Brighter Children Visits Village Project Africa

We landed in Nairobi on July 20th, eager to finally visit Village Project Africa and their primary school, Heritage Academy. Brighter Children has supported Village Project Africa for the past three years, and our team of eight was eager to meet our sponsored students and see the impact of our supporters’ funding. To finish the final leg of the trip, we boarded a puddle jumper from Nairobi to Eldoret, a smaller city in western Kenya. From there, we traveled at night by van through muddy roads until we reached the village. After three flights and 27+ hours of travel, we arrived.

Some quick background before we dive into our trip. Margaret Lewis started her work in the village after losing her husband to cancer. Through our conversations in her home, it was clear the both Margaret and her husband shared a deep love for the people and culture in Kenya. After her husband passed, she knew Kenya was where her next chapter would take place. While working at an African seminary, she met Davis Otieno, a local Kenyan determined to make an impact in the area where Village Project Africa now operates.

The two began working hard to bring education to this community, first securing a small mud hut on the outskirts of the village of Makutano. In 2006, on the first day of Heritage Academy, 50 children showed up to learn. Soon word spread about the opportunity to educate children in the community, and they added another room, adding another 50 students. Today, 650+ kids attend Heritage Academy, and Margaret is the largest employer in the village with around 55 staff members helping the school operate.

When we arrived at Heritage the first day, the students lined either end of the long driveway. Dressed in blue and green uniforms, they welcomed us with smiles and songs. Most of the students were shy, and they walked to us quietly, sharing traditional greetings. Quickly we learned the stories of some students. While they’re well cared-for at Heritage, many come from difficult family situations in a community that faces very difficult challenges. The HIV has severely impacted the surrounding community, and nearly every child’s family has been affected by the disease. Single mothers end up raising multiple children, many orphans, in large single rooms.

They’re responsible for seeking out food and bringing in income any way possible. Prostitution and alcoholism is unfortunately very common for those who don’t attend school, starting around ages 12 and 13. Throughout the trip, it became clear how important education is in the fight against poverty. While situations in the community can be bleak, Village Project Africa’s Heritage Academy shines like a beacon of hope where students can thrive not only in education but also sports and traditional arts.

Heritage is a community-run school that focuses on ensuring quality education for its students but also the well-being of its families. During our visit to the home of several students, one of their mothers’ wrist was painful and swollen. Margaret and Davis immediately inquired, and the next day, Davis took her to the closest city, Eldoret, to get an X-Ray. Later, Margaret would stress how important it is that mothers throughout the village are healthy and able to support the kids.

At Heritage, I sat in on 4th grade math class as they reviewed a pre-test. Kenya’s education system is very similar to that of the US in that there are 8 years primary, 4 years of secondary, and 4 years university, with standardized tests along the way to determine rankings across the country.

Throughout the trip, it became obvious Heritage is a true example of the transformative potential of grassroots educational initiatives. Unlike large anonymous donor projects, community-run schools function on trust and relationships. The school has proven itself able to focus on educating the students and empowering the surrounding community.

Primary education gives students like those in Heritage Academy the ability to dream beyond their village, escape crime, navigate peacebuilding, and productively enter the local economy. With continued support, the magic happening at Heritage Academy can continue to impact more and more children every year. While saying our goodbye on the final day, the Brighter Children team committed to support.

For those considering supporting Brighter Children, I hope this provides a peek into the kind of impact you can make and the opportunity you have to directly impact the lives of students at our partner schools.

If you are interested in supporting, please email [email protected] or message me directly on LinkedIn. You can also read about our other school visits here.