In the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, a small school is located at the edge of several wildlife safari parks.

Three years ago,  Liz Scranton and her partner Teri Linneman, visited this school and witnessed a young girl’s recitation of a poem, which inspired them to start their own non-profit, The Kenyan School Project.

“AIDS! AIDS! …like a python you prepare them… you kill them,” the girl said. Her poem was about AIDS, which has left her an orphan.

When the poem ended, Scranton and Linneman looked at each other and thought, “Wow.”

“The performance was so powerful,” said Scranton years later. “I think that’s when we really knew we wanted to start raising money for the school.”

Now in Lopez their dreams are coming together for the Kenyan School Project ‘Harambee’ fund-raiser Saturday, May 21, 7 p.m. at the Lopez Community Center.

The Swahili word, ‘Harambee’ refers to communities dancing, eating good food and donating money for projects.

It all started when Scranton’s mother, at the age of 82, booked a safari in Kenya for 17 members of her family. Scranton, who has just  finished “Three Cups of Tea,” a book about building schools in impoverished Afghanistan, asked her mother to put a visit to a rural school on the trip itinerary.

So that’s how Scranton and Linneman ended up as the first visitors ever to the Burguret Primary School with two suitcases of school supplies in hand  and a village offering traditional dancing, poetry recitations and immense kindness even in the face of adversity

“Drought is a huge obstacle for the people and they are basically running the school at 60 percent of what it really costs to fund the school,” Scranton said.

Another aspect that appealed to Scranton and Linneman was that  half of the students were female.

According to the World Bank Group, which offers financial and technical assistance to developing countries, educating girls means lower infant and child mortality rates, lower HIV and AIDS infection statistics and an increased womens’ labor force.

So after snapping photos of zebras, lions and elephants on safari, Scranton and Linneman returned to Lopez Island, with thoughts of the school heavy on their minds.

Back in Lopez, Scranton started talking to her friend, Pat Torpie, who had started a school in Guatemala.

“We wanted to raise money, but it became so much bigger,” says Scranton.

Torpie advised Scranton to become a non-profit and so a two year journey began of paperwork, lawyers, and many phone calls and letters to the school.

All their hard work has lead up to this week’s ‘Harambee’ fund-raiser.

There will be food by chefs Kim Bast and Joyce Brinar. You can drink wine while listening to live African music.

Also, Scranton and Linneman will present an 8-minute slide show presentation of the Burguret Primary School.

Local artists, crafts people and others have donated various items including art pieces, food, jewelry, a boat trip, Mariners tickets and more for the silent auction.

Early on, Scranton asked the Kenyan  school administrators what they needed. The kitchen was chosen because of extreme malnutrition in the area.

Proceeds of this event will go towards a new school kitchen and lunch room for  420 Kenyan children.

The Kenyan School Project has already raised one-third of their goal of $7500.

“Many of the kids only get one meal a day at home,” said Scranton. “We will fund the materials and the community will build it and they will serve one meal a day.”

Ann Goss, who lived in Kenya for thirty years, has decided to split her year between living on Lopez and Kenya.

She has agreed to be a board member for the Kenyan School Project and visit the school and oversee work during the construction.

The school has also been equipped with a digital camera, so that the school’s staff can post pictures of the kitchen’s progress on-line.

Students from Lopez middle school and elementary school have also started a pen pal program with the Burguret Primary School to build an even stronger connection between the two countries.

“This is our first big fund-raiser,” Scranton said. “Right now we’re focusing on one project and we’ll see where that goes.”

For more information email contactus@kenyanschoolproject.org or visit their website at www.kenyanschoolproject.org.