They say "it takes a village to raise a child," but sometimes it takes a person of vision and empathy to help a village and young minds to thrive under difficult circumstances. In this case, that person is my brother-in-law Joseph McAllister, who provided the financial backing to make it happen so that "Selina will forever live-on knowing they helped others in need and "making the world a better place for tomorrow."
Located three miles from Obama’s ancestral home in Kogelo, on the shores of Lake Victoria, is the Masogo Community and school with a surrounding population of under 10,000 people, and a student body of 223. After going on a camera safari in Kenya with Joseph and my late brother Michael in October 2006, Joe fell in love with the country. Years later, he returned with his beloved Selina as a gift for her graduating college. He hired the same guide named George that we had hired for our camera safari (photo).
When my niece and goddaughter Selina died on December 28, 2023 at the age of 40 of heart failure due to a deadly mix of prescription drugs, it dealt a devastating blow to her daughter Zaila—who had just turned 13 that very day—and the rest of the McAllister and Augustine families. Joseph described this life-altering event as an unimaginable loss and upheaval that left a hole in his and my sister Josephine's heart and soul.
Everyone deals with tragic events and grief in different ways. Joe decided to fund the Selina McAllister Computer Classroom at the Masogo School and community in Kenya in loving memory of Selina on behalf of him and his family. It was officially launched on February 15, by community council leader and Joe’s dear friend, Noel Olweny and his select committee from the school board. Thanks to Joe, it contains some of the best educational software available to maximize the potential to ensure full productivity for all ages and grades. “This is a game changer,” Olweny told Joseph,” and added, "I was just told that most classes were requesting to be in Selina’s Computer Class.”
Back History: Joseph had met Noel in Mount Kenya. He saw potential in his abilities to lead and decided to fund his post-graduate masters degree in land management at Everton University. Over the years Joe acted as an advisor to the Masogo community and helped fund the installation of bathrooms, fresh water wells, a playground for the children, and soccer uniforms and cleats for boys. He also provided funding to paint the entire school, install a new roof, and built a caretakers house equipped with five cows and ten sheep as compensation for a place for the caretaker to live while providing security.
Joe also recommended building a one-room home for the grandmother of a young boy named Edwin who lost his mom to AIDS, and was abandoned by his alcoholic father—as Joe had been in his youth. Moreover, once girls reached sexual maturity they were supplied with reusable AFRI-sanitary pads to avoid being absent 2.5 months of the school year, allowing them to be on par with the boys. Joe provided micro-financing to the grandmother allowing her to sell biscuits daily, which she has been running profitably for the past year. He and Noel also added WiFi to the building and hired a mason to replace the dirt floors with concrete slabs. Currently Joseph decided to add funding for a school food program to feed all of the children who were surviving on only one meal a day. They will enjoy an extra meal for the next 10 weeks school session.
Noel’s mama, the matriarch for the girls and her friend gave speeches. Coincidentally, mama and Selina share the same name. Mama expressed she how happy she was that Joe had the vision of coming up with this noble and significant history making idea that will change so many lives. The students parents were mesmerized.
You’ll notice that many of the posters in these photos say: "Asante Sana to Joseph McAllister and family,” which in East Africa means "thank you," or "I appreciate it." Mama who knew what it was like losing a family member, asked for a minute of silence for Selina. Everyone was teary-eyed after learning that Selina died on her daughter Zaila’s birthday. In the next minute there was great joy when Mama and her friend officially opened Selina's Computer Classroom with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
