REcent Newsletter articles
Kenyan Schools of Hope typically sends out a newsletter on a monthly basis with news from the Ewuaso Osiligi Center, stories about the rescued girls, and updates on construction projects. If you would like to receive these newsletters, please go to "Contact Us" and select "Keep me updated on Kenyan Schools of Hope progress."
For recent articles on how construction or major maintenance projects are progressing, please go to Construction Updates.
Let Hope and Water Flow
Girls help the house mother carry rainwater.
Deacon Joseph & Andrew fetch water from Ewuaso Town.
Jugs of water are brought back to the rescue center.
At Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center, we believe that every girl deserves safety, dignity — and yes, a good, long shower without having to pray for the tap to cooperate!
But lately, the taps for drinking water, cooking, washing and bathing have gone nearly silent. The availability of running water has turned into a daily guessing game: “Will it flow today… or must we fetch again?”
The current water supply has become unreliable. Some days, not a single drop appears. The girls wait, buckets in hand, hoping the tap offers more than just a muddy trickle.
Yet, our girls still laugh, still dream, and still rise early to fetch water so they can cook, wash, and bathe before school. Their resilience is inspiring — but they shouldn’t have to work this hard and worry about something as basic as clean and safe water.
We’ve found a reliable water source at Maai Mahiu — a steady river that can be piped to Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center. The KSOH and EOC boards of directors are pursuing a multi-pronged solution to the critical water supply issues at the campus. Our annual fundraiser, which will be launched later this month, will focus on providing the funds necessary to secure a reliable, safe water supply for our precious girls and for those who tirelessly care for them on a daily basis.
November 2025
Study Time!
It has been study time at the EOC lately. The country of Kenya has recently revamped its national testing system.
The KPSEA (Kenya Primary School Education Assessment) is a grade 6 assessment that replaced the old KCPE exam under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Unlike the KCPE, KPSEA's primary purpose is not to determine high school placement but to monitor learner progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. It is a transition assessment for learners moving from primary to junior secondary school.
Brand new this year is the KJSEA (Kenya Junior School Education Assessment), a national assessment under the Competency Based Education (CBE) system. Unlike traditional exams that focus on rote memorization, KJSEA evaluates students based on the development of competencies and practical skills. This marks a historic milestone across the country for the pioneer class of CBE currently in Grade 9. The KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) is Kenya's national examination administered by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to students completing their four-year secondary education. In Kenya, this examination is the entrance qualification to public and private universities, and the pass mark is grade C+. Students who attain a lower mark than C+ join other tertiary institutions (vocational or technical schools) for non-degree courses.
Our rescue center and school boards have worked very hard to update the school curriculum to match the government education changes in recent years. You may remember that some of these changes are part of what necessitated the need for Junior Secondary School classrooms and labs in the new Multipurpose Hall. The EOC pays a fee for each candidate to take these exams and holds special study sessions, and most importantly, a day of prayer to help prepare the students for these very important exams. Our student body had a total of four candidates sitting for the KPSEA exams, 15 candidates sitting for the KJSEA exam, and 12 candidates sitting for their KCSE national exams this year! The exams concluded in early November. Historically, our students have done very well on their national exams, and we pray that is the case again this year! To God be the glory!
November 2025
Elector Akinyi and her father on her first day of school at Machakos Teacher College.
A Teacher in the Making
We are thrilled to announce that Elector Akinyi recently started her college journey in September 2025. Her story is an amazing testament to resilience.
At an early age of 14, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Elector's world was turned upside down. The pandemic’s onset led to significant financial hardship for her parents, with her father resorting to work as a street vendor. Things worsened, leading to her mother's departure with two of the children, leaving Elector and her brother Eli, who was only 5 years old, with their father. The situation took a devastating toll on her father, plunging him into depression and desperation, even attempting to take his own life in front of the two children. From time to time, he would share with her that the sight of his children suffering was too much for him to bear.
Overwhelmed, he relied on Elector more and more to care for her younger brother. She would often miss school or arrive late, even during her KCPE national examinations. She would also have to dash home after each exam session to tend to his needs including feeding and diaper changes. The headteacher noticed her habitual lateness and inquired about the cause. She shared her family's struggles, prompting the headteacher to report the situation to the center’s director. Following a comprehensive social inquiry and family assessment, the Ewuaso Osiligi Center stepped in to support her to join Form 1 (Senior school).
Elector is now pursuing a Diploma course in Education, which is a 3-year program. As a token of her appreciation and a way of giving back, she is planning to come back to our school to teach, as one of our staff. We are not only proud of her, but her father as well, who has shown remarkable dedication and support given that he has an additional burden of caring for the other child who has sickle cell anemia. His support and cooperation have been invaluable, greatly facilitating our work.
At the beginning of this year, we successfully reunified her with her family; hence, we will now be supporting her from home as she pursues her degree.
We wish Elector every success!
October 2025
Shamba Update
Following a bumper harvest last year, we zealously tripled the farm acreage this year. We cultivated a shamba (farm) in Suswa town, aiming to reduce food costs at the center. We worked on 3 acres of land, with 1 acre generously donated by one of our parents and the additional 2 acres leased. Our crops included both maize and beans. Initially, we anticipated a good harvest, similar to the previous season, but unfortunately, heavy rains in April flooded 1 acre of the shamba, damaging the crops, especially the beans. The rest of the crops were thriving with moderate rain, and we were hopeful of harvesting about 8 bags of maize with each weighing approximately 90 kilograms.
However, just a few days before our scheduled harvest, the maize was stolen from the shamba by members of the neighboring community. We were devastated to discover this on arrival. The girls and several EOC staff members had gone to the shamba with high spirits, only to be met with the disheartening sight. We ended up harvesting just one bag of maize.
Despite the demoralizing experience, we remain optimistic that the next season will bring better results. As the old Kenyan adage goes, a farmer should never be discouraged. We are already looking forward to improving our strategies and achieving a successful harvest in the future.
October 2025
The Power of Education: Hanka's Story
Hanka Saiton, a 19-year-old girl, is gradually but surely restoring hope not only in her family, but also in the community. She became one of our beneficiaries in 2023. At that time she was in Form 3, the third year of secondary education in Kenya.
Hanka comes from a single parent family of nine children and is the fourth born. Her father passed away. Her mother had financial constraints thus could not keep her in school as the 2019 drought that ravaged Kajiado as well as many other parts of Kenya had a devastating impact on her family, wiping out most of their cattle.
During our recent team building, Hanka shared her story with the other girls, noting that EOC greatly contributed to her exemplary performance in the national exams. In her own words, she said, “Previously, at home, my academic performance went unnoticed, but EOC's strict follow-up on term-end results changed everything. Knowing I had to present and explain my results motivated me to work harder!"
Hanka has joined Maasai Mara University in Narok county for a bachelor’s degree in education. Being a trailblazer in her family, she is proud to be the first girl to reach such heights. Her university admission is a milestone for EOC, making a historic moment as our first beneficiary to reach this level.
We are so proud of Hanka and wish her the very best!
Interested in being a sponsor? Contact our sponsorship coordinator, Marilyn Lynch at hope4kenyangirls@att.net..
September 2025
August Holiday: A Beehive of Fun Activities!
Our girls came together for their annual August holiday team building. This was a day whereby all KSOH beneficiaries, including those who are supported from home, come together to interact, decompress, and motivate each other. The girls took part in various activities like a variety of games, bible drills, spelling bee, dancing, among many others. All this was in a bid to ensure they interact and keep the spirit of competition alive. A motivational session from the social worker capped off an amazing day, followed by the girls sharing their favorite meal.
A group of 15 girls attended a youth seminar hosted by Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) from August 13-17 in Ngurumani, Magadi. The youth seminar brought together youth from various parts of the country. This event was a great opportunity for the girls to learn, grow in their faith, and challenge each other spiritually. Besides the learning, they enjoyed the road trip to Magadi and the beautiful scenery in Ngurumani.
On the last weekend before opening of schools, the girls were treated to a special back-to-school lunch. They enjoyed taking a walk to Ewuaso Town accompanied by some of the staff and spent the rest of the afternoon in one of the gardens in the town. This was a well-deserved break before going back to their busy school schedules.
September 2025
A Story of Faith
Faith, the last born in a household of six siblings, is 14 years old and currently in grade 8. She comes from a polygamous family. Her mother, who was the first wife, passed on when she was still a little girl. Faith has been under the care of her stepmother, who had been mistreating her for the longest time. She would be assigned all the household chores, whilst her step siblings did not do any, as if she was a servant in the household. This really frustrated Faith to a point she decided to run to her older brother’s home. Her father kept persuading her to come back since he was under pressure by the stepmother to bring her back, Faith reported. This went on for so long.
At the beginning of this year, when everybody else was preparing for school, her father informed her that he would marry her off. Since he was educating the boys, he did not have money to educate her. Faith pleaded with him to educate her just like the boys, but it seemed he had already made up his mind. For this reason, she opted to run to her brother’s home for assistance. She was hoping that the pressure would subside shortly after, but unfortunately it did not. It is at this point that she decided to completely run away from home to seek help elsewhere. She had also gone through FGM back in 2021 together with her stepsister.
Faith was rescued by some security guards as she was escaping, who got curious because she looked very distressed. She explained to them, and they took her to a nearby rescue centre. Unfortunately, the centre’s management could not take her in because, apparently, they do not admit girls who have already been circumcised. The social worker reported her case to the area chief, who then informed the children officer. Her case was then referred to us. When her father learnt that he was being sought, he went into hiding.
Faith has since settled in at Ewuaso Osiligi, where she has found a new home and continues with her studies. She has high hopes for the future.
August 2025
Our Journey Toward Protecting Children
The Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) is one of the tools that the Kenyan government is using to monitor and evaluate the work done by charitable children’s institutions and also assess how the institutions are doing as far as alternative care is concerned, which is one of the key pillars of care reforms in Kenya. With all efforts being geared towards family and community-based care, the data management system is being used to assess institution’s case management. It is also a pivotal toolkit for caseworkers in these institutions, which will be a crucial requirement as institutions transition to child welfare programs.
We are glad to be part of the key stakeholders in the care reforms in Kenya, and especially Kajiado county. Ewuaso Osiligi Center's social worker got to be part of a capacity building training on data management in the month of July.
The use of this data management system will streamline Ewuaso Osiligi Center's case management processes, enabling more efficient and effective support for children and families. We look forward to continued collaboration with the government and other stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of care reforms.
August 2025
Sylvia's Story of Hope
Sylvia is the youngest in her family of nine siblings. Her father is a very violent and brutal man. After he lost all his cattle to the drought in 2023, her father made it very clear to Sylvia that he planned to give her out for marriage. In the Maasai community, females are perceived as a source of wealth so that they are married off for the families to gain wealth through a dowry.
Sylvia’s mother was not in favor of his plan and wanted Sylvia to continue with her education. Sylvia’s brother reached out to a young man who was an advocate for rescuing girls in their community, and informed him of his father's marriage plans for Sylvia. The young man contacted their area chief and his family took her in until the chief could seek out a more permanent solution to the urgent situation. Sylvia's case was brought to the attention of Catherine Wangari by a children's officer and she was admitted to the Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center in 2024.
Sylvia is now happily pursuing her education as her mother wished for her and is safe and secure to finish out her childhood, free from child marriage. She has been sponsored by one of our generous donors since February 2024.
Interested in being a sponsor? Contact our sponsorship coordinator, Marilyn Lynch at hope4kenyangirls@att.net.
July 2025
Day of the African Child
On June 16, 2025, students at the Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center and School joined the rest of the African continent to celebrate the Day of the African Child. This year's theme was Planning and Budgeting for Children's Rights: Progress since 2010. The theme emphasized the need to examine how far African nations have come in prioritizing children's rights in budgets and what is still needed. It also serves as a reminder that investing in children, particularly in education, is crucial for breaking cycles of poverty and conflict.
The Day of the African Child has been celebrated every year since June 16, 1991. The day was created to commemorate the courage of South African children who protested poor education conditions in the Soweto uprising of 1976. The day also raises awareness of the continuing need to improve the education provided to African children and champions the well-being of all African children.
"Bringing hope today for a better future tomorrow" is our vision for the children at Ewuaso Osiligi. Over the years, and with the completion of the new Multipurpose Hall, Ewuaso Osiligi has grown to include 11 classrooms, a library, a kitchen, computer lab, home science lab, a bus, a very dedicated staff, and many other facilities. In addition to the girls living at the center, over 70 local boys and girls are now attending Ewuaso Osiligi School as day students. The Ewuaso Osiligi School is a fully registered and recognized school by the Kenyan government.
Our work is not done, however. Current plans include exploring the possibility of an onsite high school and collaborating with other organizations on a project to ensure a reliable supply of water for the school and surrounding community.
July 2025
A Day of Hope:
Dedication of the Multipurpose Hall at Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center
The sun rose gently over the hills of Ewuaso Kedong, ushering in a day unlike any other - a day of thanksgiving, unity, and renewed hope. The dedication of the new multipurpose hall at Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center was not just the unveiling of a building, but a powerful testament to what compassion and vision can achieve.
Graced by Bishop Melio, alongside board members from both KSOH and EOC, the event drew hundreds from the local Maasai community, all eager to witness and celebrate this milestone. Laughter, music, and joy filled the air as the community came together—tribes, faiths, and generations under one roof built to serve, nurture, and empower.
But the most compelling moment came when the rescued girls took the stage. Their drama on FGM and early forced marriage was not only poignant. It was transformative. With raw emotion and courage, they told their stories, stories that mirrored the lives of many in the crowd. For the Maasai community, it was not just theatre; it was a mirror, a challenge, and a call to action.
As the final applause rang out, there was a palpable sense that something had shifted. Minds were stirred, hearts were opened, and the purpose of the hall became clear: It would be a beacon of change, a place where voices once silenced would now be heard.
In every brick and beam, hope has found a home at Osiligi.
June 2025
It’s time for the girls at Ewuaso Osiligi Rescue Center to explore new, fun ways to grow, starting with the game of chess! Studies have shown that chess can positively impact academic achievement, especially in subjects like math, due to its emphasis on logical reasoning and problem-solving. Chess is also known to help develop decision-making, critical thinking, and planning skills. The game encourages thinking several steps ahead and evaluating options.
Education Event at Trinity School
On Thursday, April 24, several KSOH board members, along with Trinity Early Childhood Education teacher, Dawn Roach, hosted a mock vision clinic at the school. The clinic event also served as a fundraiser to raise money to purchase musical instruments for the girls in Kenya. The event was a huge success!
Before arriving to the clinic, ECE students received a registration card from their teacher. Students started their clinic visit with a short introduction about all the work being done in Kenya and singing, “Oh, Be Careful Little Eyes.” Next, students moved to the first station where they checked their eyes using an eye exam chart. Triage was the next station. Here students learned more about KSOH, the vision clinics, and Kenya. Students used mirrors to have a good look at their eyes, and enjoyed examining Kenyan artifacts that were passed around. As in a real clinic in Kenya, students prayed with the volunteers before moving to the next station. The next stop was the doctor station. Learning how to protect your eyes and different ways our eyes help us was the focus of this station. The final station was a glasses fitting station. Students were given the opportunity to choose a new pair of sunglasses and a pocket protector!
Trinity ECE teachers and staff were grateful for this opportunity for their young students. The KSOH board hopes to make this an annual event.
June 2025
A Milestone Achievement for the Rescue Center
During a recent meeting at the Ewuaso Osiligi Center, Catherine proudly announced that the institution has finally received its official certificate from the government, the Republic of Kenya Ministry of Labour and Social Protection - Certificate of Renewal - Charitable Children’s Institution!
She presented the certificate to the team, marking a major breakthrough in the center’s journey. This milestone was celebrated as a remarkable achievement, considering the challenging and often discouraging process of acquiring such documentation. Many rescue centers struggle to meet the strict government regulations required for licensing, and some never succeed in obtaining official recognition.
The certification not only legitimizes the institution’s operations but also opens doors to greater opportunities for funding, partnerships, and support. It assures the community and stakeholders of the center’s commitment to maintaining high standards of care and accountability. The recognition also boosts the morale of the staff and volunteers, affirming that their hard work, resilience, and dedication have not been in vain.
This success strengthens the center’s capacity to continue offering safe shelter, protection, and support services to vulnerable children. It is a testament to the team’s perseverance and a sign of greater impact to come. The institution now moves forward with renewed confidence and credibility in fulfilling its mission to protect and empower those in need.
May 2025
Growing Community Support for Ewuaso Rescue Centre
As we take stock of the journey since the establishment of the Ewuaso Rescue Centre in 2016, we are encouraged by the growing support from the local community. What started as a modest initiative to provide safety and hope for vulnerable girls has gradually become a community-supported cause.
We are glad to report that the community is now steadfastly embracing the centre and is willing to participate in its activities. This was clearly seen last month during a stakeholders’ meeting we convened. Representatives from various groups attended, showing genuine interest and ownership of the centre’s mission.
We were especially humbled by the presence of the senior chief, whose attendance signified a strong endorsement from local leadership. This moment marked a significant step forward in community involvement—a clear sign of impact, acceptance, and shared responsibility.
We remain hopeful and committed to deepening this partnership in the years ahead.
April 2025
A Season of Growth and Gratitude at Ewuaso Osiligi
We thank God for the steady increase in student enrollment at Ewuaso Osiligi, a key factor in ensuring the school’s long-term sustainability. As more children join our institution, we see the impact of education in transforming lives and bringing hope to the community.
Things are taking shape as we continue to develop robust infrastructure and enhance school amenities to accommodate the growing number of students. With improved facilities, we can provide a better learning environment that nurtures both academic excellence and personal growth.
This progress would not be possible without the unwavering support of our donors. Their generosity has played a crucial role in expanding opportunities for the children of Ewuaso Osiligi. From classrooms to essential resources, every contribution has made a significant difference in the lives of our students.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to our mission of giving hope and education to the community. With God’s guidance and the continued support of well-wishers, we believe that even greater things are yet to come. Together, we are building a future where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
March 2025
A Joyful Celebration
On November 17, the Ewuaso Osiligi Center was alive with joy and excitement as students were baptized and confirmed into the Church. The event, marked with pomp and color, brought together students, staff, parents, and community members in a heartfelt celebration of faith and spiritual growth.
The day’s highlights included the baptism of 21 students as well as nine from the surrounding community, sealing their entry into the Christian family of faith. Additionally, as a reaffirmation of their commitment to their spiritual journey, 20 students and four community members received their first communion.
The ceremony was filled with hymns, prayers, and words of encouragement, making it a truly memorable occasion for everyone present. The joy and gratitude were palpable as the students, radiant in their new faith, received blessings and congratulations from family and friends.
We are deeply grateful to God for the success of this event and for the dedication of all who contributed to its planning and execution. The Ewuaso Osiligi Center remains committed to nurturing not only academic growth but also the spiritual and moral development of the young people under its care.
December 2024