Education Kenya Project #26875

Success in Kenya Schools with The Virtues Project

by Virtues Project International Association

Success in Kenya Schools with The Virtues Project

Project Report | Jul 10, 2025
Virtues in Action: Educating Hearts and Minds

By Judy Opieba | Project Leader

Master Facilitator Certificate Award - Kenya

With a heart full of gratitude, I extend sincere thanks to each of you for your unwavering generosity, kindness, compassion, empathy, and thoughtfulness. Your continued support and encouragement have truly empowered us to deepen and expand the reach of The Virtues Project in Kenya.

Thanks to your care and commitment, we are making steady progress. Currently, 19 secondary schools and 10 primary schools are actively practicing the Virtues. The impact is not limited to schools alone—we have also introduced Virtues education in a correctional facility. At Shikusa Borstal Correctional Institution, both the administration and the teaching and support staff have received training, along with 200 students who are now engaged in practicing the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project.

We’ve also initiated Virtues Exchange Programs among schools, allowing students and teachers to visit one another, share best practices, and deepen their understanding of the Virtues through mutual inspiration.

Moreover, we are offering Virtues Refresher Courses in schools that have previously undergone training. These sessions help educators revisit the Five Strategies, strengthen Virtues Clubs, and practice the concept of a Virtues Pick—reminding them how and when to apply it meaningfully in their learning environments.

We are excited about the new opportunities ahead of us. We’ve begun introducing The Virtues Project to Eshiandukusi and Eshibeye Primary Schools, and we are preparing to train both teachers and learners. We also aim to extend our efforts to more youth groups in schools to nurture reliability, responsibility, and leadership among young people.

Successes So Far:

Improved peace and harmony within school communities
Increased responsibility and reliability among parents
Learners showing purpose, commitment, and dedication
Teachers embodying compassion, care, reliability, and love
Noticeable improvements in both academic and co-curricular performance—music, drama, athletics, and sports
Significant reduction in truancy and absenteeism

Challenges We Face:

Limited mobility hampers our ability to reach schools beyond our county
A shortage of trained facilitators to meet the growing demand
Inadequate training materials
Limited finances to carry out widespread Virtues training

Opportunities That Give Us Hope:

Presence of a few, but dedicated, Master Facilitators
The generous support of our donors on GlobalGiving
Encouraging support from some parents and teachers

With your continued support, we are confident that we can overcome these challenges and extend the reach of The Virtues Project across Kenya and beyond.

Thank you once again for walking with us. May blessings be upon each of you for the light you help us shine in our communities.

Facilitator Certificate Award - Kenya

Members of a Virtues Club with a Teacher

Some Fun after Presenting Virtues Poems and Songs

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Mar 12, 2025
Students Showcase Transformation through Virtues

By Judy Opieba | Project Leader

St. Joseph's Eshirumba music and drama team

One teacher recounts stories of transformation that have taken place in students at her primary school since implementing The Virtues Project...The children's names have been changed to protect their identities.

“Ruby” lost her father and her grieving mother struggled to support her. Without guidance, Ruby fell into drug use and dropped out of school. Her mother moved back to her parents home and "Ruby" ended up in a juvenile detention center. Upon her release, her mother enrolled her at different primary school. I was transferred to the school a few months later where I introduced the practice of Virtues into the school’s curriculum. The message really connected with ''Ruby''. She joined the Virtues Club and never wanted to miss a session. During one of our sharing circles, she bravely told her story—a journey filled with hardship and resilience. Through the practice of virtues like determination, compassion, and responsibility, Ruby transformed her life. Today, she is not just thriving—she is the school president, leading with confidence and integrity.

“Jonas” spent much of his childhood on the streets. When he was brought back to school, he struggled at first, but through learning about virtues, he began to recognize his own potential. Now in grade eight, he is engaged in his studies and making remarkable progress.

These children, like so many others, have incredible talents. Through creative expression in drama and performance, they have found a way to share their journeys and inspire others. When I first introduced drama competitions, they knew exactly what they wanted to present—their own stories of transformation and how embracing virtues has shaped their lives. Their performances were deeply moving, aligning perfectly with this year’s competition theme.

St. Joseph's Eshirumba music and drama team won first place at the sub-county level and will advance to the county competition in June. This success is a testament to the kindness and dedication of our teachers, who embrace, support, and uplift every child, helping them rediscover their potential and build brighter futures.

Kudos to The Virtues Project for creating an environment where every child can heal, grow, and thrive.

With your generosity, we have been able to continue to provide students like ''Ruby and Jonas'' with school supplies and meals

Music and drama team members

Team members striking a pose

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Nov 11, 2024
Kenya Virtues Project Schools Advancing in Academics, Sports, Drama and Music

By Judith Opieba | Project Leader

Preparing Food for Needy Students

Thank you dear friends, for the continuous, generous and kind support you have given us at both Mwiyenga and St. Joseph's Eshirumba Primary Schools. Being schools in the remote areas of Kakamega county in Kenya, we see the light at the end of the tunnel when we were almost giving up.

SUCCESSES

From the GlobalGiving funds and funds from friends, we put up a poultry project that has done us proud. We sold the poultry and bought uniforms for our football team at St. Joseph's Eshirumba. We are indeed grateful. This has contributed to our schools being best in sports in the county. We are shining both academically and in sports!

The benevolent kitty funded by our teachers, continues to support the needs of our students that are not able to be met through family or government programs. The kitty has enabled us to provide needy boys and girls with personal hygiene needs and helped sustain our lunch programme which ensures student attendance remains strong.

Three widow groups have received The Virtues Project Training: Eshirumba Widows Group, Eshibeye Widows Group and Mwiyenga Widows Group. This has been a great achievement because these widows are parents in the two schools where they have become very responsible and purposeful in their care of the learners in their custody. Their learners now attend school regularly and this has improved their performance.

Another teacher group also received The Virtues Project Training. Training of teachers and widows has led to purposeful, committed and excellent learners in academics, sports, drama and music. We are nurturing learners talents, especially those who are challenged. Mentorship Programmes and Virtues Club meetings are still key in our schools and help in shaping character and behaviour of our learners and team.

Donor friends have enabled us to take care of a grade 2 learner who has Sickle Cell Anemia to meet check-ups and get a required diet, as well as, pay a hospital bill for an orphan who had been admitted with an intestinal obstruction. They have helped us purchase livestock, chickens, gardening supplies that provide much needed income to help us cover costs. They have provided money for food and uniforms.

What could we have done if it wasn't for your generosity, empathy, caring, compassion and unconditional love? Thank you so much!

CHALLENGES

1. Funding our lunch programme. The orphans need additional food support.

2. Covering costs for more trainings for teachers, parents, youths and widows.

3. Virtues materials for the trained parents and widows are needed.

4. School uniforms for orphans and needy learners. Uniforms are required to attend school.

5. Income earning projects for widows to sustain their needs and responsibilities.

6. Raising money for a tent and chairs, shelter for trainings and widows selling their wares.

OUR WAY FORWARD

We look forward to engaging widows with their projects so thay they can help to support the school programmes. strengthening our benevolent kitty to help the needy learners, improving our poultry and vegetable projects to meet the needs of our medically challenged learners, and always opportunities to continue to provide The Virtues Project Training to others.

Thank you again for your kind and generous support.

Mentoring Teachers

Proud Recipients of New Uniforms

School Gardening Project

New Addition to our School Community

Uniforms for our Sports Team

Nurturing Talents

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