Team Switzerland
Joshua Schmidli
President of the Swiss association
Harrison and I have been friends for many years. We met for the first time in 2007 in a hotel in Mombasa. When Harrison informed me ten years later that he was retiring and told me that he and his wife had opened a school in his village, I was fascinated. After my first visit to Mshomoroni, I was determined to become part of this project. I started a collection in Switzerland and I was incredibly surprised at how many people supported us. Now we want to expand and have permanent buildings so that we can offer the students the best possible education. Because we know: education is the key to a better future!
Katharina Schmidli
Vice President of the Swiss association
I've dreamed of Africa since I was six years old. The films Daktari and the lioness Elsa Daktari und Die Löwin Elsa have always inspired me and the idea of traveling to Africa never left me. So in 1987 the time had come. I set foot on the continent of Africa for the first time thanks to a dear friend. The endless expanse of nature, the feeling of freedom, the tropical scent and the magical fascinated me incredibly. I was so enthusiastic about Africa that from then on I traveled to Kenya almost every year.
When my son Joshua was born in 1995, the two of us went to Kenya. So he was not only able to immerse himself in the beautiful world with me, but also saw and experienced the poverty in Kenya up close. So he got to know both worlds, the contrasts of rich and poor. His own life experiences in Africa brought him to where he is now. When I visited the school for the first time in 2021, I decided to start my own project within the school. I want to build a new kitchen for the children!
Matthias Weber
Board member of the Swiss association
What Harrison and Grace built initially all alone and without resources and later with the help of Joshua deeply impressed me. This is a project where every franc donation is actually used locally for the benefit of the children. They too deserve a good, dignified life. They should enjoy going to school and find competent and committed teachers there. But in order to be able to learn ambitiously, they first need clean drinking water, proper sanitary facilities and well-equipped classrooms. I would like to contribute to this with sustainable projects that are based on innovative, but at the same time inexpensive and robust technology and consistent training of teachers and students.
Vera Leibundgut
Social education worker
I became aware of the Harrison's Primary School project in Kenya through my partner Joshua. During our trip to Kenya and after my first visit to the school, I met the children there, and they immediately captured my heart. Joshua had already invested a lot of work and dedication into the school, and I was impressed by what he and the entire team had accomplished.
As a trained social pedagogue, I was able to contribute by helping us hire a social worker for the school in Kenya. Since then, I have been in regular contact with her, and we work together to improve the school and the living conditions of the children on-site. It fills me with joy and pride to be part of this project and to contribute to the well-being of the children. I am firmly convinced that education is the key to a better future, and I am committed to the education and development of the children with passion and dedication. I look forward to continuing to work on projects that advance the school and provide the children with a better future. I am confident that together we can make a significant impact.
