Dear Readers,
The second year of YOUng Steps Kenya’s existence has brought more than I could have imagined. More projects, more sweat, more supporters, more events, more hopes, more dreams fulfilled… but also the discovery of more problems and challenges. The world is changing, and in Kenya change comes quickly, with good things but also bad things – and poverty often accelerates the dark side of problems. Kenya’s development, the population’s access to the internet, and the country’s growing popularity as a tourist destination bring problems to poor communities—sex tourism, often involving minors, and drug use—just two of the biggest challenges we must learn to deal with as quickly as possible, are also present in the communities around schools on the Kenyan coast.
Therefore, we have decided to shift our focus in the coming year, in addition to our ‘material’ projects, to counseling services for students, teachers, and their families on topics such as academic performance, self-awareness, healthy relationships, setting boundaries, medical advice, sexual health, drug use, responsible internet use, mediation, etc. Together with local experts, we are working on developing programs in this regard—a big challenge, but one that will certainly have a positive impact.
Our ambitious long-term plan is to establish a community center where children and their parents, especially mothers, can benefit from all the services mentioned above, regardless of which school they belong to. It is also designed as a center where women can find the space they need to form small cooperatives that will bring them an income.
And I am convinced that we will be able to get all this off the ground only with your help, invaluable help for which we would like to say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!
We are really changing the world together.
Yours with gratitude,
Timeea
YOUng Steps Kenya in 2025
- around 150 Teamers who continue to support us with €1/month on the Teaming platform
- dozens of 230 forms through which we received 3.5% of income tax
- 4 sponsorships from companies
- dozens of one-time donations 😊
- dozens of bicycles and boxes collected for the container that has not yet managed to leave for Kenya (but will depart at the right time)
- 1 workshop on making African drums for children in Brasov (with fundraising)
- 1 workshop on playing djembe drums (with fundraising)
- 1 event on June 1 focusing on the lives of children in Africa, music, and dance at the Apollonia Cultural Center
- hundreds of followers on social media 😊
And, most importantly – in Kenya:
- collaboration with three schools – Madago, Muhaka, Rahai
- renovation of the administrative building at Madago Primary School
- setting up a medical office at Madago Primary School – next year, the first volunteer doctors will arrive 😊
- construction of a separate building at Madago Primary School, which now houses the kitchen
- establishment of a library with 80 titles at Muhaka Primary School
- digging and commissioning of a well at Muhaka Primary School (accessible to the entire community)
- 14 sponsored children
- one shopping session for 10 children – the most popular purchase being shoes 😊
- 11 beds and 12 mattresses in the homes of the children who needed them most
- one student in Medicine School supported by us
- necessary treatments and medications, a PEG device, and medical procedures for a little girl just over a year old who was born with a heart defect and Down syndrome
- hundreds of notebooks, all kinds of school supplies, and school materials for Rahai School
- hundreds of workbooks for children of all ages at Rahai School
- dozens of soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs, handballs, soccer shoes, game nets, and other sports equipment
- thousands of sanitary pads and other hygiene items for girls and women
- a new hut for the family of one of the students
- a tutoring program for children who need help the most, to reduce the risk of them dropping out of school
You can read about how we lived and felt these experiences on site on the YOUng Steps Kenya website blog 😊 and on social media.
Short stories and words of thanks directly from Kenya
Mildred, Maliah’s Mother 😊:
“I would like to appreciate you and your team (YOUng Steps Kenya) for your support both psychologically and financially towards my daughter’s medical bills and supplements. Thanks a lot. Asante sana!”
Mercy, Joy’s Mother:
First, I would like to give my thanks for the kind of support offered to Joy. She is really happy, as she has humble time with her studies. Please receive her appreciation; she has promised to work hard. All the fears she had are gone. As a parent, I am grateful. Once it was difficult to educate my girl, but surprisingly, you came for our rescue. Sincerely, your support has relieved me a lot. We want to wish you the best and we love you, live long.
Sadik – Sponsored Learner of Madago:
“It is sponsors like you who help us foster the love for learning and growth in the young mind entrusted to us. Your generosity is financial aid and a morale boost for our teachers and students. It conveys that they are worth investing in; some some benefactors believe in their potential and encourage their dream […] The last thing I would like to say, don’t stop supporting me and my fellow learners because we still need your support, especially I. As you know, I lost my grandfather three months back, and he was everything to me, so if your support will not continue, I will not be able to finish my studies, and I don’t know which kind of person I will be”
Winnie – Teacher at Madago Primary School:
” I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate YOUng Steps Kenya for being part of our journey in learning this year. Madago Primary School is excited to receive support for the renovation of the administrative block and building a new modern kitchen with already running tap water. Thanks for bringing us facilities that give us dignity and hygiene. The sponsored children’s families are happy too about receiving new bedding for their children. We value the dedication towards us. We lack enough words to say thank you. God bless you.”
Muhaka Primary School
Despite facing major infrastructure challenges such as aging classrooms, inadequate toilets, disconnected electricity and the absence of a computer laboratory, Muhaka Primary School continues to be a vibrant centre of learning grounded in strong values and a supportive community. Over the years, the school has produced successful alumni, including Madam Uba who now teaches in the Junior School and inspires many girls to pursue education confidently.
The school’s staff is a dedicated blend of young and visionary teachers who work tirelessly to uphold the mission and vision of the institution. Their commitment keeps the school progressing even when resources are limited.
Looking ahead, the administration has developed a five-year growth roadmap, focusing on academic improvement, infrastructure development, girl child empowerment, ICT integration and enhanced school security. Current support from YOUng Steps Kenya, including the sinking of a borehole and provision of learning materials, is helping the school take steady steps forward.
Rahai Primary School
Rahai means happiness in the local Taita-Tavesa language. It is a small school, located in a place almost untouched by the outside world. When I arrived in the village, people told me that I was the first mzungu (white person) to ever visit their village. And I believed them—the road is difficult, the community is small… The school has a total of 70 students, a few teachers, and many needs. Massive renovations, a nearby source of clean water, notebooks, supplies, help for teenage girls, WiFi… I found a caring community here and decided that the students of the school deserve a better start because, as the school’s assistant principal said, among them are engineers, teachers, doctors, inventors. And top athletes 😊. In the first phase, Rahai received everything they needed to start the new school year with the necessary equipment for the children—hundreds of notebooks, thousands of school supplies, books, dozens of workbooks, items for teenage girls, balls, and other items for sports activities.
They told me that the whole village is grateful, that my presence there gives children the chance to dream, families the chance to hope… and us the chance to change a little corner of the world for the better 😊.
Your support is the most essential step in our ‘adventure’. To continue our mission, we need your support. Here is how you can help & contribute:
- Tell your friends about the wonderful things we do
- Starting in January, you can fill out Form 230 – it only takes a few minutes – https://formular230.ro/young-steps-kenya
- Sponsorships offered by companies are extremely valuable to us – and take just a few minutes longer than filling out Form 230 – in this regard, you can contact us at any time, and we will find the formula that suits you 😊
- Visit and share the Teaming platform – €1/month means little to us, but a lot to them
- You can choose to make donations directly from our website – by card or directly into our account
- Contact us with any questions, ideas, or suggestions 😊
That’s all for Now
Stay informed about what we are doing, by reaching the Blog on our website, following us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Donate here if you wish to further support our projects, and spread the word about us to your friends and relatives.
Share your good ideas with us anytime, we are happy to hear out good ideas and explore how we can implement them.
And enjoy the Holiday Season with your loved ones, stay safe and cosy!
Thank You again for your invaluable support throughout this year!
