In the Kibagare slum of Kenya, on the outskirts of Nairobi, sits St. Martin's Girls' School. For girls living in the slums, who have been orphaned by AIDS, or whose parents lack sufficient income to pay for school fees, St. Martin's represents hope for both the girls and their community.

St. Martin's provides a well rounded curriculum and a safe environment to foster academic and personal development for girls who are driven by the desire to learn.

Inspired by Eugene Hillery, a salesforce.com employee, who championed a Foundation grant for the school in 2002, the Salesforce.com Foundation partnership with St. Martin's soon blossomed. Over the years, it has taken the form of scholarships for St. Martin's girls demonstrating leadership and a commitment to their education, volunteer engagement, a salesforce.com sponsored IT lab, provision of Internet access, purchase of new chairs and desks for the classrooms and sponsorship for refurbishment of the dining room, science lab and a recreation field.

This program has grown considerably in the past few years, and the Salesforce.com Foundation now sponsors the secondary education of 30 girls—as well as seven university students whose academic achievements merited continuing support.

In response to the program's growth, and the desire to double the secondary school scholarships and increase the university sponsorships, the Foundation has opened the program to the global employee base and the public.

An opportunity to contribute

A contribution of $800 per year covers one girl's school tuition fees, room and board, two school uniforms, and one pair of shoes. Contributions of any amount are appreciated and welcome.

Though Kenya has introduced plans to provide secondary education for free, education is currently only available at a cost that is prohibitive to the majority of the population.

Make a donation today!