyone involved in our work is a volunteer. School committees there make requests concerning their greatest needs and then supervise the work of carrying out each project. The beauty of our charity is that you will see the results of your generosity as we post pictures of accomplishments such as the new classroom and water collection system, as well as letters from the children. And you will see the faces of the children who need and appreciate our help. The pictures and letters we receive from Okela reveal a new spirit of optimism and hope. Your donations mean more than you can imagine to the people of Okela, and if you decide to donate, we thank you sincerely, on behalf of the men, women, and children in the village.

Check this page for announcements about fundraisers in Lexington, Kentucky. We usually have two fundraisers, in fall and spring, both held at Bluegrass Community & Technical College and open to the publc. We offer an assortment of items from many countries, baked goods, seasonal gifts, and handmade crafts.

If you would like to donate directly to us, please send a check to
Okela School Charities
Carol Hunt, Co-President
1046 Diamond Brook Drive
Richmond, KY 40475

Major Fundraising Projects

Early Childhood Education Classroom

Our major project last year was to complete the early childhood education classroom. We had donated more than $6000 in 2007-2008 for the villagers to construct the classroom as a separate building, and after completion, they requested funding to finish the interior of the structure so that they could install an office, sleeping room for children, and furnishings. We sent another approximately $4000 last year, and they completed the final phase of the project last fall.

Project Clean Water

The purpose of our 2008-2009 project was to make clean water available and easily accessible for the over 650 students at Okela Primary and Secondary School. We raised nearly $5,000 to install a water collection system, and the project was completed in early summer 2009. The new water system consists of huge plastic bins permanently installed beside each school to collect and purify water during the rainy seasons.

The female students will no longer have to walk long distances to get water, children will no longer be drinking contaminated water, and food can be prepared more quickly at school. School attendance has increased, especially among the girls.

Scholarship Program

In the spring of 2011, we launched a scholarship program in honor of Mama Mikal Asol, a well-respected community and church leader in Okela. The program pays tuition to a public university for a limited number of Okela students who otherwise could not continue their education.

Last year a male graduate of Okela Secondary School earned an A- on national exams and entered a public university in May 2011, with a half-tuition government scholarship and a half-tuition Okela School Charities scholarship.

This year a female graduate of Okela Secondary School earned the top score and also qualified for a government scholarship. Okela School Charities will pay half tuition for her to enter a public university in May 2012.

See the Scholarship page to learn about these two exceptional students and to read more about our scholarship program.