Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

Twenty-seven parents of students at the Mbuini Primary School gathered for a two-day workshop to learn about beekeeping. It's our latest initiative to support parents in our community with income generating projects. 

Unfortunately, our community has missed THREE CYCLES of rain due to climate change. This means that crops and livestock are dying. Some boreholes are drying up and families are without food. This, coupled with inflation and the lack of wheat from Ukraine, is causing many children to go hungry. The Mbuini School is one of our partner schools hardest hit. In addition to trying to connect them to school feeding programs, we launched the beekeeping program as an income generator.

Providing this opportunity for parents to earn income is a huge boost. Honey is a high demand product that is in short supply so we believe it is a win-win for the beekeepers. Along with teaching women about managing the hives and harvesting the honey, our staff will be working with them on selling the product and managing the income. Kenya Connect will receive a small portion of the profits so we can invest it into more hives so we can work with other groups of parents.

This initiative, coupled with our LitMoms Sewing Project and the growing of Moringa Trees is providing opportunities for parents to learn new ways to earn income while also engaging in activities like Read Alouds to promote literacy. In addition to working with the parents on these income generating projects, our staff talk with them about how to support their children's learning, especially reading.

We are also doing some special programming with students. We now have a Moringa club at Ngangani and Manzoni Primary Schools where we are growing trees. Students are also learning about the importance and use of Moringa as a nutritional product and source of food. They are learning about the various parts of the plant and how they are used. In addition, they are learning about the environmental and climate impact of planting more trees. Muuo, a Moringa Club member shared, "I will apply water and compost to the Moringa plant so that it can be strong."

We couldn't do this work without donors like you! Your gift empowers all of our programs. Including ones for our parents! Our deepest thanks and gratitude!

"I am so excited to use a camera for the first time," said Faith.  She is part of HerShot, a new Enrichment Program for five girls at the Mbaikini Girls High School. HerShot, created and run by Nataki Hewling, is a program designed to open the world of professional photography to girls. Last week the students met with Nataki via zoom and learned how to use a camera and about the many jobs in photography. Ruth commented, "I didn't know that people worked professionally as photographers. This is exciting!" The students will meet with Nataki and other women photographers and they will also exchange and critique photographs with girls in New York. Later in the year, the girls photos will be displayed in our Library Learning Center.

During the recent school break, an enrichment workshop was held to teach conflict resolution. Leaders from the Bridge of Peace Initiative taught The School Fund scholarship and Expanding Horizons Club students how to think about conflicts and how to successfully resolve them. 

At the conclusion of the workshop Jonathan shared, "I have learned that I should focus on the problem and not the person when solving a conflict." Mwende commented, "Today I have learned that conflicts are unavoidable. It doesn't mean you are a bad person when you have a conflict. Even good people are faced by conflicts."

These types of enrichment programs are providing our students new skills and knowledge as they prepare for future schooling and careers. It opens up their minds to new information and gives them the space to explore with their peers.  We are deeply grateful to YOU for being a Kenya Connect donor so we can offer these programs. Your support is expanding opportunities and ideas to students in our rural community.