$14,677  raised

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*NOTE* Fund the Funeral has set up this fund free of charge. Fund the Funeral will not receive any percentage of donations for this Kenya Embalming Education fund. Good luck Dominick and thank you for representing the funeral service so well.

1. Purpose and Goals of Trip

About 2 years ago I was contacted directly by the president of the Funeral Service Association of Kenya (FUSAK), Mr. Ezra Olack. FUSAK is a very proactive funeral service association headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The primary challenges they face and the purpose of the trip are:

a. Provide basic sanitary and embalming education to the embalmers of Kenya. Currently there is zero education or training available.
b. Establish a set “standard of care” of embalming and the handling of remains
c. Legitimize the profession with the government; currently there is zero government regulation or support.
d. Establish a rudimentary licensing process for embalmers
e. Provide hands on demonstration of learning techniques
f. Educate the embalmers on the basics of personal protection and the handling of contagions. Kenyan embalmers face tremendous challenges with epidemics and diseases such as Cholera, Yellow Fever, Typhoid and Malaria.

2. Estimated Expenses
a. Air transportation to Nairobi- $1400-$2000. It is likely that I will fly Air Canada out of Windsor, Ontario, Toronto or possibly Detroit
b. Secure Hotel- safe lodging is of primary concern to me. The hotel I have researched and feel comfortable with is called the Kempinsky Nairobi, its average nightly charge is around $250/day = approximately $1500.
c. Food- clean, safe food and water is best found in a legitimate hotel. The above mentioned hotel estimated a daily charge of around $150 for all meals and bottled water = $900
d. Private transportation in Kenya- Nairobi has a high rate of car-jackings and robberies of international tourists and it is recommended that I not use public transportation or cabs while there. I do not know the cost of private transportation but based on other travel experience I will estimate this total expense to be $300
e. Personal expenses- I have agreed to go to Kenya and teach without charging the Kenyan people. Under normal circumstances my business would charge $6000 for these services. These fees will all be waived. However, this will require me to take 7 days of personal time from my full time job.
f. Vaccinations and Visas- The required visa is only about $25 and the estimated cost of the vaccinations is $300

These estimated costs total around $8700; this does not take into account unexpected expenses incurred during travel, expenses for food during the 25 hour flight there and back or the use of funds to provide textbooks, gloves or supplies to the Kenyan people. Embalming textbooks are approximately $125/each plus the bulk shipping fees.

These estimated costs also do not take into account using funds to guarantee a safe, secure location for the presentations or travel expenses to (possibly) speak with members of Parliament on the importance of embalming in their country.

Based on this data and my personal experience doing this work I estimate the minimum amount required to be $10,000. However, to do things thoroughly and to provide needed materials and financial support to the people I believe an ideal amount to be $15,000.

Dominick Astorino
Funeral Director

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