When George Namkung took a trip to Tanzania last August, he didn't
have a philanthropic agenda.
His to-do list, although ambitious, resembled that of a regular
tourist: Visit another continent (Namkung's sixth), climb Mt.
Kilimanjaro, see jungle animals.
Along with three partners and seasoned hiking guides, Namkung
reached the top of the 19,340-foot mountain after six days of
eight-hour climbs.
But before leaving the East African country, Namkung visited a
preschool in the school district nearest Mt. Kilimanjaro. What he saw
there was even more striking than the view from atop the mountain, he
said.
"I wasn't expecting much, but conditions were dire," Namkung, 63,
said. "The floor was dirt. There was no walkway, no bus drivers, and
some classrooms had no roof. Nothing about the building had that
familiar look of a school."
More shocking to Namkung was that students went the entire school
day without eating a meal. The school's headmaster explained that the
district couldn't afford to supply free lunch to the students.
"The sight that stays with me is the young African boy or girl who
smiles, despite lacking some of the most basic necessities," he said.
"I don't know how they function without food."
Namkung returned to Newport Coast, where he resolved to help the
students. Late last summer he started a nonprofit called Kids of
Kilimanjaro, which aims to provide free lunches to every preschool
student in the Monduli School District.
That would cost approximately 20 cents a day per student, Namkung
estimated. His goal: Raise $20,000 to send overseas in small
installments.
A non-government organization located in East Africa is already on
board with the project, ready to collect the money and distribute the
meals.
Namkung said the nonprofit has raised $13,000, thanks mostly to
his friends, colleagues and business contacts. This spring, he said
Kids of Kilimanjaro is planning to hold a fundraiser in Orange
County.
Namkung said he assures donors that all of their money will go
toward food, not overhead costs.
His daughter, freelance fashion writer Victoria Namkung, is
helping to spread the word about the project.
"I had such a great childhood and every advantage a kid could
want," she said. "It makes me more inclined to give back. All of us
could write a check, but it's important to donate time."
One of Victoria's college friends took money out of her paycheck
over the past few months and recently sent a $100 check to Kids for
Kilimanjaro, despite her limited means. George Namkung said that act
motivates him.
Namkung spends a few hours a day running the nonprofit, but he
also remains active in his business -- Namkung Promotions, a Costa
Mesa-based firm that creates toys often found inside kids' meals and
cereal boxes.
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