Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

Happy Earth Day!

Our community is tied to the earth.  Most families are subsistence farmers or woodcarvers and are dependent on weather patterns that bring rain on a regular basis. As a result of climate change, our community has experienced more droughts, locust invasions, and erratic weather in the last decade. We know it's important to prepare students to help mitigate these changes and to empower them with knowledge so they can care for the community through caring for the earth.

As we work with students, we are nurturing them to be Earth Champions through our various programs. Students at Ngangani Primary School are planting Moringa Trees to learn about the life cycle of trees and how to care for them.  Students water and till the soil and take measurements of growth. They learn about enriching the soil and the many benefits of growing trees. Other students participated in LevelUp Village's Water Discovery class and learned about the life cycle of water and the importance of clean water for life on earth. Empowering students through hands-on classes, interactive projects, and knowledge-based solutions are instrumental in creating Earth Champions!

This month we are piloting a special Lifelines program with Creative Connections with students from Miondoni Secondary School. Our students are learning with students at the John Wintrhrop School in Connecticut and the Instituto Nacional de Edcacion Diversificade in Guatemala about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they relate to the environment. Students are creating artwork to share with their partners on the environmental issues affecting their communities. Through this program they are working to come up with solutions to mitigate environmental challenges.  Students hearing about challenges around the globe help them to see that Climate Change is a worldwide problem.

Our new GiveLove composting toilets are also helping us "Keep Poop in the Loop" to create rich compost that can be used to plant trees and to enrich the soil for agricutlure. A special student booklet was created with GiveLove that will be distributed to students to teach them about how composting works and the value for the community. Students will also get to use new Kenya Connect microscopes to discover microbes, beetles and worms found in the compost. Just imagine how exciting it will be for them to see through a microscope for the first time!

Your donation to Kenya Connect is helping us to grow a community of Earth Champions through our enrichment programs and activities. Donations help us to provide microscopes, books, and magifying glasses for hands-on learning.  We couldn't do it without you.

As you celebrate Earth Day, know that your support of Kenya Connect is helping us to grow Earth Champions in Kenya!