"The100% attendance at our Grade 8 enrichment camp this August speaks to the significant unmet need for richer and more consistent educational opportunities in Amagoro."

-- Olubayi Olubayi

    Executive Director

    Kiwimbi Kenya  

Once again, the August school break brought with it Kiwimbi-sponsored support for 3 mini-camps in Amagoro, reaching the Grade 8 students of Amagoro Primary School who are participants in our Kiwimbi Club during the school year,as well as students in Form 4 (equivalent to Grade 12) who are from a variety of local secondary schools.

The Grade 8 program this year was supported fully and solely by Kiwimbi, and concentrated on immersing the students in English through an intensive literature-based curriculum.  Since fluency in English is essential for academic success (being the language of the classroom and of the national exams that determine kids' futures), reading books in English is a valuable and necessary enrichment activity.  The students made their way through 20 chapter books this August, a major accomplishment that will no doubt, serve them well as they prepare for the national exam later this fall.  And the attendance this year was 100% . . . a testament to their thirst for learning.

Celebrating the achievement of the first Grade 8 campers  to read 20 chapter books in August

The Form 4 (Grade 12) camps this year were visited by the Head of Training for the Kenya branch of the American Peace Corps, whose volunteers helped to staff the program alongside Kenyan university students.  The camps were divided by boys and girls and consisted of a week-long residential experience aimed at preparing students for their national exams.  These camps were co-sponsored by Kiwimbi and Elewana Education Project, and supported by a grant from the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Kiwimbi undertook its first formal strategic planning initiative in June with a day-long meeting held in Morristown, New Jersey.  Attended by the full Board of Trustees, including our Kenyan colleagues Olubayi Olubayi and Peace Osangir, as well as Will Rathgeber just back from volunteering in Kenya, the session proved to be a stimulating and productive undertaking.  The meeting was led by Jay Angeletti, husband of trustee Sara Angeletti and President of The Angeletti Group, a strategic consultancy to not-for-profit organizations.  As a result of the discussion, issues and decisions evolving from the session,the Board is now building out several workstreams aimed at fortifying the Kiwimbi organization and advancing its mission.  

So many people have expressed interest in "hands on" contributions to our efforts in Kenya that we are exploring the possibility of taking a small group of families to Amagoro in the summer of 2014.  Fortunately, Olubayi has a great deal of experience with managing trips from the US to Africa, so we will rely on his expertise as we develop a program with interested families.  There is a lot to do!  Service learning occurs in three phases: preparation, which takes place before the trip; action, which takes place during the actual trip; and reflection which takes place every evening and at the end of the trip.   If you are interested in joining us, please email info@KiwimbiGlobal.org.  Our first organizational meeting is coming up soon!