NAKURU, Kenya, Aug 4- How does a man who has lost his wife, daughter and three grandchildren honour and cherish their memories?
John Karanja Quindo lost five family members in the March 10, 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash.
It was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.
The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were on board among them 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, 8 Americans and 7 British nationals. Of the 32 Kenyans, five belonged to one family; that of Karanja.
Karanja is now determined to embark on an onus task of carrying on their dream and more so that of his late wife Ann Wangui.
The widower has since received his share of funds from the plane company Boeing Community Investment Fund (BCIF).
The fund was created by the Boeing company to provide philanthropic support to the families and local communities affected by the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Air Flight 302 accidents.
“I will use the money in supporting the less fortunate in the society,” Karanja said during an interview with Shahidi News.
Karanja has registered a foundation; Ann Quindos Foundation. The community-based foundation will focus on supporting widows and orphans.
He said other members of the public who does not fall in the category and are equally needy, they will be helped.
“I decided to dedicate the money towards supporting the poor because it is something which my wife loved doing,” he said.
“She had this strong will of alleviating suffering to the less fortunate.”
After receiving Sh14 million from Boeing, he advertised for scholarships for the secondary school education through the foundation. Hundreds of needy but bright students applied.
So far, he said the foundation is offering full secondary school scholarship to 80 students. But more, he said, are pleading for help.
Already, he has committed a whooping Sh13 million to their education.
“We had those who were admitted to national school, county schools as well as in the sub county boarding schools,” he said adding that it is a four-year scholarship.
His major headache now, Karanja said, is the 57 other students who missed out on the opportunity and risk not pursuing further education.
As a result, he has embarked on a mission to look for support, to help them.
“We appeal to well-wishers and donors to contribute towards making sure that they continue with their education,” he said.
A suit against Boeing by the families who lost their loved ones is ongoing. They are seeking compensation for the loss.
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