I am merely a friend of a friend who's mother was a teacher and who knows the power of education to lift a person to another level. And, how that education can impact the lives of those in their family. Education is vital to improving opportunity for everyone! So, I've committed to making my fairly small monthly donations for the last few years. Every so often I receive a hand-drawn card from one or more of the students. And, every one of them puts a smile on my face! I received this one today.
I have had the pleasure to meet with all of the US Staff and all of the Kenyan management team (as well as many teachers and staff of the schools in Kenya) and I am so impressed by the dedication, hard work and life-changing impact they each bring to the table. I strongly believe in the Kenyan-led management style and decision-making on which the organization is founded, as it brings real needs to the table and deals with them in cultural appropriate ways that help without harming. Families in rural southwest Kenya are benefiting in the transformative power of education, thanks to The Kilgoris Project.
Awesome nonprofit which works delicately to ensure a lasting, sustainable impact. Allows personal connection to the work of the organization as well as the people who make it special. Many opportunities to utilize personal expertise in a meaningful, impactful way.
I've been involved with the Kilgoris Project for over 14 years. Having been to Kenya several times, I have seen the marked difference in the Kilgoris community that the schools have brought. The children of the Kilgoris Project schools are healthy, nourished, and intelligent. They have access to thousands of books on Kindles, hot meals at school, and enrichment programs. They dream beyond a rural life of poverty, looking toward a future of doctors, pilots, and teachers.
My trip to Kilgoris, Kenya as a volunteer to work with the children's schools operated by The Kilgoris Project was the trip of a lifetime. To see hundreds of happy girls and boys getting an education was heartwarming. I was grateful to see they were well taken care of with hot meals, clean water, and a comprehensive health program. The Kenya teachers were amazing. Well educated and deeply caring of all their students. I got to see ongoing construction of brand new classrooms providing employment for qualified local Kenya workers. It was really fun and a privilege for me to get to teach a few classes at different remote campus's up in the mountains out of town where they would have never gotten an education were it not for The Kilgoris Project. I've always been passionate about education, and to see children with a love for reading is awesome. They have access to e-reader tablets with hundreds of books in both Swahili and English and they are taking full advantage of these resources. I hope to be able to go back again and experience the growth that has happened since I was there.
I visited twice this great organization in Kenya and meet with an amazing and passionate staff over there. They are making such a difference in the lives of those children. A very healthy organization, very professional, very dedicated.
The Kilgoris Project has funded 2 wells in the KIlgoris region of Kenya. These wells have had a significant impact on the health of the community, especially the younger children. This health improvement has been noticed in the TKP schools where the children are better able to concentrate and also attend school more regularly. These wells are a much-needed source of clean water, much better than the muddy holes in the ground used previously.
I Had The opportunity To Travel To Kilgoris, Kenya with my 17 Year Old Granddaughter. We were able to witness first hand how the project helps over 1200 children by providing education, clean water, daily food and medical care with lots of love and laughter. We volunteered in the classrooms and each morning we were greeted by big smiles and "Good Morning Teacher". We fell in love with these polite children and they loved us back.
Because my granddaughter is a nursing student in college she was invited to help in the local mission hospital. She had the opportunity to assist with the birth of a healthy baby girl. The mother was so pleased to have my granddaughter in the room that she named the baby after her.
We would feel privileged to return to this Masai village to again work with the children. Without the Kilgoris Project these children have little hope of a better future.
It's been an privilege to be involved with The Kilgoris Project for the past 9 years as is has grown from a few small schools into a thriving organization that serves over 1000 children. I visited Kilgoris in 2011 with TKP and was struck by the strong sense of community surrounding the schools. There is an evident partnership between the Kenyan staff, the US staff, and the parent community that combine to provide a thriving support network for each school. TKP takes a holistic approach to education and community, focusing not just on curriculum but also on student health, providing meals and basic health care to ensure that students can focus on learning. TKP also works to build economic opportunities in the community to support the schools over the long term. I love the passion and energy that surrounds TKP and am consistently impressed by the dedication of everyone involved in the organization.
The Kilgoris Project is a special organization. A lot of non-profits help people in developing parts of the world. But TKP fosters real authentic relationships, in partnership, to help accomplish its goals. it's an organization about real relationships between Kenyans and Westerners. There is deep friendship, genuine mutual respect, clear affection, and partnership in a common goal.
I've traveled to Kenya once with TKP and have another trip scheduled soon. As soon as you start working with them, you are part of the family. And it's a great family to be a part of.
Caren and the team leading TKP are all humble, creative, and hard-working. David Lemiso and the rest of the Kenyan staff are dynamic, responsive, and diligent. This close partnership between the American team and the Kenyan team is the amazing thing about TKP.
On top of that, they are doing great and important work in Kenya. Children who would otherwise never have access to quality schooling are getting an education. Communities are being empowered. Families are being given the chance to contribute in a meaningful way to the improving future of their communities and children.
How lucky and thrilled I am to be a part of The Kilgoris Project. I have been involved with this amazing organization for almost three years now and it has enriched my life. I had the great pleasure of visiting the schools in Kenya, twice, and met with the Kenyan staff. This organization on top of having a US team dedicated and passionate, has been able to build overseas, a professional and enthusiastic team. It is such a privilege to share the passion of people so involved and motivated. The Kilgoris Project is not only building schools and educate children to provide them a better future but also builds strong and implicated communities around the schools. Their implications are beyond the children, it spreads over the whole communities. I am very impressed by the management of this organization and the choices and strategy it applies to perform and optimize all its process to focus on their main mission. Sustainability is a real target for them as well. If you are looking for a honest, healthy and performant non-profit, this is the one! Thousand of children’s smile will prove this is a unique, inspiring and remarkable project.
What a privilege to be able to work with this organization, which aims to educate and care for school age children in remote under-served areas of Kenya. We've supported this organization for over 10 years. But having the recent opportunity to spend a week visiting individual schools to teach and share our knowledge with these eager Kenyan children/teachers was such an eye-opening and fulfilling experience for our whole family, including my children. That experience, coupled with the daily education about the people and environment from the founder, Caren McCormack, truly opened our eyes and hearts to this particular Maasai tribe community and the tremendous work, passion, and vision of this organization. The best part is knowing the potential impact these schools can have on the 1000+ children they are reaching out to as their students.
I have volunteered and helped with the activities of the Kilgoris Project since 2011. I knew the McCormacks, the family that started this non-profit, and started to learn about the Kilgoris Project. The Kilgoris Project funds several schools in Kilgoris, Kenya. Very quickly I got involved and in 2012, I traveled twice with the group to Kenya to do help with teacher training (I am a retired elementary school teacher.) I had wonderful experiences on my trips and was privileged to work with the teachers of the Kilgoris Project schools. In the years since, I have volunteered in fundraising efforts such as the yearly Marketplace where many Kenyan crafts are sold to raise money to pay teachers, feed children, fund children's health, etc. The Kilgoris Project is bringing education, health, and opportunity to rural Kenya!
I've always wanted to be involved with a non-profit, but I never found one that spoke to me. Then I found The Kilgoris Project, and I can't think of a better organization to be involved with. The US team and the Kenyan teams are truly some of the most passionate people I've ever had the pleasure to work with. They are kind, knowledgeable, and giving individuals. I highly recommend The Kilgoris Project.
The Kilgoris Project (TKP) is an amazing non-profit organization that provides education, healthcare and opportunity to a small, rural area in southwestern Kenya. This endeavor began with a friendship between the founders and a member of the community meeting in Kenya. As the friendships have deepened and multiplied, so have the schools. This Massai community has a deep desire to educate their children, but the schools are often too far for children to travel. I began to be interested in TKP several years ago. In February, I had the opportunity to travel to Kilgoris and meet the people and see the schools. What an amazing experience! The people of Kilgoris are very dedicated to educating their children. I was able to visit an area that does not have a school building, but this doesn't stop them! As a community, they hire a teacher, build benches and hold school under the shade of trees. However, when it rains, school is canceled. TKP is working with this community to build a school for them. TKP has built several schools in this widespread, rural community. I enjoyed the contrast of seeing children learning under trees and in buildings. (See the photos below) But what was the same was the eagerness of the children to learn! TKP has also provided clean drinking water, lunch and healthcare to enhance the lives of these children. Jobs are also provided to Kenyans, by building the schools, maintaining the schools, teachers, cooks, a physician, and more. It's about education, but so much more. The richness of the friendships, the dedication of the TKP staff, and the smiles of the children was proof that TKP is providing a lasting, sustainable improvement in the lives of the Massai in the Kilgoris area. I count myself fortunate to be witness to love in action and am excited to continue to support TKP!
I have visited Kilgoris, Kenya with The Kilgoris Project, and I have seen firsthand the impact on the community. TKP partners with folks in Kilgoris, bringing ideas, funding, and support, while the community makes the decisions of what works best for them. There are efforts to make the venture sustainable, so that, in time, the community will take over for itself. The Kilgoris Project impacts the community in 3 ways: education, health, and opportunity. Preschools and primary schools have been built, with a view to retaining good teachers through paying on time and benefits. Clean water is stored at the facilities for drinking and handwashing, and two meals a day are served there. Wells are also part of the vision each time a school is built, as well as buildings, to supplement the rainwater stored there. Children and parents are taught good hygiene like handwashing, boiling water for cooking, and tooth brushing, just to name a few. In addition, the children are measured for malnourishment (none in the year of 2015!), given eye exams, and get vitamins and vaccines. Through partnerships with other organizations, the adults are educated on ways to further their opportunities. Women's co-ops have been just one way in which this takes place. Basket weaving, jewelry making, and selling extra food grown helps ensure that these parents can keep their children in school. The opportunity I had to meet the people of this Kenyan village through TKP has opened my heart and my mind to my brothers and sisters across the world.
The Kilgoris Project (TKP) is an amazing group that works together to provide education, healthcare and opportunity to the children of Kilgoris, in western Kenya. In February, I was able to travel to Kilgoris with TKP. Here I saw how thoughtfully and effectively this dedicated group has worked along with the Kenyan teachers to provide schools. Specifically, I was able to visit a school that does not have a building, but the motivated parents have worked together and provided teachers and benches under trees for school. TKP is working together, with the community, to gather funds (donations) to construct the first buildings for a school. I was also fortunate to visit schools that have already been built, and have classrooms of students who are excelling in their new environment. TKP also provides daily food, clean drinking water and medical care from a physician. What a joy to see how proud the parents and students are about their school and community!
Educating, feeding and caring for over 1,000 preschoolers and elementary school children in a remote area in southwestern Kenya takes tremendous dedication and hard work. To do all of that that successfully in partnership with the community for over 13 years is amazing! The Kilgoris Project (TKP) makes a daily positive impact on the lives of so many young children. I am both a 10-year volunteer and donor to TKP and have had the privilege of visiting our schools and working with the Kenyan staff and children. Over the years, TKP has learned that education is necessary but not sufficient. Hungry and sick children can't learn, so TKP donors have made it possible to serve more children and to provide holistic education including providing meals, clean water and basic health care. Our students are learning and thriving. Parents are engaged in the school community. I feel proud and honored to be part of TKP. The most heartbreaking thing is that there are still so many children in the area who need an education. I will always support TKP and work for the children because I have seen up-close the progress and success.
The Kilgoris Project has been such a positive experience for me. I started out as a customer at one of their local benefits. Their vision and passion for serving children in rural Kenya was contagious so I jumped on board as a volunteer. Serving in this volunteer role reinforced the powerful work they were doing so much that I had to see it in person. Last year I traveled to Kilgoris and met the teachers, families, and students of the project. It was truly life changing. I have never once regretted getting involved with these amazing people.
The Kilgoris Project is one organization that I can say is truly building up the people they serve to carry on with true sustainability. Not only is TKP educating and caring for the thousand or so kids in their schools, but they are building up the whole family and really setting the family up for success. The local leaders in Kenya are the most amazing, dedicated, and selfless people that I have ever met. If you are looking for an organization with true heart, who evaluates everything against the goal of doing no harm in the process of serving, then you have found it here.