Established in 2016

Hugs for Kenya

The Preparation

Hugs for Kenya (H4K) was started by Alvin Makori in Wooster, Ohio with the mission to transform the lives of underprivileged children in Kenya. With a team of 8 of his peers, Alvin organized a variety of drives meant to uplift vulnerable populations in Kenya.

The first drive kicked off on October 3rd, 2016 at four schools in the Wooster City school district. For three weeks, students and staff donated gifts of hope: everything from crayons to notebooks to backpacks. Alvin's team decided that they would donate the items to orphans, knowing that the supplies would provide a valuable resource for Kenya's next generation of innovators.

The second drive of the school year took place from December 5th through the 21st, 2016, and encouraged students to donate textbooks in any and all languages. Over 1000 books were donated by students and staff at Wooster High School that would help boost literacy and language fluency. During the same time period, a toiletry supply drive focused on improving hygiene was held at Grace Church in Wooster, Ohio. Items collected included toothbrushes, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, and more.

During the 2017 - 2018 school year, Hugs for Kenya held the "Squeaky Clean Drive" at Kean Elementary School and collected soap and lotion. In September 2017 they also successfully held a School Supply Drive at Ashland High School as well as Wooster High School. These drives emphasized the collection of notebooks, pencils, pens, loose leaf paper, and much more to aid in the children's educational development.

(cont.) One last toiletry drive was held in February 2018 at Cornerstone, Kean and Melrose elementary schools. These drive brought in a significant amount of toothpaste, soap bars, toothbrushes, lotion, floss, mouthwash and more. These supplies not only provided much needed aid to the underprivileged children of Kenya, but the collection also allowed Hugs for Kenya members the opportunity to educate elementary school students about the needs of kids in Kenya.

The Trip

On July 25th, 2017, Hugs for Kenya President Alvin Makori hand-delivered over 1,900 pounds of supplies to Blessed Generation Children's Home in Nyamira, Kenya.

Before going on the trip, Hugs for Kenya members portioned the supplies into 81 ziplock bags, one for each student at Blessed Generation Children's Home. These bags were then handed to each child individually by Alvin. Bags included soap bars, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shoe polish, toilet paper, and laundry detergent.

High Court Justice Stephen Riechi was a guest of honor. During the presentation of donations, Justice Riechi revealed that he was inspired by the efforts of the Hugs for Kenya team and would be providing the 81 children at Blessed Generation with 90 new blankets!