Daraja Fever is an acute affliction of the heart that is both critically life changing and extremely contagious. Recent reports show that it quickly spreads through families, schools and communities at large.
Our latest example of Daraja Fever was spotted in the heart of Silicon Valley. A former board member casually told his friend about the school. The result? She and her family were on a plane to Africa, providing everything from dental exams to yoga lessons to the students.
World, let us introduce you to a family whose passion for Daraja has infected Palo Alto.
“After I learned about Daraja Academy from close friend and former board member Dr. Robert Savala, I arranged for my daughter Alison to spend the fall of 2009 helping out at Daraja, as part of gap year before going to Stanford. Ali solicited from family and friends about $5,000 in gifts for Daraja to support this trip. While on campus, she tutored the girls during evening study hall, taught PE, and volunteered at the local orphanage.
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Later that fall, I joined her to teach a yoga intensive with the girls. I also solicited yoga mats from Manduka and yoga clothes from Sobha for the girls. I focused on learning boney and muscular anatomy, learning to move the body with strength and precision, and practicing yoga to promote a healthy body, mind, and spirit. In November, Jeff, Ali’s dad, and his parents also visited Daraja. Dr. Maggioncalda, an orthodontist, and his wife Lynne did dental check-ups on all the girls and provided them with toothbrushes, floss, and paste. We all also had the pleasure of spending Thanksgiving with Jason and Jenni.
Daraja is an amazing place. The girls are beautiful, motivated, hopeful people, with the desire to serve their families, communities, and country. Our family continues to support the school by funding mental health services and Lindsay Hurtt’s art therapy program for the girls. Julia, Ali’s little sister, who will also take a gap year before heading to college hopes to also spend some time at Daraja – helping out in whatever way is needed. Daraja and Jenni and Jason are dear to our hearts and the Maggioncalda family is committed to supporting their mission to change Kenya, one girl at a time.”
- Anne Nacey Maggioncalda, PhD, Daraja Academy donor/adviser
“After I learned about Daraja Academy from close friend and former board member Dr. Robert Savala, I arranged for my daughter Alison to spend the fall of 2009 helping out at Daraja, as part of gap year before going to Stanford. Ali solicited from family and friends about $5,000 in gifts for Daraja to support this trip. While on campus, she tutored the girls during evening study hall, taught PE, and volunteered at the local orphanage.
