Last summer, six Jasperites had a life-changing experience working with a non-profit group helping build a school in the Masai Mara in southeast Kenya.
Now, Jasper high school student Kai Okazaki wants to follow in their footsteps, as he plans for a trip back to Africa with Free the Children.

Inspired by the success of the six students before him, Okazaki hopes to end up in the same area with 20 other students from across Canada and the US, building a school from the ground up.

Free the Children is a non-profit organization that engages children and youth to educate other children in marginalized areas, such as Kenya. Although Okazaki says he could end up in a different community, he says there is a good chance he’ll be in the same place the students were last year.
With the goal of having the school finished by the time his three weeks are up, it’s not exactly a holiday.

“There is a goal of trying to get it done before you go. The majority of the time, there will be supervisors from the organizations and stuff, and there will be 20 of us that will be working during the day, building a school or water projects. Some kids might be split up into different projects, but, hopefully we’ll be working on the school because I’m more interested in that,” Okazaki says.

The trip will cost Okazaki about $6,000, which he has started fundraising for. He hopes to get more support from the community.

Last month he hosted a band night at the high school where, along with other local musicians, he raised $450. During Jasper in January, he was also able to raise $100 simply from busking on the streets during the street festival.

With a lot of fundraising to go, Okazaki has some other events planned.

On March 4, the high school will have its Annual Jasper High School Band and Turkey Dinner, and like last year, a silent auction will be held. Okazaki is working on getting businesses to donate items for the auction, as well as bottles that he can collect and recycle for money.

It’s a good spot for the auction, he says, as a lot of people are walking about. Some businesses have already been generous, and he hopes to get in touch with others this week to get more items for the auction.

The $6,000 Okazaki expects to spend includes the cost of the trip through the organization ($5,000 US), getting shots, which he say are pricey and travel from Edmonton to Montreal prior to heading to Kenya.

Okazaki’s own family business, Oka Sushi Restaurant, where his dad is the chef, has been raising money, selling reusable chopsticks, complete in a case, for $15, five of which go to Okazaki’s trip.

“Over the past couple of weeks, people have been donating quite a bit of money towards it, beyond $15. So it’s been an increasing progress because people are just so generous out there. So we actually ordered a lot more chopsticks so we can continue throughout the year until I go. I guess I could say thank you to the people who have donated already,” he said.

Okazaki had planned to go on the trip last year, but without knowing much about the organization, his parents were hesitant. “It’s a totally different surrounding that I’ve never been into,” he says.

Now that he, and his parents have a better understanding, he is set to experience the journey himself. To contact Kai, email him at kaioka676@hotmail.com.