CPI News
Camp Possibilities International Wins $10,000 Grant from MDRT FOUNDATION.
Camp Possibilities International is proud and grateful to announce that we have been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Million-Dollar Roundtable Foundation (www.MDRT.org), a nearly century-old insurance industry nonprofit organization. These funds are enabling us to build high-quality girls’ toilets on the campus of Korara Special School for Blind Children in Bomet County, Kenya. Finally, the girls at this coeducational primary boarding school will have safe and sanitary accommodations, one major step forward for the young students as well as for the school.
The award is part of a $1.8 million basket of grants awarded by the MDRT to 350 nonprofits worldwide this year, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to find ourselves in that great basket.
We want to thank MDRT member Toby Turner of UK-based financial services organization Investing for Tomorrow, who enthusiastically sponsored our grant application. We also thank David Blake, an MDRT Foundation officer based in New York City, for setting us on the path toward bringing this much-needed facility to the girls at Korara.
We broke ground on the last day of the term, April 4, in a a very muddy but warm celebration. The event was hosted by CPI Chair Helen Kiprono and attended by the entire student body and staff, school board members, local dignitaries and community members. The ceremony , which featured the students singing and dancing and a speech by the County Minister of Community Affairs, was broadcast on a Kenyan news channel.
One of the most moving moments of the day came during remarks by Steve Carini, an architect and engineer from Rochester, N.Y. who along with his wife Beth accompanied Helen on this trip for their first visit to Kenya. Steve provided additional design and siting support to Kenyan architect Caleb Rono for the toilet compound. “The main point is that these girls will have their dignity,” said Steve to applause from the the crowd. “We will do our best to build the best.”
Although construction was initially delayed after the groundbreaking by the torrential rains that swept across Kenya throughout the spring, it soon resumed. We expect the project to be completed by sometime this fall.
If you would like to support our mission, please go to https://camppossibilitiesintl.org/donate/ and thanks!
A Dozen Beautiful Braille Writers Donated to CPI!
A huge thank you to the Mission for the Visually Impaired of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and its big-hearted – and visually impaired – chair and longtime friend
Lawrence Povinelli. Larry and his wife Sue were lunching with Peter Slatin during their visit to New York City in January when Larry casually mentioned that he was looking for a home for 11 Braille Writers that the Mission no longer had use for. Within minutes, Larry, Helen and Peter were on a call together deciding the best way to get these wonderful machines to Kenya. Just a couple of weeks later, the Braille Writers were at Helen’s home, and she was able to bring four of them plus another donated by new CPI Board member Judy Shepherd to the school during their April visit. The remaining Braille Writers will be transported to Kenya in subsequent visits from CPI members and friends. Thank you, Larry, for your quick thinking and of course your generous spirit, which clearly reflects the Wisconsin Mission’s. To learn more about the Mission, visit www.listen.wels.net.
During Helen’s visit, we were also able to provide other much needed materials. each student received a toothbrush donated by Dr. Dorkham, a surgeon also from Rochester who in 2023 performed successful ear surgery on a Korara eighth grader who was experiencing severe hearing loss. We also donated Toothpaste, soap, shoes, clothing and other supplies, all of which were much appreciated by students, parents, and staff.
If you’d like to be part of our mission, please visit https://camppossibilitiesintl.org/donate/ and thanks!
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From Rift Valley to Victory: The Journey of Helen Kiprono
Helen Kiprono is a Paralympic athlete hailing from Olenguruone, a small village in the Rift Valley of Kenya. She belongs to the Kalenjin tribe, known for producing world-class runners. Kiprono began losing her vision due to retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, between the ages of 12-14. Initially, her lack of education kept her at home, but a visit from a local public school principal changed that forever.
Enrolled at a local school for the blind, Kiprono discovered that her life was far from over. In 1996, Helen competed in the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She won several medals for different events including the 100-meter dash and 800-meter race. She also completed the 1,500-meter race in under five minutes, a remarkable accomplishment.
Her journey eventually led her to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind (SCSDB) after she participated in the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. It was there that she met Rhonda Bowen, an inspirational teacher and coach, who played a pivotal role in her life.
Despite knowing minimal English and Braille upon arrival in the U.S., Kiprono’s faith and determination propelled her forward. Now fluent in five languages, she achieved the highest GED score in the history of the SCSDB program. She also completed the New York City Marathon twice. Kiprono along with her academic and athletic accomplishments, is a motivational speaker, offering inspiration to fellow students and local communities.
Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the unwavering belief in oneself. Kiprono’s positive spirit and ability to overcome immense obstacles make her a cherished role model wherever she goes, encouraging others to push past their perceived limitations and embrace the possibilities that lie ahead.
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Two Great Days for CPI at Korara Special School in Kenya
CPI Celebrates International White Cane Day at Korara special School for the Blind
Wonderful sights and sounds greeted us as our two-car caravan of a dozen visitors, including CPI Directors Loice Bunei and Peter Slatin, turned into the driveway at Korara Special School on International White Cane Day, October 15.
The one-minute video shows how a student chorus sang soaring African gospel in perfect harmony while a parade of young students marched down the street carrying their white canes in celebration of this important day highlighting the liberating power of this simple mobility tool for blind and low vision People. White canes aren’t easy to come by in East Africa, and The American team brought a batch of new canes for the students.
The crowd of more than 100, with teachers, administrators, and students joined by local dignitaries, politicians, and community members, wasn’t fazed by the blazing morning sun shining down on the school grounds, a large dusty field anchored by the corrugated iron and cement dormitories, classrooms and administrative offices. Speakers described Korara’s emergence as an example to the rest of Kenya of what blind young learners can achieve given the right tools and knowledgeable, encouraging support. Our group was surprised and thrilled to hear speaker after speaker comment on CPI’s unwavering dedication and love for the school, driven by the passion of Helen and the Bunei family. We heard repeatedly that we are making a real difference in bringing awareness, respect, and support for the school and its young learners. Virtually every speaker acknowledged the sixth and eighth graders preparing to take the national exams that can determine the course of their future education.
CPI’s Loice Bunei, who has been designated as the School Patron, explained in a concluding speech that October 15 was designated by U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964 illumining the incredible value that white canes add to the lives of blind people. She gently urged the audience to remember to give cane users the right of way when they are crossing the street or walking. Citizen News, a popular TV news program, sent reporter Sylvester Rono to cover the event, and his story – narrated in Kalenjin, a tribal language, was broadcast that evening.
Goal Ball Face-Off
White Cane Day was a smashing success, with one glaring omission: amid the speeches and ceremony, we had no time to meet and mingle with the students. So just three days later, a smaller group of us returned to Korara from our base 90 minutes away in Helen and Loice’s lushly beautiful home village of Olenguruone (pronounced Olen-guru-ahny), about 6,000 feet above sea level in the highlands of Nakuru County. This time we were coming to spend serious fun time with the students. Our plan was to engage in a goal ball match, a Paralympic sport for the blind that can be thought of as ground-based volleyball, with three people per side facing each other. Competitors roll the ball – which has a tinkling bell inside – across the pitch, and win points when the line of three fails to block the ball as it passes them.
The match quickly got under way in the unfinished new boys dormitory – a bit cooler than the dusty field outside. The match was marked by fierce competition and great athleticism, notably from eighth grade students Duncan and Sharon, both of whom impressed with speed, strength and agility. The short two second video shows Duncan skillfully rolling the ball across the court and another student diving from a crouched position to catch it while other students and staff gather around the edges of the room.
Duncan, along with teacher James Ogembo, who was the match’s referee, were two of the team of six current and former Korara students who traveled to Nairobi in September for the National Goal Ball trials, a key event in the lead-up to selecting Paralympians for the 2026 Games. Our team crushed the competition of older, well-practiced and better funded teams with scores of 24-3 and 25-4. This followed the jeers and scoffing our young team got when they first took the practice field the morning of the competition.
Following the match at the dorm, things got serious. Our small group met over chai with the school’s founder, David Koskei, its principal Segui, athletic instructor James Ogembo and others. Among the many things about Korara that we discussed, the one that struck me most was this: Per-capita spending for students by the Kenyan government is equal across the board, whether students are in schools for blind learners or in inclusive special needs schools. But as Principal Segei noted, the per-capita cost for blind students is necessarily high for blind and low-vision students. This comes out in the cost of Braille books and material. Also, current assistive technology tools, whether software such as screen readers and apps or hardware like refreshable Braille displays and note takers, is essential for blind a low vision students who want to receive an education equivalent to that of their sighted peers. Partnerships with organization like CPI and relationships with community and government partners are also essential in beginning to fill this broad funding gap.
Then there remains the very basic facility challenge. Before meeting with Mr. Segei and his team, we visited the site where we will be assisting the school in installing new toilets for the girls, who currently have access only to a latrine. This condition would be unsanitary and insecure for any female student, and it is compounded for these girls. We will be posting more about this important campaign in coming months.
*And a Special Note
On our return to Olenguruone, we stopped to visit an eighth-grader who just that morning had undergone surgery to repair a hearing impairment. Acting quickly, Helen Kiprono had turned to her local community in Rochester to raise the $1,000 needed for the operation. The surgery was performed by a visiting team of physicians from the Rochester area. The student was one of the athletes competing for CPI and Korara in the National Goal Ball Trials, and it was great to see the student already well on the way to full recovery.