Did you know that Tumaini runs robust after-school programs in some of the most depressed regions across Kenya? With education being one of our three main pillars, we put a special focus on villages and regions where educational standards are historically low. One such region is Gongoni in the coastal county of Kilifi. Although we launched these programs prior to the covid-19 pandemic, the scourge forced us to put even more resources into the program. The after-school programs are conducted on Saturdays and on weekdays during school holidays. In this particular village, we offer the opportunity to all vulnerable children, whether in our sponsorship program or not. We have built temporary structures and hired a head qualified teacher to run the program. We teach core subjects that are taught in schools and this additional help has put the children in a competitive position to pass the national exit exams. We also include bible lessons where we introduce the children to Christ. Some of these children end up not only becoming believers but they also bring their parents and/or guardians to church as well. The Gongoni program has been a tremendous success and we want to duplicate that success in other regions where we are setting up similar programs. Our Gongoni data shows that from 2021 to date, academic results of the grade 8 students have improved significantly each year. The children who went through our after-school program performed much better compared to those who did not participate. Simiyu, the head teacher recently gave this assessment: This program has helped children build confidence in self-expression compared to before. This confidence to express oneself has helped the children participate more actively in class and has led to improved performance in national exit exams.

Scarsdale Community Baptist church in New York is among one of our partners who has offered huge support for the success of this program. We are grateful to Pastor Dan, a longtime partner, who has led the efforts to ensure that the program is financially supported. We would like to extend an invitation to other partners who would like to support similar opportunities in other depressed regions. It costs just a couple thousand dollars a year to launch a similar program. If interested, please contact us and we will do a quick assessment of the needs and get vulnerable children in another village the chance for a better education.

I am grateful to everyone who has supported us in giving thousands of vulnerable children an opportunity for quality education. We have so many examples of such success stories.

Eternally grateful,

Stanley M. Mutunga
President and CEO