NewsStudent Life
CNN Hero to visit Darlington School
Aug 25, 2008 3:04 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Steve Peifer has a vision for Kenya – a vision that was born in 2000 after meeting a class full of Kenyan children who were lying on a dirt floor. When he asked why they were lying down, the teacher told him most of them had not eaten since Monday. It was a Thursday. When they sat up straight, they would faint. This was a life-changing moment for Peifer which prompted his idea that through education, today’s children can lift Kenya out of poverty and build the next high-tech economy.
A missionary and college counselor in the city of Kijabe, he is making this vision a reality. Since the start of his food program, which feeds up to 18,000 students at 34 schools each day, drop-out rates have plummeted to less than one percent. But Peifer didn’t stop there. He has also established 13 computer centers in remote areas of Kenya so that students can be trained in the field of technology. These centers, housed in recycled steel shipping crates and fueled by solar panels, will afford Kenyan children the opportunity to secure professional, well-paying jobs.
“If we can provide a lunch to every Kenyan kid who needs it, if they are able to stay in school until they finish high school and learn about technology, then we can break the back of poverty in Kenya in one generation,” said Peifer, who was named one of seven CNN Heroes in 2007. Winner in CNN’s “championing the children” category, he was selected from among 7,000 nominations by viewers in 80 countries.
“I was on duty the night the CNN Heroes awards show aired,” said Ivy Brewer, associate dean of college guidance and a friend of Peifer. “I talked to some of the girls in Regester House about Steve’s story, and so many of them gathered around the television to cheer him on. Certainly Steve does amazing things for the children of Kenya, but that night I was grateful for the lesson he was teaching my girls – that an ordinary person can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others.”
Peifer will speak to Darlington students and faculty members in Morris Chapel on Sept. 29. Upper School students will hear from him during assembly at 11 a.m., while Middle School students will meet with him from 12:40 to 1:25 p.m. Parents and members of the Rome community are invited to a special presentation that evening at 7 p.m., also in Morris Chapel. For more information, visit www.kenyakidscan.com. Peifer’s book, "Your Pal Steve," is available in the Darlington Bookstore for $19. Quantities are limited, and all proceeds will go toward his programs.
A missionary and college counselor in the city of Kijabe, he is making this vision a reality. Since the start of his food program, which feeds up to 18,000 students at 34 schools each day, drop-out rates have plummeted to less than one percent. But Peifer didn’t stop there. He has also established 13 computer centers in remote areas of Kenya so that students can be trained in the field of technology. These centers, housed in recycled steel shipping crates and fueled by solar panels, will afford Kenyan children the opportunity to secure professional, well-paying jobs.
“If we can provide a lunch to every Kenyan kid who needs it, if they are able to stay in school until they finish high school and learn about technology, then we can break the back of poverty in Kenya in one generation,” said Peifer, who was named one of seven CNN Heroes in 2007. Winner in CNN’s “championing the children” category, he was selected from among 7,000 nominations by viewers in 80 countries.
“I was on duty the night the CNN Heroes awards show aired,” said Ivy Brewer, associate dean of college guidance and a friend of Peifer. “I talked to some of the girls in Regester House about Steve’s story, and so many of them gathered around the television to cheer him on. Certainly Steve does amazing things for the children of Kenya, but that night I was grateful for the lesson he was teaching my girls – that an ordinary person can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others.”
Peifer will speak to Darlington students and faculty members in Morris Chapel on Sept. 29. Upper School students will hear from him during assembly at 11 a.m., while Middle School students will meet with him from 12:40 to 1:25 p.m. Parents and members of the Rome community are invited to a special presentation that evening at 7 p.m., also in Morris Chapel. For more information, visit www.kenyakidscan.com. Peifer’s book, "Your Pal Steve," is available in the Darlington Bookstore for $19. Quantities are limited, and all proceeds will go toward his programs.
