Providing education and support to Nairobi children living in poverty whose families are affected by HIV/AIDS.
In 2012, we had our first five students finish high school and in 2013 another twelve stud
ents joined their ranks. We have treated this first group of 17 as a pilot project as we worked to shape the Post-Secondary Program.
Based on our mission
The underpinning of the Post-Secondary Program begins with our mission statement which concludes with these words: “so they can transform their lives.” The question is, what is the measure of a life transformed? [Read more…]
Rippleside 
third graders, members of an American Girl Reading Club, were inspired by books from the Addy series and decided to make a difference for Kenyan students. After reading the true story of Addy Walker, a black girl born into slavery, the four, Teagan Piecek and Kayli Bill, along with Teagan’s mom Jen and Rippleside teacher Kayla Hinkemeyer, wanted to do something culturally-based to expose others to the needs of people in other parts of the world. Read More:http://www.messagemedia.co/aitkin/article_c7ab6dee-9330-11e3-8f59-0017a4…
I just returned from my 13th visit to Kenya in the past seven years. My overwhelming impression from this visit is that the core elements of the Primary and Secondary Programs are working incredibly well.
We have focused on improving our selection processes in the past year and I believe we are recruiting an ever-higher caliber of student. This is important as we know that good students in primary school generally have the best chances of success when they become adolescents. [Read more…]
Our top four KCPE exam scorers:
Each year, students finishing 8th grade take the Kenya Comprehensive Primary Exam (KCPE) the results of which determine the caliber of high school they will attend. Since this exam is so important to their future, we invest in ensuring each student does as well as possible on the KCPE. For example, all 8th grade students in the program are encouraged to attend special tutoring sessions to prepare them for the exam. The KCPE is a 500-point exam; the national average in 2013 was 244. [Read more…]
By Sally Kenney
During my first trip to Kenya, we visited a compound where Masai women could flee to avoid being cut or married off as girls to old men. On this trip, I wanted to learn more about women’s activism and microenterprises. As always, I was on the lookout for new birds. But mostly, I wanted to spend more time with the children I sponsor. [Read more…]