Dixon native leads Kilimanjaro climb for Kenyan students

A group of five climbers from the United States plans to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2027 to fund post-secondary education for students in Kenya. Megan Bloemker-Mondoka, director of development for the non-profit Naomi’s Village, will lead the eight-day trek. The team’s fundraising target is $200,000, which will support the organization’s endowment fund. This fund covers university or vocational training costs for students who graduate from the group’s school in Kenya.

Bloemker-Mondoka is a native of Dixon and has spent more than two decades working with children and families across Africa. She previously climbed Kilimanjaro in 2009 to raise money for two schools where she worked. Her connection to the continent began around age 13, when she started mission trips with a religious-based organization. She continued those trips while attending Dixon High School. She later spent 18 years living and working in Zambia for two organizations, where she met her husband. The couple now resides in Iowa.

Bloemker-Mondoka returned to the United States in 2023 to work for Naomi’s Village. The religious-based non-profit serves families in Kenya through six integrated programs, including a children’s home, a preschool, and a K-12 school called Cornerstone Preparatory Academy. The organization serves fully orphaned children or those from families surviving on $2 or less per day. Its goal is to break the cycle of poverty and raise leaders who will make changes in their nation.

“Africa kind of gets in your soul,” Bloemker-Mondoka said. “It’s about the collective community that I was able to serve..and everybody has to play their part in order to help others.” She noted that the current endowment fund holds about $1 million. The organization needs to reach $20 million to be at full capacity. The climb is designed to move that total forward incrementally. Naomi’s Village will cover 90% of post-secondary education costs for graduates through its Cornerstone Endowment Trust.

The organization aims to have 150 academy graduates in college or university by 2030. Currently, 35 graduates are attending college or trade school in Africa, and four are attending schools in the United States. Bloemker-Mondoka said she has seen the talent and capacity of these students for a long time. She believes there is a responsibility to help overcome the barriers created by poverty and lack of opportunity. “I really feel that we have, especially as Westerners, have a responsibility to help,” she said.

As of Friday, the fundraiser for the climb has collected approximately $21,680. Donations are available through the campaign page on my.onecause.com. More information about the organization is available at naomisvillage.org. The climb is scheduled to take place in January 2027, with the summit reached at the end of the eight-day trek.