About Us

THE ASSOCIATION

Hold my Hand is an independent Swiss non-profit organization that has organized itself as an association. Donations to Hold my Hand are tax-exempt.

Hold my Hand was founded in May 2023. The association builds on the original commitment of the founder, who has been helping in Entasekera since 2018.


At the end of 2022, permanent, sustainable support for the local population was decided. For this purpose, some projects were worked out in more detail, together with the school board and the parents' council of the Osinantei Primary School.


All of them aim to initially support the financing of primary school lessons with small amounts in order to then put them on a basis that is supported by the local population. For this purpose, solidarity agriculture projects are initiated in the immediate vicinity of the school buildings and supported until they reach sustainability.


This led to the founding of the Hold my Hand association.

VISION AND APPROACH

Hold my Hand's mission is to contribute to the economic independence of the population of the Loita region of Kenya and to permanently increase the level of education there.


Our vision is that one day all children in the region will be able to attend school - from kindergarten to the end of high school, regardless of their parents' income, gender, origin or any disabilities. We see a future in which all children have equal opportunities for education.


Our approach is to help people help themselves: We support the Maasai people living in the Loita region by developing projects with them and actively supporting them in their implementation. Not only do we bring, we also learn: the art of generosity and warm hospitality.


For the years 2023 – 2027, the association will concentrate its activities on the Osinantei primary school.

OUR VALUES

For the Hold my Hand association, respect for people and their participation is of central importance: projects can therefore fundamentally only come from the local population and must be developed with them until the project is ready.

Respect

We work respectfully and on an equal footing with the local people. We include their opinions and needs equally in the projects and listen to their experiences.

Sustainably responsible

We pay attention to the social and financial sustainability of our projects and strive to return the projects to the local population as soon as possible.


In the spirit of helping people help themselves, we want the local population to continue to carry out the projects on their own responsibility, strengthened and confident.

cooperation

Our work and solution finding is based on exchange and collaboration. Both with each other in Switzerland and in collaboration with project managers in Kenya.


From this we gain our arguments, our inspiration and further support. True to our club name, we shake hands with each other.

BOARD

The voluntary board consists of four people who jointly manage the operational business. Regular trips by individual board members to Kenya (1-2x per year) ensure good cooperation with the project team on site and serve to further develop the projects. It also ensures that the needs of the local population are well integrated into the project. The board finances the trips to Kenya from private funds (not from the NGO's funds).

Reta Lusser

President / Founder

BSc. industrial psychologist, CAS ETH in development cooperation and collaboration.

Adrian Kohler

Finances

Lic.oec., independent property developer, former member of the management of a cantonal bank.

Dr. Bernhard Schmithüsen

Vice President

Member of the management of a medium-sized Swiss service company.

Susan Herion

Fundraising

Business economist, senior product manager in a large Swiss company.

TEAM IN KENYA

In Kenya, a team of three people and an advisory board are responsible for the operational implementation of the Osinantei primary school project:

  • A project manager coordinates and organizes the necessary work and reports to the board on a monthly basis.
  • The headmaster of the Osinantei primary school, as an important strategic person, is the contact person for the board regarding project implementation.
  • The school president represents the parents and supports the project on a voluntary basis with his large network of contacts and advice. He is also head of the advisory board, which is also voluntary.
  • The advisory board consists of village elders who provide advice to the team in Kenya.

Kaiki Charles Aluko

Project manager

Manages the projects on site, together with the headmaster of Osinantei Primary School.

Momposhi Ole Rerente

School president and co-initiator of Hold my Hand

As school president of Osinantei, Momposhi Ole Rerente played a key role in shaping the vision of Hold my Hand.


Abel Ithinji

Principal Osinantei Primary School

Has extensive experience in setting up schools and carrying out projects with parents to make the school successful. 

Share by: