Something special happened in January 2025: We opened a primary school in Sirembe, Kenya, the RH Academy. The community of Sirembe had been pushing for this for some time. We have been operating our ECD (early childhood development) center since January 2011, and our head teacher, Monica, has earned us the reputation of being the best pre-k around. Parents kept asking us to expand, and we decided it was time to take the leap, so in January we welcomed our first 11 students into their first-grade class.
Our students have had a wonderful year learning and growing, in every way. RH Academy is the only primary school in the area that provides free lunch for our students, and we all know that a full belly makes all the difference when it comes to educational outcomes. In addition to providing a nutritious lunch to our students, another way we differ from typical rural Kenyan schools is that while it is not uncommon for some classes to have over 100 students to one teacher, we don't allow more than 25–30 students in any of our classes.
The school year in Kenya begins in January, so starting in January 2026, we will have a new first-grade class and a second-grade class too! Even more exciting is that through our Two Communities Campaign, we have already had a generous couple donate what we need to build our third-grade classroom, and it will be ready to welcome students in 2027. In keeping with our philosophy of holistic care, we plan to eventually build a computer lab and hire social workers at the school full-time. We still need playground equipment and are working toward a school bus, among other big plans! So many exciting things are on the horizon and YOU can be a part of it by donating to our RH Academy today!
Remember, EVERY donation from now until the end of December is matched through this campaign, so donate today to double your impact and double the opportunity! We are so grateful to all of you who have supported us for years. You have been a part of each transformed life, and you have made it possible for kiddos big and small in Sirembe to thrive. THANK YOU!