Kenya Connect Inc

In June 2024, I had the privilege of working with Kenya Connect, an organization that welcomed me with open arms and provided me with the opportunity to immerse myself in their culture. Through this experience, I not only learned about their traditions and values but also had the chance to contribute meaningfully to their mission.

Kenya Connect is an inspiring hard working organisation which empowers both learners and parents in rural Kenya. It's hard to describe all the work Kenya Connect gets done, with their amazing skilled staff. The local impact is big and I feel grateful to work with an organisation this genuine. Once you’ve been here, you want to keep coming back to support the wonderful work of Kenya Connect!

I have been fortunate to see the work that Kenya Connect has done for the schools and village community over the years. It is amazing from the compost toilets, water towers, washing stations, computers, books--so many can be taken out by the students and their parents. Also the new center , with sewing machines for the women to make shawls, scarfs to sell plus room for more books etc.
The bee hives that are taken care of by the parents and then can sell the honey. The teachers are getting more support . There is a school for the mentally challenged.

I have had the pleasure of working with Kenya Connect 4 times over the last 2 years. I’ve never seen an organisation that has as much impact or that has such close ties to the community. The way that they collaborate with the 63 partner schools to get kids in school, with great teachers, encourage literacy, provide technology and empower the children means they are truly providing tangible pathways for the rural child to thrive. My trips have often involved filming interviews with both staff and benefactors of the work and I have been blown away by the passion, dedication and true impact I’ve seen.

I had the privilege of volunteering with Kenya Connect in Wamunyu this summer, and it was an absolutely transformative experience! The staff are nothing short of amazing—dedicated, hardworking, and deeply passionate about improving education in the region. Their commitment to empowering students and teachers through access to better resources, technology, and opportunities is truly inspiring. The impact Kenya Connect has on the community is evident in every classroom and conversation. It was an honor to be part of such meaningful work, and I cannot recommend this organization enough to anyone looking to make a difference. Five stars all the way!

Kenya Connect’s work is truly inspiring and empowering! They work in many different education fields to support the rural learners thrive. It’s a joy to see the staff being so skilled, passionate and putting all there effort in getting the best education to the children. Once you’ve been here, you want to keep coming back to support the wonderful work of Kenya Connect!

Kenya Connect is a truly remarkable organization! Their highly skilled and passionate team understands that helping children thrive involves providing support for the entire community. I traveled to Wamunyu to offer professional development support for early childhood teachers through Kenya Connect. The workshop was attended by 84 teachers. Some taught in the local community, but others traveled several hours to participate. While I was visiting, Kenya Connect also hosted a family workshop to discuss teen pregnancy, gender-based violence and consent - and over 400 parents attended! I believe the attendance at these events speaks to the trust that Kenya Connect has earned among children, families, educators and social support providers throughout the region. All of the services provided by Kenya Connect are developed in ongoing dialogue with community members to ensure that genuine needs are being addressed and services are being evaluated. Kenya Connect also shares what it has learned with other organizations in order to lift up all those interested in supporting the lives of children. I strongly encourage others to donate to Kenya Connect with the confidence in knowing that its resources are used wisely, efficiently, and for tangible benefits to children and their caregivers.

Working with Kenya Connect has been an incredible experience. Their dedication to integrating arts into the school curriculum for students and teachers is truly inspiring. The organization's impact is evident in the increased creativity and engagement among the students. The team's professionalism and passion make every collaboration a joy. I highly recommend partnering with this nonprofit for anyone looking to make a meaningful difference in education. Five stars!

As a teacher at Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland, I have had the privilege of partnering with Kenya Connect for over 6 years and have witnessed how much of an impact Kenya Connect has on the Wamunyu community. During June of 2024, I was able to visit Kenya Connect and volunteer at several of their local partnering primary and secondary schools. When I first arrived on campus of Kenya Connect, I was greeted by their wonderful staff and I could instantly feel their passion of enriching students, parents and community members. Their passion, commitment, and dedication was powerful and motivated myself and the rest of my team throughout our visit. I was lucky enough to teach/model collaborative based literacy lessons at several schools and was able participate in their Girl/Boy Empowerment program along with their Wings Poa Program. Kenya Connect provides a variety of opportunity to all of their partnering schools, students, parents and community while offering an outstanding library/technology center on their campus. The leadership of Kenya Connect is thoughtful, precise, and powerful. The staff is motivated, passionate, and knowledgeable. All of these components working together make an impact to thousands of children, families, and community members and provide everyone with opportunity to succeed and grow.

Kenya Connect is absolutely amazing! I had the opportunity to volunteer with other group members in January and we were all in awe of the great things Kenya Connect is doing for the local communities. We were able to interact with students in a variety of schools that participate in KC's Girl-Boy Empowerment Program, which was so inspiring! The students were very engaged and the information they share with the kids is both empowering and fun. The KC center also engages students with library days, technology classes, and art activities. It is clear that this organization is making a lasting impact on the area and I can't wait to follow along as they continue to grow!

We just returned from an incredible week in Wamunyu, Machakos county, Kenya with the absolutely amazing staff of Kenya Connect. I can’t begin to say what an amazing group of people this is, and how much they are doing for the children and parents in this area. As a former special education teacher, I was especially impacted when we visited the special school. The staff there are doing so much for their children with very few resources. But with the help of KC, the plan to bring a bore hole to the school will change all of their lives forever. We also got to experience three of the graduation programs at different primary schools for the “girls and boys empowerment program.” It was so impressive to see the children and the parents and the teachers all coming together and sharing what they have learned in this program. The impact that this program has made in the last two years due to its creation by the Kenya connect staff is overwhelming and astounding! I know I have used an abundance of superlatives, but I just can’t say enough about what KC is doing and how they are connecting to the area of Wamunyu and the 60+ schools that surround them. I hope to back to Kenya o e day, but in the mean time, I’ll continue to support them financially and share their stories to my friends and family.

Kenya Connect is amazing! The support, programs, and services are wonderful resources for students, teachers, parents and families, and communities. The excellent work of Kenya Connect has lasting educational, health, economic, and social impacts.

It was an absolute privilege to travel in October with the volunteer team to see the work of Kenya Connect first hand. Spending the week with staff, teachers and students was heartwarming and impactful. The work being done in the surrounding 60+ schools is on the ground, hands on interaction by enriching teachers and students providing STEM training, Girl/Boy Empowerment Program and access to 10k+ books via their library.

I just came back from my 3rd visit to Wamunyu with Kenya Connect. Each time I go I am astounded by how their impact and reach continues to both expand and deepen! This year, I witnessed first hand the impact of their Girl/Boy Empowerment program which is effectively deterring teen pregnancy and building an impressive group of strong, empowered students with clear voices, body boundaries, and high ambitions. I also got to see the excitement on the faces of students checking out books with the mobile library program and learning computers with the technology program which they take to the schools. One of the teachers at our partner school told me "I am a different person because of Kenya Connect." I found the teacher commitment and enthusiasm most encouraging of all as it means that Kenya Connect can touch more students lives by developing and supporting teachers in the community to be more effective. Well done, Kenya Connect!!

I have watched Kenya Connect grow and touch the lives of thousands of students, teachers, and community members for the past 12 years now. In addition to the original focus on literacy and basic sanitation, the organization has truly expanded its reach to tackle modern barriers that prevent children from staying in school. With programs across female empowerment, menstruation health and sanitation, and providing basic necessities like water and nutrition, the organization has truly evolved to fit the dynamic needs of the community it serves. This is possible because the organization is driven by top-caliber professionals who were born, raised, and integrated in the community they serve.

Kenya Connect was created by and for the Kenyan community, and works tirelessly to benefit the country. The work that this organization does is absolutely vital to the community. The Girl-Boy Empowerment Program that was implemented in response to the increase in teen pregnancy following COVID-19 has been extremely impactful. Through this program, children are taught about age appropriate sexual health information, body autonomy, consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships. Teen pregnancy rates have decreased dramatically as a result in the schools in which the program was implemented. Responding to the community's needs, Kenya Connect has added a parent component to the program to ensure that entire families are liberated through education. Kenya Connect is well-loved by the community due to its commitment and follow-through. I'm looking forward to see what Kenya Connect accomplishes next.

A wise person once said: “There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path”. Thanks to Kenya Connect and the dedicated team members, entire communities are ACTIVELY being transformed for the better. Programs for financial and vocational independence; empowerment sessions for young girls, boys, and parents to be more aware of themselves and their voices; opportunities to become more technologically savvy through coding and functional technologies are but a few of the highlights. Near and dear to me personally is the program where countless students across the region are challenging themselves to read, read, read!!! Students at Garrison Forest designed active reading logs and I, along with a number of other instructors and key Kenya Connect members, distributed these workbooks to kick off their three month reading challenge. Watching the students decide which books to choose, smile as they were wished good morning or afternoon while they presented their library card was absolutely priceless!

I absolutely can not wait to return and assist wherever I can! Kenya Connect not only knows the path, they most certainly and actively walk it!!!

As an educator, I have been following the work of Kenya Connect for over a decade now, and the work this lean grassroots non-profit is able to accomplish is truly phenomenal. They are incredibly responsive to community needs and work with all stakeholders to develop high-impact programs including a mobile library bus that excites young learners in remote villages, tech classes for primary school students brand-new to computing, and an innovative girl-boy (and parent!) empowerment program that builds self-esteem and body awareness and helps prevent sexual abuse and unwanted teen pregnancies. I recently had the opportunity to spend a week volunteering with the AMAZING Kenyan staff and could see first hand how Kenya Connect has become a vital and beloved cornerstone for the community in the Wamunyu region. No wonder everyone else is now looking to them as a model!

Kenya Connect is a powerful nonprofit organization positively impacting the lives of teachers, children and families in rural Kenya through educational/literacy initiatives, health and sanitation programs and resources, a community center, programs and resources and vocational skills development. The staff carry out the mission with care, creativity, energy, positivity and respect. Kenya Connect is connected to over 60 schools serving 18,000 students. It was truly an honor and privilege to experience and participate in the various programs during a recent trip to Kenya. I look forward to a growing relationship with Kenya Connect.

I recently had the opportunity to spend two weeks with the Staff at Kenya Connect. The trusting relationships they have developed with the local community, the sustainability projects, and the impact they are making on the community are remarkable. Hands down the most amazing organization that is making a lasting impact and changing lives for the better!

Kenya Connect is an outstanding and vital nonprofit organization. The amazing team and global partners carry out the vision and mission of the organization to empower and support students, teachers, families, schools, and the larger community in rural Kenya. With excellence, dedication, innovation, and care, Kenya Connect is making an impact on education, health, economic development, and beyond that not only is evident in the lives of children and communities in Kenya today but will be felt for generations to come.

I love the work that Kenya connect is doing in rural Kenya. Providing education resources will definitely bring change for generations to come.

I created a media project for Kenya Connect in early 2018 as a part of a college course. During the course, I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya and directly engage with Kenya Connect’s staff and the community they serve. From what I saw and heard, Kenya Connect had an incredible impact on the lives of the children in Machakos County. With limited resources, they were able to provide technology training, books and additional learning materials, fun activities like dance, solar lights so they could read after dark, resources to improve student health, and more. Kenya Connect is deeply immersed and trusted in the community, and their creativity and perseverance shine through all their work. Thank you, Kenya Connect, for your positive influence on the community, on me, and on others.

I've worked with Kenya Connect through a partnership with a UK based education charity I work for. Together we work to help teachers teach more effectively through the use of digital CPD materials. The team at Kenya Connect have been really proactive in making the partnership work, which is fantastic. They've provided excellent feedback to us as well as great assets that helps us to tell the story of our partnership to a wider audience.

In addition to supporting Kenya Connect financially, I was able to travel to Kenya in October of 2019 and to see the work done directly by the Kenyan Connect staff and teachers. There is nothing like seeing the people on the ground to know how the mission is being fulfilled. I was not disappointed. Even after two years, I am humbled by the dedicated, intensely focused drive of the adults that I witnessed in and out of the classroom to benefit these children. As many other volunteers have noted in previous reviews, the staff and the teachers work wonders with little resources, covering not just intellectual needs, but personal and social needs. The addition of the Learning Resource Center which is under construction will further enhance their ability to empower the children Kenya for the twenty-first century. I consider it an honor to have seen it first hand and will continue to support it financially in the years ahead.

I work with high school students that have loved our partnership with Kenya Connect. While they cannot wait to begin their pen pal program each year, it is our efforts that support our pen pals' learning environment in terms of fundraising that have meant the most to them. Kenya Connect keeps the group updated with where our money goes - from classroom supplies, composting toilets and water tanks. We love the video and photos to share with our community. We cannot wait to see what project we will partner with Kenya Connect this year.

Kenya Connect has been the most fabulous partner to us (an education charity based in the UK), as we work together to help teachers teach more effectively through the use of digital CPD materials. The on-the-ground education team are so responsive, and are clearly experts in their field, bringing insight and creativity to our partnership and the implementation of our CPD programme. In addition, they have gone above and beyond to help us with photographs, teacher testimonials, and feedback for us, which has helped tell others about our work, and improve what we do and how we do it. It is clear they have significant impact on the learning outcomes of the children in the schools they support, and we couldn't be more impressed with how they are run, organised, and the work that they do. Asante sana to Sharon, Patrick, James and Rebecca!

Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure working with Kenya Connect implementing a pen-pal program. Students for South Carolina and Kenya have been writing letters to each other for two years. The students are learning about other cultures and how students learn in other countries. This has been a powerful program.

Kenya Connect is a bewildering, inspiring, and engaging non-profit organization that strives to reach their mission of capturing and empowering both teachers and students in rural Kenya to succeed in the 21st century! I have had the gift of working with Kenya Connect for the past three years. The members of the Interact club at Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland, strive in our involvement with Kenya Connect and greatly appreciate every experience it has given us.
I have been lucky enough to have started working with Kenya Connect in March of 2017. Since then, as president of Interact Club (rotary club for high schoolers with the desire to serve their community) at my school, I have organized, planned, and executed community events, fundraisers, and cultural exchanges. One such event included planning and hosting a Book Club Skype session where both Kenyan and Arundel students read the same novel and had a discussion group via Skype to talk about different ideas and themes in the book. I have also attended and raised money for annual Kenya Connect 5k. Additionally, Arundel has promoted literacy in Nyanni Secondary School in Nairobi, Kenya by creating a library card system, sending books from local U.S. libraries, and making bookmarks to enhance the importance of reading. Furthermore, we have organized, planned, and executed a school wide fundraiser for our sister school, Nyanni Secondary School, in Kenya; raised $5,000 which funded a new vehicle to transport students to and from school. By promoting global citizenship through execution of Kenya Cup, as well as hosting a skype book club and pen pal exchanges with our sister school in Nairobi, Kenya, I feel I have meaningfully contributed to my community and I could not have done this without Kenya Connect.
As I get older, I realize it is my moral imperative to give back. My high school career has been filled with many service learning opportunities. However, it is my involvement with the Interact Club and our partnership with Kenya Connect where I notice tremendous personal growth. Global citizenship was a new concept to me. I wanted to be a part of something bigger. The Kenya Cup, a school wide fundraiser, opened the doors for me. As the president of Interact and with help from club members and teachers, I would initiate, plan, and execute this 600+ participant event, a soccer game between teams of high school students sponsored by teachers with their friends in the stands cheering them on. To this day, I can still see the intensity of the soccer games and the hustle and bustle of the crowd as I feel my heart pounding with excitement because I made this happen. These typical high school students were now a part of the bigger picture. Yes, it was all “fun and games,” but the real “trophy” was involving both local and global communities working for a cause.
This day of competition, sports, and friends resulted in $5,000, a significant amount of money to donate to our sister village in Kenya. With that money, they purchased a vehicle to transport students and supplies to and from their rural villages. I can still imagine opening up the email from Ms. Runge with a picture of the vehicle they newly purchased surrounded by several grateful Kenyan students-that represented my fruitful reward. Kenya Connect and the relationships I have developed, as well as the opportunities I have experienced are what strengthen my passion to serve my community every day of my life - so, thank you, Kenya Connect, for making such a positive impact on me at such a young age. - Ryan O'Connor

After an inspirational volunteer trip in 2015, I decided to do whatever I could to help support this wonderful organization. With a small but dedicated staff in rural Kenya, this organization has made an incredible difference on the lives of hundreds of schoolkids. KC has a myriad of programs with the common theme of advancing education and improving the lives of kids in Wamunyu. I am deeply moved by what KC has accomplished and excited for the opportunities that we will provide going forward. To say that this group "far exceeds expectations" is an understatement.

Small but mighty, focused, boots on the ground, all tasks are everyone tasks, are thoughts that come to mind when I think about Kenya Connect. I work for one of the partner schools here in the United States and had the opportunity to travel to Wamunyu in 2017. It would be so easy for a group to arrive and want to start handing out toys, games, clothes, money, as the abject poverty is something that we cannot even begin to imagine here in the United States. Kenya Connect remains focused on the mission of breaking down barriers to education access, teacher professional development, and student enrichment. Initiatives include solar lights for reading at night, hand washing stations and deworming for the prevention of illness, menstrual health education and reusable sanitary supplies for girls, and eyeglasses. Both teachers and students are visibly wanting to learn. I could not walk onto a campus and not be greeted by children who were so excited to have an opportunity to engage and view the books and materials we brought for sharing. The mobile library, a learning center that lends books, classroom manipulatives, and provides computer access support students and teachers in accessing educational opportunities previously unavailable.
Education is a major component in reducing poverty in the world and I am so blessed to have found an organization that delivers on their mission.

Kenya Connect is one of the most incredible organizations I have had the pleasure to work with. Not only was the group founded in partnership between expert educators but it continues to thrive by the conversations and collaborations of dedicated instructors. Visiting the Learning Resource Center and several connecting schools was an incredibly inspiring and meaningful experience that made me a better educator and more caring human. I cannot wait to stay informed each year hearing about the amazing projects always under way!

My daughter and I joined Kenya Connect for a trip to Wamunyu in 2017. This is a small but mighty organization. There is no doubt that Kenya Connect is making a difference in education in rural Kenya. They focus on the whole student and teacher. They understand the connection between education and health and how difficult it is for families to get their children to school with some of the daily life struggles. The teachers are well supported with training and resources. This shows up with the students at the schools. The students are engaged and happy. It was a joy to witness the power of intention, focus, community, and resources.

My family and I had the amazing opportunity to visit Kenya and work with Kenya Connect last year.i saw first hand the many projects the organization has created to enhance the educational experience of young people . Their work did not stop there. They also worked with the parents and many community members to provide resources such as the mobile libraries, toilets, hand washing stations and computer skills. The outreach to the community was among the best of any non profit I have been associated with. The work they are able to accomplish on a small budget is remarkable.

I've had the privilege of volunteering with Kenya Connect on several occasions over the years. I've seen first hand the positive impact the organization is making in Wamunyu through different programs.

One of the things I admire about Kenya Connect is how closely they work with the community and how well trained, dedicated, and friendly their staff in Wamunyu is. It is always a joy to watch them as they go out to various schools and communities and witness the partnerships they have formed with parents, teachers, and students.

I would be remiss if I did not talk about the fantastic leaders at Kenya Connect. Without their outstanding leadership and dedication, the organization would not be as effective as it is.

If you're looking for an organization to support, look no further. By supporting Kenya Connect, you'll be impacting 17,000 students, teachers, and parents in 66 schools and giving them a chance to succeed in the 21st century.

Faith. D

KC is a life-changing operation on so many levels. It's making a difference every day on the ground in Kenya. The difference is visible most notably in health and education and the statistics back up all of our volunteer stories. Being a part of Kenya Connect is humbling. The KC staff in Kenya are inspirational, and it's a pleasure to support this organization.

Each visit I make I am rejuvenated by the enthusiasm shown by the students just for the opportunity to learn. These students have little more than a mudbrick hut, a school uniform, and caring parents. KC provides them with opportunities to read, to encounter technology, to communicate across the world, and to imagine a future that they wouldn't have had in most other Kenyan rural towns.

Working with Kenya Connect was an incredible experience. Everyone we worked with while in Kenya was professional, friendly and supportive. They demonstrated a high level of care and concern for both the local teachers and the visiting teachers from Canada. They also demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment to all of the projects that they were working on and did an amazing job balancing all the needs of individuals and coordinating major projects that were running simultaneously. I noticed that their organization was highly respected in the local area, as well as by major international organizations such as The Rotary Club International. They work hard to make a difference in their local community and choose projects wisely so that they are sustainable and make a significant impact by improving the quality of life for the individuals involved. This is an organization that I am looking forward to continuing to work with.

I had the pleasure to learn alongside the Kenya Connect staff and Wamunyu community, and was elated to see the sustainability and resources that Kenya Connect fosters. The teacher development resources that Kenya Connect provides, allows teachers to learn and develop useful techniques and resources to bring into the classroom. Literacy, collaboration, critical thinking, and STEAM is emphasizes through various teacher development and community outreach programs. In addition, Kenya Connect provides opportunities for safe sanitation through compost toilet programs, de-worming, and reproductive health workshops. What a joy it was to see the sustainability of the resources Kenya Connect provides, flourishing in the communities and schools.

This is one of the most amazing nonprofits that I have ever worked with. They are doing extremely innovative work with their communities. It is clear that their partner schools and community organizations have tremendous respect for KenyaConnect and are always eager to partner in any way. A woman from the local cooperative said "if KenyaConnect is doing it, it has to be good and I want to try it too."

I have been lucky enough to go to Kenya twice with Kenya Connect. Each time was a wonderful experience filled with opportunities to serve and be served in so many ways. As a physical therapist who works with children with disabilities I spent several days at the special education school. Students live at the school for 3 month sessions and then go home for a month. The loving care I saw provided by staff was remarkable. The challenges of providing care for children with all levels of developmental disabilities with little electricity and no running water was very evident, and Kenya Connect is working hard to improve conditions for these students. I was proud to be a part of this.

On a trip to Wamunyu, Kenya in June 2019, I was able to see first-hand how Kenya Connect is engaging and empowering students and teachers in rural Kenya to succeed in the 21st Century. To help keep children healthy and present in school, they have implemented a variety of health programs including de-worming, hand washing stations, compost toilets, reusable sanitary pad program, and eye-screening. They provide programs to help enhance the education of the students including a library program, solar light program, Learning Resource Center (LRC), workshops for teachers, and computer labs. The staff at Kenya Connect is dedicated and committed to working to provide health and educational programs to the primary and secondary schools that they work with. Kenya Connect and every donation makes a huge difference in the lives of the students and community!

It is clear that Kenya Connect has the interest of the communities, schools, and, most importantly, the students they work with first and foremost. It was a privilege to spend 10 days working with Sharon and the Wamunyu crew of Kenya Connect. Although we were there as teacher trainers, we learned so much from them!! They have this knack for connecting people to make a difference in Kenya. Thank you Kenya Connect!!

I have seen Kenya Connect’s work first hand. They work very hard to help the students and teachers of their partner schools to improve their education. The resources they provide allow students access to a mobile library, computer classes, STEM classes, solar lamps, and wings poa program (reusable sanitary pads for female students). It is easy to see that the work of Kenya Connect does makes a difference in the lives of the students.

Incredibly nimble, effective, grassroots organization that thrives on high levels of engagement from the community they serve in public schools in rural Kenya. Innovative, energetic staff and board make a huge difference while keeping operating costs tremendously low.

Kenya Connect's work with schools in rural Kenya is exemplary in it's impact and reach. This organization makes a real difference in the lives of students and in the community.

Kenya Connect embodies asset-based community development. This nonprofit is staffed by community members working for their community and offer wrap-around services to ensure students have what they need to succeed. Kenya Connect's programs are designed to promote dignity and self efficacy for their clients by eliminating 'hand-out' models and implementing buy-in from community members. Their solar light program, compost toilets, and reusable sanitary pad program all promote sustainability as well as economic stability. Additionally, Kenya Connect offers a mobile library, de-worming pills, and eye screenings in an effort to improve local students academic success. All of these efforts ultimately promote empowering and engaging students to succeed in the 21st century.

Kenya Connect is a Kenya-based NGO, with excellent Kenyan staff working in Wamunyu (in eastern Kenya) to help improve the educational level of now over 17,000 students in some 45 primary and secondary schools. They are supported financially and with expert guidance by volunteers and a Board of Kenya Connect (a USA registered charity) head-quartered in the USA.

The head person in Kenya is James Musyoka, who co-founded the Kenya operation approximately in 2005.

I have personally known both James (and his Kenya staff) and Sharon Runge (Executive Director of the USA Kenya Connect organization) since 2015. I am a Rotarian who has been working in the Ndandini/Kyaithani area of eastern Kenya since 2007. This project work has involved implementing water/well, educational/scholarship, and solar light rent-to-own programs.

In 2015 Kenya Connect and our Rotary Projects partnered to informally work together as our two geographical areas are within about 1 hour of each other and the community needs are very similar. The benefits of this partnership have been beyond my wildest early expectations.

Kenya Connect provided invaluable technical and teacher training assistance to our Rotary Global Grant project which resulted in the installation of two major computer labs at out two secondary schools in the Ndandini/Kyaithani area. As part of their service to the area to improve education for children, they donated their services without compensation.

When our Rotary Global Grant project then moved to provide 1400 solar lights to the students in our 7 schools under a "rent-to-own" program, Kenya Connect decided to also implement a similar program for their schools. After discussion, we agreed to merge the two rent-to-own programs under Kenya Connect's administration. This self-sustaining rent-to-own program now has provided over 8,000 solar lights to students in the Wamunyu and Kyaithani Cluster of schools!

Recognizing the excellent track record that Kenya Connect has with providing teacher training and student reading programs to the now over 50 schools in both the Wamunyu and Kyaithani Cluster of schools, our Rotary Global Grant project provided funding to (1) train all primary school teachers in the Wamunyu and Kyaithani Cluster of schools in how to make productive use of the computer tablets and projectors which the government of Kenya provided to the schools (but with out any teacher training), and (2) to provide further training in 21st century teaching skills to the primary school teachers. Kenya Connect did an excellent job of this, working within budget, and receiving outstanding reviews from the teachers and most importantly from the administrators and headmasters of the schools.

Just this year, we were successful in starting another Rotary Global Grant project in which Kenya Connect has partnered significantly. This project, valued at over USD$100,000 , is intended to improve the training ability of secondary school teachers in 4 secondary schools (2 in the Kyaithani cluster and 2 in the Wamunyu cluster). Specifically, 7 professional teachers from British Columbia traveled to Kenya in April 2019 to spend 2 weeks working with 11 Kenyan educational people, and in November 2019 these 11 Kenyans will be visiting the schools of the 7 BC teachers to see first hand the methods and techniques taught during the Kenya visit. James and Sharon were a key part of the planning team and during the visit provided excellent project leadership and administration skills. The vocational training team visit would not have been anywhere as successful without the partnership with the Kenya Connect team!

As I have worked with Kenya Connect, I have learned much more about the partnerships that Kenya Connect has with other humanitarian organizations. Every one of these, whether bringing specific programs to the party or providing just financial support, has resulted in fantastic benefits to the schools. I can recommend Kenya Connect as trustworthy and a reliable organization for any donation or partnership!

We have sent many people to Kenya to visit our projects and who now also spend time visiting with Kenya Connect. Everyone comes back totally impressed with what they see and committed to future support. My neighbour went to volunteer for one month with Kenya Connect (to help implement Kenya Connect's book lending project) and ended up staying for three months because he was so impressed with the work that Kenya Connect is doing and the results that he saw.

Check out the Kenya Connect Facebook pages, which are updated almost every day, to see some of the fantastic results of their programs and the daily work of their staff and volunteers. https://www.facebook.com/KenyaConnect/

Terry Umbach
Rotary Project Manager
Sechelt, BC Canada

Kenya Connect is making a big difference in the lives of children in rural Kenya. This organization works closely with the local community to improve education and prepare students for success in the 21st century. Every program is thoughtfully conceived and implemented, and every donation is carefully managed.

Kenya Connect is as real as you can get for a nonprofit. It's a very committed group of volunteers putting everything into the kids and staying true to their mission without getting caught up in administrative costs. You know that when you give money, you are giving a kid a book, or a toilet or heartworm medicine. The team that runs Kenya Connect are like a family.