Dear friends and partners,
What a year we have had!
This year has been filled with successful endeavors and significant breakthroughs: This brief report provides a snapshot of the things we have achieved together.
None of this would have been possible without you – our amazing supporters and partners. In a highly challenging year, your support allowed us to continue to have a tangible impact on the lives of our children and their families. In 2021, we met our goal of educating, feeding, and caring for 164 children.
Academic performance throughout the year was excellent, with all our children meeting or exceeding expectations for their grade level. We also served 40,824 nutritious meals, facilitated 69 hospital visits, and conducted 24 home visits. Below, I have outlined the other key accomplishments of the year.
January – March
We reopened the school after nine months of closure due to covid 19. Reopening and operating strict safety protocols meant that we had to reconfigure our spaces and change our routines and practices. I am happy that we were able to do this without a hitch. Teachers were to adapt quickly to the new situation. By the end of the period, we had identified gaps in students’ learning and made significant progress in addressing that.
April – March
Our families continued to face difficulties as Covid 19 disruptions to the economy persisted. I am glad that we were able to assist in a significant way. We distributed food vouchers worth Ksh250,000 ($2,200). We also distributed more than 5,000 pounds of special fortified rice from Kapu Africa through Slumchild Foundation. Lastly, through collaboration with the Slumchild Foundation, 65 of our families received a monthly cash transfer of $30 from GiveDirectly for three months.
July – September
Thirty-three of our students graduated from Hands of Love, and we are glad that all of them were able to get enrollment in the nearby public and primary schools.
We enrolled 40 new students, among them two children with special needs.
We provided new shoes to all our students.
The inclusion of people with disabilities in the education project kicked off. This project aims to enhance access to education and health services for children living with disabilities in Kariobangi by training teachers from the neighborhood in the basics of special needs education and creating support groups for families with children with disabilities. More than 40 teachers and 50 families are benefitting from the project.
October – December
We partnered with Inspire Wellness to provide mental health and wellness sessions; 15 of our families benefit from this initiative.
Two of our teachers graduated with diplomas in special needs education.
Again, thank you so much to all our friends and partners. Without your continual support, all this work wouldn’t be possible.
May 2022 be a successful year all around!