Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan

In establishing a lasting educational resource for underserved and at-risk youth in Kenya, The Mama Sarah Obama Legacy project is the culmination of Mama Sarah’s lifetime of service towards helping orphans and impoverished families feed and educate their children. After years of feeding and clothing children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, Mama Sarah established her foundation with the goal of making a larger impact on their lives. Despite having never obtained formal education herself, she believes strongly in the transformative and empowering impact of education. Located in Kogelo, the birthplace of President Barack Obama’s father, the Legacy project is an educational campus that will serve upwards of one thousand students and pre-schoolers. The project is comprised of three major components; a secondary school, a primary school, and an early childhood development center. The goal of the project is to promote a sustainable approach to community-strengthening and education. Each school is uniquely designed for its specific age group with age-appropriate libraries, playgrounds, and sports fields. By creating educational environments that promote curiosity and critical-thinking, students will anticipate educational advancement and will be prepared to succeed in their everyday lives beyond the classroom. Although the schools operate completely individually from each other, they are united through a variety of shared public spaces such as an auditorium, sports fields, and cafeteria. These community-focused spaces will support special assemblies, school celebrations, and sporting events not only for the schools but for the surrounding community as well.