Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

We are thrilled to announce that Kenya Connect is the Team4Tech 2023 PARTNER of the YEAR! Team4Tech, a non-profit impact accelerator, is bridging the digital equity gap in education to create inclusion and opportunities for learners in under-resourced communities around the world. This year, at their Lighthouse of Learning Impact Celebration, Kenya Connect was recognized for our work to bring digital literacy to students and teachers in our rural community. Sharon Runge accepted the award on behalf of Kenya Connect. She shared, "We were over the moon when we were selected to be a strategic partner of Team for Tech in 2021. However, the partnership has far exceeded our expectations in so many ways. We were partnered with tech giant, Adobe, and now we are working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Through this partnership, our tech staff has grown in their capabilities and our reach is extending to more learners. All our staff and many of our teachers participate in the community of practice, an on-line platform offering resources, workshops, and connections. We are deeply grateful to the entire staff of Team4Tech for being a wonderful partner. They are guiding the way through their beacon of educational light."

We invite you to watch this VIDEO that highlights our partnership with Team4Tech. You will see how our community-based work is making a difference.

Partnerships are essential to our success in bridging the digital divide. We also want to thank you for your support that is allowing us to bring computers into the classroom as well as holding Teacher Professional Development programs on digital literacy. With the upcoming year-end school break closing, our staff is preparing to hold coding and robotics programs at our EdTech Hub for students. Your support provides the resources needed to offer these enrichment programs. 

Thank you for helping us to be the leader in providing digital access to learners and teachers.

Raise your hand if you or your children ever participated in a library program. Hearing a story by a librarian and doing an activity like a craft or a game was fun and another way to learn (you can put your hands down now). At Kenya Connect, we now hold a weekly Saturday Storytime program with children flocking to the center to hear a read aloud story and to create and learn through the power of stories.

Last week, Mentor Monicah read the book, "You Matter" by Christian Robinson. The colorful book helped the children know why they matter in this world. The colorful illustrations were fun to see and the children shared why they matter with each other before creating an "I Matter" flower. Another story featured "This is the Sunflower," written by Lola M. Schaefer and illustrated by Donald Crews. Students learned that sunflower seeds are used to make oil and are also dispersed by birds. Another Storytime featured the fabulous book, "A Library," by Nikki Giovanni. The children heard what happens in the library like learning "to be quick and smart and to sail your dreams." Joshua shared, "I read book about electricity and electronics in the library and now I want to become an electric engineer." Afterwards the children played library bingo to learn more of what's in a library.

After each week's storytime, the children can check out books from our library of 35,000 books to bring home. In our rural community, children would not have access to the incredible resources of a library and the thousands of books without Kenya Connect. 

Your donation helps fuel this weekly program. Our team is inspired by the children who come each week eager to hear a story and to create. It is a fun safe activity that helps them dream beyond their village. This coupled with our LitMom, LitClub, and other literacy programs are helping us build a community of readers. Thank you for choosing Kenya Connect and for making our Saturday Storytime and other library programs a reality. The gift of books, stories and reading is one that lasts a lifetime.