As the year draws to a close, at Elimu we are proud and grateful for the significant strides made in transforming lives and communities through our innovative programs, partnerships, and new projects. The focus has been on empowering the local communities in Malindi, Kilifi County, particularly students and their parents, by providing access to quality education and support systems. In this article, we take a comprehensive look back at some of the year’s most impactful events within the Elimu family.
Mobile Reading Program: Bridging Gaps in Education
One of the first projects to grow out of the Elimu Resource Centre in 2016 is our Mobile Digital Reading Program, designed to reach learners in diverse settings, from local communities to more challenging environments like prisons and rescue centers, this initiative focuses on using our digital resources to provide access to books and other educational materials for children and other vulnerable individuals who might otherwise have limited or no access to formal schooling.
In 2024, we expanded our footprint, returning to the junior remand centre after pandemic shutdowns locked us out since 2020; establishing for the first time a program at the women’s prison which is also a short-term incarceration facility and with notable success from the men’s prison program where they were selected by the national government to establish their own official primary school on their compound – this as a result of the Elimu Digital Reading Program that has been running their since 2016. This means inmates can now formally continue their education or in some case start formal education for the first time in their lives. The children, youth and adults engaged with these programs have not only improved their literacy but also developed a love for reading and hope for their futures, which is essential for their personal growth and positive future reintegration into society. Our achievements with these vulnerable groups is a testament to the transformative power of education, even in non-traditional settings.
Digital Literacy: Empowering Students with Technology
Digital Literacy is a key component of the Kenyan government’s new Competency Based Curriculum in schools. To help teachers and students meet the new requirements, Elimu designed a program to deliver technology as a tool for educational advancement through Robotics. Our Robotics sessions allow students to learn coding in an intuitive and creative way, building skills for problem solving that will be crucial in today’s technology-driven working world.
We implemented the sessions in-house at Elimu Resource Centre, as well as at schools and other institutions. The students, who previously had limited exposure to digital tools, now have the opportunity to learn basic coding skills, fostering a generation of digitally literate students who are better prepared for future academic and professional success. Our initiative also represents a significant step forward in addressing the digital divide in the community giving poor and wealthy, females and males equal access to technology for learning.
Digitech Lab: Nurturing Future Innovators
The Digitech Lab is new in 2024 but is already proving to be a major success story. Since its launch in January this year, the Lab has become a hub of innovation, providing students with the tools and space to explore technology, engineering, and a variety of employment-relevant digital skills. Amongst other programs, the Digitech Lab is home to our Digitech Training course for youth. This 6-month training program gives participants skills that meet the needs of employers we surveyed around the region, enhancing their employability and assisting them in securing work through internships and job placements.
Two exciting success stories from the Lab came during Mombasa’s Pwani Innovation Week and Nairobi’s Kenya Innovation Week, where Elimu trainees bagged first place in two ‘hackathon’ competitions! These wins highlight our students’ creativity and technical skills, and more importantly the relevance of the training we are providing. It also affirms the lab’s growing reputation for fostering young innovators. It’s a remarkable milestone in one year that shows how far these students have come, thanks to the investment in their education and future potential. January will be the start of our third cohort and intake is still ongoing!
Stay in School Project: Celebrating Milestones in Higher Education
The Stay in School Project continued to make waves in 2024 with our first university graduate. This gratifying achievement marks the project’s success in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds through their educational journey to academic success. Joseph, who graduated with a degree in Commerce from the Technical University of Kenya, landed a student job placement in his final semester and was able to maneuver it into a full-time job upon graduation. We are very proud of his success and grateful for his achievements.
The Stay in School Project focuses on providing sponsorships, mentorship, and a range of educational support to students at risk of dropping out of school. It has been instrumental in helping these students achieve their dreams of higher education. We continued to grow this year with six more students sitting for their national Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. With each new success story the program affirms that, with the right support, students from underprivileged backgrounds can overcome challenges at home and succeed academically.
Artisan Maker Space: Exploring New Frontiers
This year Elimu’s Artisan Maker Space worked closely with a small group of Elimu sewing graduates to test new concepts in training and to learn about the world of commercial production. In collaboration with Elimu Girls (USA) and new partners from inside Kenya and abroad, we gained new experience in producing our Pendo Artisan Ragdolls for commercial markets to the meet their rigours of quality standards. Our alumni learned new skills to enhance their sewing businesses and improve their income generation. We explored the fields of Eco-Fashion, Interior Design, Home Fashion and Accessory Design. The artisans gained proficiency in producing a variety of bags from purses to laptop cases; turning used clothing into exciting new garments for sale, and creating fun and decorative pillows, table cloths and hair accessories. Our goal is to help our sewing alumni build creative competitive businesses for healthy stable livelihoods for themselves and their families.
Our Elimu Girls Sewing Project had its largest number of graduates in 2024 with 26 young women sitting for their national trade certification exams in tailoring and dressmaking and receiving their own new sewing machines to start their sewing businesses. We will continue to develop our alumni training program so that more of our sewing graduates can benefit from new skills and opportunities to improve their income generating potential with their businesses.
Elimu Familia Stawi: A New Focus on Child Development
2024 also saw the launch of Elimu Familia Stawi or Thriving Families, a program that focuses on the holistic development of children, working closely with both children and their caregivers. The program is designed to engage parents and their pre-school children in the educational process, fostering better outcomes for children by equipping caregivers with the tools and knowledge to support their children’s educational development both academically and emotionally.
Through workshops for parents, play-based learning for children, and interactive activities, Elimu Familia Stawi is making strides in strengthening the bond between children and their parents as we prepare these young ones for formal education. The feedback from the local community has been overwhelmingly positive, with 60 parents and 150 children along with key local government and community representatives attending our formal program launch to the local community in October. This initiative completes Elimu’s support of the educational journey by filling the gap for early child care and education.
Looking Ahead: Building on Success
As Elimu moves into 2025, we are is poised for even greater impact. With new programs, the continued growth of existing initiatives, and a commitment to continue empowering students and communities, with the help and encouragement of an incredible global community of support, Elimu is on a path to further expand its reach and deepen its influence.
The progress made in 2024 is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of the Elimu team in Kenya and to all of those involved in furthering Elimu’s mission to provide Kenyan communities access to education, skills and support they need to realize their full potential. From our Digitech Lab’s successful hackathon victory to the inspiring graduations of Stay in School beneficiaries to the youngest learner benefitting from learning through play, every milestone highlights the power of education in changing lives and building brighter futures.
Also in 2024, our founder, Nina Chung, and our board of directors in Canada, launched an important initiative looking ahead to the self-sustainability of our Kenyan operations for the future longevity and success of our work. This included the development of a new strategic plan and a comprehensive review of our organizational structure and readiness for growth. Elimu’s continued success will depend on its ability to innovate, adapt, and collaborate with communities and stakeholders. As we look ahead to next year, we are excited about the future and the transformative role that education will continue to play in the lives of children, students, and communities across the region and the country. Join us in making these key milestones happen and continue to be part of our success with a financial contribution via our website at www.elimu.ca!