Alumnus Starts Work on New High School in Kenya

A team of alumni from Mukuru elementary schools in Nairobi, Kenya, wear Panther jerseys that were donated by Browning. “The team teaches so much about a variety of things—hard-work, teamwork, sportsmanship, and timeliness just to name a few,” Fleischer said, who is pictured far right. (Photo: Stephen Fleischer ‘10).

The Fleischer Foundation, founded by Stephen Fleischer ‘10 and his family, has been providing teenagers from Nairobi access to a high school education for the past 6 years. 

“The Fleischer Foundation is a not-for-profit that focuses on one thing: empowering children from the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum,” Mr. Fleischer said. “The problem, we noticed, is very simple: children from this slum environment do not go to high school. Without a high school education, they just do not have access to formal and sustainable employment.”

During a gap year before law school, Mr. Fleischer decided to teach at a school in Kenya. One of his math students told him she was to be married because her family could not afford high school. 

The girl was set to be given to a man in Somalia who would pay her younger siblings’ fees. Mr. Fleischer felt a moral responsibility to stop this from happening. He paid $1,000 to allow the girl to attend 9th grade. He noticed that it was happening on a broader scale. He called his family members to get involved, and The Fleischer Foundation was born.

Fleischer’s generosity and will to serve the larger community originated behind the red doors. 

“Stephen played hoops for me at Browning and was always a team player and one that looked out for others, so I am not surprised to see him continue to be a giver,” Athletic Director Andrew West ‘92 said. “He was always focused on what would be good for the team and not just for him.” 

The Foundation has three programs: a Sponsorship Program, a Mentorship Program, and a Job Search Program. 

The Sponsorship Program selects students with the best grades, but grit and determination are also taken into consideration in the interviews. The chosen students’ high school and college tuitions are paid in full by the Foundation.

The Mentorship Program is centered around what is missing from a school’s curriculum. Children are taught how to use email and other essential computer skills. In addition, students are paired with a local mentor from their desired field of study. For example, students who aspire to study law are matched with lawyers.

The Job Search Program, as implied in the name, helps students find jobs after graduation. The Foundation has recently begun building its own high school. 

In addition to this, The Foundation has begun their endeavor to build a high school for the same students it has been sponsoring for years. 

“This high school will provide free education to the best & brightest from the Mukuru slum, free of charge,” Fleischer said. “We want to give these children every possible tool so that they can succeed.” 

The school will take aspects of Browning’s education system, specifically smaller class sizes, with a 20:1 student-to-teacher ratio and an advising program. The school is being built on a 5 acre plot and the 1st phase of construction is complete with the 2nd phase to be complete by 2022 start. The Foundation is continuing to fundraise for the 3rd and final phase of construction and cannot wait to open its doors!