"The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" is kicking off #GivingTuesday on MSNBC this year with an update on the K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks) fund, an organization he launched five years ago with UNICEF to build school desks for the children of Malawi.
The K.I.N.D. fund, the official cause of "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell," has raised a total of $7,616,765 so far and has provided Malawi school children with the most essential building block of education: a place to sit and learn. Due to your overwhelming generosity, we have raised $6,660,679 for desks.
According to UNICEF, the K.I.N.D. fund has been making significant progress in Malawi. Two out of five students now have a desk or chair at their Malawi school. The number was originally only one out of five students before the fund's launch.
Related: A K.I.N.D miracle from Alabama
In December of 2012, Lawrence O'Donnell announced the exciting news that through the K.I.N.D. fund, scholarships to Malawian school girls, particularly from rural regions, would be granted to cover four years of secondary education. One donation of $177 would cover one year of a girl's education which includes tuition, room and board, books, transportation, a school uniform, and school supplies.
So far, the K.I.N.D. fund has raised a total of $956,086 for scholarships. Currently, 100 girls have been provided with four year secondary school scholarships, and another 900 are expected to be provided with four year scholarships beginning in January 2015.
To contribute to the K.I.N.D Fund, visit LastWordDesks.msnbc.com or call 1-800-4-UNICEF.
For additional information and ways to give, please visit www.Givingtuesday.msnbc.com.