A year ago, the first preschool in Manyamula village was started with a Small Business Fund grant. Nellie, newly divorced, moved to Manyamula to start a new life. Nellie and two assistants – Deliwe and Tamara – each already had teaching skills and they were eager to help the 30 new students learn and grow. With the Small Business Fund grant they were able to purchase some books, crayons, mats, and cups for snack time. Thus was born the First Steps Pre-School. The pre-school h

It could have been a scene from my own visit to in Kenya in 2011 – the dusty roads, the matatus (taxi vans) with hawkers hanging out of the windows, children singing and dancing with glee – but actually, it was just the setting of the beautiful, uplifting film, The First Grader. Stunning scenery in Meru National Park in Kenya. The movie, from 2011, is based on the true story of Kimani Maruge, an 84-year old man who hears in 2003 that the Kenyan government is now offering “fre

Last April I shared with you my interview with Jacky Buhoro about her work with children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We had recently received a grant from the Charles Wentz Carter Memorial Foundation, which enabled SIA to pay school tuition for eight orphans and other vulnerable children in Jacky’s community last year. The children all passed their classes and are now eligible to continue on to the next level! Lydia shows off her good grades Girls Nono Kulemba (5 yea