It is hard to believe that Howard has been gone for seven months already. There have been so many times when I wanted to burst into his house to tell him a funny story or ask for advice or just share a meal with him. Every time I pass his road, I think of all the love and support he shared with me and everyone whose life he touched.
Today, Howard would have been 97 years old.
As we all know, he was dedicated to the Nancy Ellen Crooks Foundation and worked hard to make the organization a success. Although Howard believed in the need and impact of all the NECF programs, Lights for Learning was close to his heart. He always spoke about how Nancy was ahead of her time with her solar cookers and how he believed Nancy would have loved our lights program. He also believed that it provided a fast return on investment not only for the child receiving the lights but also the whole family.
Over the past 11 years, the Nancy Ellen Crooks Foundation has donated nearly 8,000 lights throughout Kenya. Children who have received our lights have seen an improvement in their class scores because they are able to study after dark. Additionally, it becomes a tool the whole household uses. 39% of the rural populations in Kenya live without power (World Bank). That means, nearly 18 million people are without access to electricity. We have a lot of work to do with our Lights for Learning program!
To honor Howard, we would like to focus our efforts on our Lights for Learning program and to celebrate what would have been his 97th year of life, we would like to raise $9700 for Howard’s Lights for Learning program. This will enable NECF to donate 2000 lights to children in rural Kenya next year.
Help us bring happiness to more children by donating today to our Lights for Learning fundraiser here.
Happy Birthday Howard! I love you and miss you!
Sienna Dutkowski