Education and Early Childhood Development
Providing quality education and nurturing environments for children and youth across Kenya
Our education programs engage children and families across two schools, provide support to young people in primary schools, high schools, universities and vocational training, and create scholarship opportunities through pool funding to support the needs of many students.
Kiotani School Lukenya
What We Do
Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) Center
Opening in April 2025, the Kiotani TVET Centre offers vocational training in dressmaking, carpentry, agripreneurship, catering, and cosmetology. Through hands-on training, students gain skills to secure employment or start their own businesses.
The agripreneurship program is particularly impactful, providing students with practical experience in sustainable farming, livestock care, and agro-processing using Kiotani's farm. Students also learn business management, preparing them to run their own agribusinesses.
The "Pathways to Potential" mentorship program is integral, guiding students in leadership, career development, and personal growth. This holistic support ensures that graduates leave with both technical skills and the resilience to thrive.
Kiotani Primary School
Kiotani's primary school provides a safe, supportive environment for children ages 2-9, many of whom come from vulnerable backgrounds. The school focuses on giving these children a strong educational foundation while addressing their emotional and psychological needs.
For many, it's the only chance for a stable and nurturing education, helping them build essential life skills and fostering their growth into confident, capable individuals.
Rescue Program
Kiotani's rescue program provides shelter, education, and vocational opportunities to vulnerable youth, including those affected by trafficking, orphanhood, or harmful cultural practices. These children are given access to the TVET Centre, where they receive both education and mentorship to rebuild their lives and secure a brighter future.
Kiotani is a project that strongly emphasizes sustainable development. We have installed solar panels to ensure sustainability and reduce electricity costs. The greenhouse and crop fields grow different crops, such as tomatoes, kale, spinach, eggplant, and onions. Additionally, goats, chickens, and cows provide children with food and create revenue for the school.
WHAT WE NEED
Your ongoing support is vital to advancing Kiotani's programs. With your help, we can expand the farm for agripreneurship training, upgrade renewable energy systems, build a science lab, improve plumbing and drainage, widen the greenhouse, enhance vocational training equipment, and strengthen security. Your contribution enables us to provide the education and mentorship that empower youth to break the cycle of poverty and build sustainable futures.
Objectives of the School
- Provide vocational training and mentorship to empower youth with employable skills for sustainable livelihoods.
- Create a nurturing environment for vulnerable children, offering education, safety, and psychological support.
- Foster community development through agripreneurship, sustainable farming, and local business opportunities for economic growth.
Tumaini Educational Center
Tumaini (Swahili for "hope") Education Center is a day school located in the Kicheko slum areas of Mlolongo. It offers vulnerable children access to quality education. Since its opening in 2010, the school has provided primary education to 150 children from pre-primary to grade 6.
In addition to education, Tumaini ensures that the children receive two meals a day, sponsorship support for school fees and uniforms, and psychological support when needed.
In the slums, many parents and caregivers are out working throughout the day, leaving young children unsupervised and exposed to various risks. Our program addresses this issue by providing a safe environment where children from the slums can receive care and education during the day until their guardians return in the afternoon.
We offer protection, early childhood education, outdoor activities, and at least one hot meal daily. This meal may be the only food for some children all day.
WHAT WE NEED
Your ongoing support is essential for building and furnishing new classrooms, constructing an outdoor play area, providing materials for the dining room, expanding and funding the children's food program, and adding technology to the classrooms. Your role in this project is invaluable and integral to its success.
Youth Mentorship
Why?
Many of the youth we serve face immense challenges, from lack of education to gender-based violence and early marriage. Without positive role models and guidance, their potential remains untapped.
Our Method
We provide life skills training, career guidance, emotional support, and access to inspiring mentors. By fostering leadership, resilience, and academic success, we empower the next generation to build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.