Education Kenya Project #16965

Return vulnerable children from Kibera to School

by The Turning Point Trust

Project Report | Apr 17, 2025
Moulding Change Makers

By Eric Gaka | Fundraising, Partnerships & Communications Manager

Since its inception over 20 years ago, The Turning Point Trust has impacted the lives of over 1,500 out-of-school children in Kibera, transforming their vulnerabilities into opportunities through education.

Evans’ mother passed on shortly after he was born. Being the only child and with no one else to look
after him, his grandmother adopted him and brought him to live with her in Kibera. When he became of
school-going age, his grandmother enrolled him at a local informal school where she was paying his
school fees courtesy of what she earned from doing casual jobs within Kibera. Unfortunately, his grandmother had an accident and injured her leg, which made her incapacitated and
unable to attend to the casual jobs, leading to Evans dropping out of school at the age of 8 due to a lack of school fees. They both survived with the help of generous neighbours who offered them food.

Evans’ predicament was brought to the attention of our social workers by one of their neighbours who
knew about the work of Turning Point. He was later enrolled in The Fountain of Hope School and
embarked on his education journey after staying home for 2 years. ‘I am grateful for the opportunity to return to school. My hope of completing my education had already faded because the only person
I was depending on paying my school fees was not able to. I promise to work hard and achieve my career dream of becoming a doctor so that I can help those who are in need in my community.’ Evans is among the students preparing to sit for their final primary school examinations in October this year.

Like Evans, 22 out-of-school children joined Fountain of Hope Primary School through the transition
programme in 2024. The programme allows children who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping
out to return to school, rekindling their hope of completing their education. Additionally, 18 learners
transitioned from preschool, bringing the total number of students receiving primary education at the
school to 141 in 2024.

Twenty-eight students sat for their national primary school examination in November, all transitioning
to various secondary schools across Kenya.

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Dec 11, 2024
Homebound to Proud Graduate: Peter's Milestone

By Marilynn Akinyi | Communications Assistant

Peter receiving a bouquet from his mother

After two long years of staying at home because his mother could not afford his education, 9-year-old Peter walked up to receive his certificate of completion. He has now completed his Pre-Primary education and is finally going to join Grade One! He could not hide his excitement as he posed for a picture with his certificate in hand. He smiled and all we could see was a proud boy on his way to reaching his full God-given potential.

Peter joined Turning Point through the Transition Programme which helped him catch up in his learning. Due to a couple of challenges he had in reading, identifying sounds and numeracy, the Transition Progamme Manager recommended that Peter join the Pre-Primary, Early Childhood Development Education Class. He had to recede a few steps back and join the kindergarten class despite him being in Grade 2, two years ago.

Teacher Rael and the rest of the children in his new class welcomed Peter with much warmth and encouraging smiles, and nervously settling into his seat, he felt a sense of belonging. For the first time in what felt like forever, Peter was no longer invisible—he was a child, ready to learn, and determined to rewrite his story.

In October this year, we witnessed a group of 20 children graduate from kindergarten, ready to join Primary School in 2025. It is such milestones that encourage us to keep pursuing the lives of out-of-school children and help them access quality education. Through this project, Turning Point has been able to return over 1000 children to school, over the years that it has been at work in Kibera. We hope that transforming the lives of these children helps them carry a spark of hope that school, and perhaps life, could be a little brighter.

Graduating Kindergarten Class of 2024

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Aug 14, 2024
Enriching Education Beyond the Classroom

By Eric Gaka | Fundraising & Communications Manager

Along with the education programme, which we have been working nonstop to improve as we help return more children to school, we have also been working hard to improve the extracurricular activities offered to the children as after-school activities.

Incorporating extracurricular activities into a school curriculum can significantly enhance the children's educational experience by providing opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and social interaction. At Fountains of Hope School, extracurricular activities include football and school clubs such as health club, drama and music club, art club, and journalism club.

We have taken several approaches to integrate these activities into a school curriculum effectively:

Scheduled extracurricular time by allocating specific times during the school day for extracurricular activities. This can be a weekly or bi-weekly slot that doesn’t affect the academic schedule.
Formed interest-based groups by creating clubs that cater to children’s various interests. These clubs can meet regularly and work on projects that complement academic learning.
Created leadership opportunities by allowing students to take the lead in organising and managing extracurricular activities. This could include running a school newspaper, organising events, or leading a club meeting.
Collaboration with external organisations. We have partnered with local organisations that support the clubs we have just to provide students with more varied extracurricular opportunities. We have also brought in experts from various fields to conduct workshops or give talks, connecting extracurricular interests with professional insights.
Recognition and Incentives. We have developed a recognition system for students who excel in extracurricular activities, which include certificates, awards, or special mentions in school assemblies. This acknowledges the time and effort students invest and motivate them.

When planning the curriculum, we consider how extracurricular activities can support and enhance academic objectives. This ensures a holistic and balanced approach that values both intellectual and personal development.

By integrating extracurricular activities into the curriculum thoughtfully and intentionally, schools can create a more engaging and well-rounded educational experience that prepares learners for success in all areas of life.

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