Reflecting on 2012 and Hope for 2013
Reflecting on 2012 and Hope for 2013
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By Adam Gould, eduKenya Co-Founder and US Executive DirectorHappy New Year! We are forging ahead with hope and anticipation for all that 2013 holds for eduKenya and, most importantly, the beloved children and their families living in Mathare, Kenya. It is easy to overlook progress and positive growth when we fixate on what is ahead, and we want to be intentional about pausing to reflect and express gratitude for all that God has done for, with and through us.We began 2012 with several key staffing changes that resulted in significant growth for the staff and students. Our new head teacher, Michael provided leadership in enabling the school to join a consortium of 16 other schools in the Kasarani District. One purpose of this was to gauge how students were performing on exams in relation to other nearby schools. The results were astonishing! Out of 16 schools, we ranked #1! The school as a whole averaged roughly 85%, with some classes above a remarkable 91%. We are grateful for the hard work and commitment of our teachers, students and staff.The children in the upper grade levels had the opportunity to visit Dormans Coffee in Nairobi to learn about the process of producing coffee. We were also blessed by our friends at Rotaract Club of USIU (United States International University – Africa), who visited on several occasions to spend time with the children, provide treats and even raise resources for a new library at the school. We are grateful for opportunities our students had to interact with and learn from leaders and mentors in the wider community.In February and March, we were blessed to have Tony and Amy Hoffer of Hoffer Photography donate their services to provide us with amazing photographs of our work. Additionally, Ryan Thomas donated his videography talents by taking extensive footage that was used to create a series of videos for eduKenya. In December, we were once again blessed by the Hoffers as they developed the innovative ‘Give & Get’ program to raise funds in conjunction with our annual match. We are grateful for the dedicated partnership of these friends and the visual and financial resources they provided to enable us to share the mission of eduKenya more broadly.At the end of 2012, God blessed us with 170 amazing children enrolled at the Kwa Watoto School. As we start 2013, we have almost 200 children attending the school. Nearly six years ago, we started with just 27 children. We are grateful for these beloved children and the privilege we have of educating and mentoring them. When I reflect on what has transpired the past six years, I am humbled and amazed by all that God has done for, with and through us. We are grateful for the tireless work of our staff and the commitment of our prayer and financial partners. Thank you for joining with us as we strive to be a part of the transformation God is bringing to Mathare. We are grateful for you.

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