White Salmon Rotary raffles Costa Rica trip to fund life-changing Kenya Skill Center

Mar 24

Written By Columbia Community Connection

FAITH'S mother with her granddaughter receiving food aid from GRECA while Faith is in training.

Story and Images from Tammy Kaufman

White Salmon, Wash., March 24, 2026 — The White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club Foundation has launched a raffle to raise money for a community center in Kenya, expanding a long-running international project aimed at helping young mothers return to school and build financial independence.

The effort supports the Najijali Project, a partnership with the nonprofit Grace Resources for Community Action, or GRECA, which provides vocational training and wraparound services to young mothers as they work to reenter the education system. Organizers say the new community center will help sustain and expand the program while also serving the broader rural population.

Najijali Project Cohort 2 visit CAROLINE showing off her skills.

The raffle’s top prize is a trip for two to Costa Rica, including a five-night stay at the Vista Ballena Hotel and $1,500 toward airfare and transportation. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold at $25 each, with the drawing scheduled for 12:30 p.m. May 12 during a Rotary meeting at the Mt. View Grange in White Salmon.

Club President Chuck Henschel said the fundraiser aims to generate $25,000 to help construct the center in Sikusi, Kenya, where many residents lack reliable access to water, electricity and basic services.

Club member Tammy Kaufman with GRECA Executive Director Joy Wasilwa during a visit to Kenya.

“This has been a significant community project on both sides of the world,” Henschel said. “For this new effort, we owe a big thank you to Suzanne Hart of Hood River, who donated the five-night stay to her hotel in Costa Rica.”

Najijali Project Monitoring and Evaluation visit a Cohort 1 student at her home.

Rotary members began working with GRECA in 2020 and secured a Rotary Global Grant in 2022 that funded the first two cohorts of participants. The grant concluded in January 2025 after those groups completed the program. A third cohort is now continuing its studies and is expected to graduate later this year.

Cohort 3 gathered at the new Makindu Advanced Training College for boarding school.

The program offers training in areas such as domestic science, business skills and vocational trades, along with counseling and other support services designed to help participants achieve long-term stability.

Plans for the new community center include dedicated production spaces for tailoring and beauty programs, a large water tank to provide potable water for the facility and nearby residents, and a solar array to supply electricity and charging stations. The center would also include offices, counseling rooms and meeting space, allowing GRECA to operate from a permanent location after years of working out of temporary facilities.

ESTHERLINE with her daughter wrapped in the baby blanket she sewed.

Organizers say the facility will also be available for community use, hosting workshops, trainings and events, and is intended to help the program become more self-sustaining over time.

GRECA and Rotary team members visit Makindu where Cohort 3 is attending boarding school.

Tickets can be purchased from Rotary members and will be available at upcoming club events, including the annual Community Cleanup scheduled for April 24 and 25 in Bingen. They are also available locally during business hours at the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, First Security Bank and Riverview Bank in White Salmon, and at First Interstate Bank in Bingen.

Rotary meetings are open to the public and held from noon to 1 p.m. on the first four Tuesdays of each month at the Mt. View Grange, 1085 N. Main Ave., White Salmon. Guests may bring their own lunch or purchase a catered meal.

For more information about the raffle or the Najijali Project, community members can contact the White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club Foundation.