THE LONG ROAD TO ILERET, NORTHERN KENYA … building educational facilities in one of the most remote places on earth.

With his huge smile and love of life, Michael (Mick) was an inspiration to us all. His love of Kenya, the people and the land deepened in the years he worked with the Koobi Fora Field School as Head Of logistics and head mechanic. Michael lost his life to cancer in 2004.

In honour of their brother Michael, sisters Amy and Liza established The Michael Cronhelm Foundation Trust (MCFT), a New Zealand registered charity. The MCFT was founded to assist Kenyan children with their education and to help them realise their dreams and potential.

In 2005 Amy and Liza helped support a primary school in Laikipia providing books, sporting equipment and school uniforms.

Early in 2009 they planned a lasting legacy to Michael’s life that would benefit the Daasanach people living in the Northern Frontier of Kenya. Michael spent much of his time in Kenya working close to the small village of Ileret, on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana 17 kilometers south of the Ethiopian border. Ileret being vastly remote and hugely under resourced the MCFT decided to build a memorial library. In the spirit of collaboration, consultation and with dedicated groups of volunteers the library was built and opened in September 2010 for the community of Ileret. In a very short time the success of the library could be measured by all the children going up a grade in their National Exams – the power of books!

In 2014 the Michael Cronhelm And Taft Conlin Foundation was established in the USA as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Since 2014 the two Foundations have been fully funding El Bokoch Primary School and to date have built four new classrooms, with another two under construction in 2018. Liza is the Project Manager and spends up to three months each year in Ileret building and organising the school. The children have a daily meal, which for most is their main meal for the day.

These educational facilities are a lifelong commitment for Amy and Liza, and Wild Jewels helps support the wonderful work they do in one of the most remote and challenging environments on earth.