Community Library: Empowerment. Access. Education.

Dear Friend of COCE, 

This Spring has truly been a season to remember at the Collective for Orphan Care and Education, and it’s all thanks to you. With your partnership, we’ve reached meaningful milestones toward completing and furnishing the community library, and we’re energized by the momentum building around our mission to empower Kenyan youth and communities through education. 

As you may know, COCE Kenya participated in GlobalGiving’s Little by Little campaign from March 17–20. During this four day crowdfunding effort, your generosity helped us achieve: 

• 37 unique donors 

• $2,193 raised in donated funds 

• $790 raised in matching funds 

• $2,983 total raised 

We’re thrilled by this outcome, as every dollar brings us closer to opening the library’s doors. 

But our Spring fundraising didn’t stop there. 

On May 2, COCE Kenya partnered with Blacktip Swim School in Plano to host our first everLapathon. In honor of our shared commitment to education, we swam for a cause and our community showed up in a big way. Thanks to Blacktip, our incredible swimmers, and the donors who sponsored them, we had 27 participants and raised $8,210, far surpassing our initial $5,000 goal. It was a joyful event and a beautiful way to close out this chapter of fundraising. These funds will directly support the final stages of setting up the library. 

This Spring also brought major behind-the-scenes progress on the library itself. The biodigestive system is complete, bathroom fixtures are installed, and window glass is in place. Painting, bookshelves, and tables with chairs are expected this summer, and books will arrive for setup in early fall.  

In addition, we’ve been hard at work identifying new grant opportunities, advancing strategic planning for the library, and reevaluating our sponsorship program to ensure it delivers maximum impact. We continue to mobilize volunteers and donors who share our commitment to expanding educational access for Kenyan youth. 

Thank you for being with us on this journey. We’re looking forward to a summer and fall focused on maximizing impact and strengthening educational opportunities in rural Kenya. Your support makes this possible. 

Thank you! 

It is the start of another year and we at the Collective for Orphan Care and Education are excited to continue our work!

This year, we expect that we will have the finishing touches done. This includes having window glass installed, painting the inside and outside of the buildling, installing bookshelves, tables, and chairs, and *hopefully* getting the library filled with books and perhaps a couple of computers or other technology devices.

Many of you have been supporting us since we began raising money for this project clear back in the Fall of 2020. Some of you have joined us more recently. No matter how long, we hope you are as proud of the what has been accomplished so far as we are. You can see in the photos where we started with the original plot of land and where we were as of Fall 2025. 

If you are able, consider helping us finish things up this year. We will be sending out information this spring about the GlobalGiving Little x Little Campaign, which is a great way to donate and have your impact amplified with matching funds!

We also encourage you to check out our website for information on upcoming events, like our May 2nd Swim for a Cause that we are doing in partnersihp with Blacktip Swim Schools in Plano and San Antonio. We will be posting information on our website and social media accounts in the near future so if you live in Texas and want to swim for a cause or donate to those who are, we'd love to have you!

Wishing you a very wonderful start to 2026!

Links:

• Visit our website