“Kwetu” means “our community” in Swahili. Kwetu Fund works in coastal areas in Kenya and Tanzania. In these communities, public schools are often overcrowded, poorly funded, and children who attend them have few good career opportunities later in life. Many people in these communities work hand-to-mouth as day laborers and small-scale farmers. Children from these regions are historically underrepresented in colleges and universities.
The impact of quality education cannot be overstated. In the communities where we work, education is highly valued. Parents are very motivated to support their children's learning: paying for extra tutors when possible, helping with homework, buying solar lights so that work can continue after dark in homes without electricity.
All that is needed in many cases is tuition money to be able to attend a better school. This can make the difference for a child between becoming a day laborer or migrant worker and becoming a teacher, a pilot, a nurse or a doctor. Because of the strong family culture, a single child "making it" can impact an entire extended family. We believe that these students and their families deserve the best opportunities.
The seeds for the Kwetu Fund were planted in 2012 with one special 4th grader. Faiz, a bright and motivated student, was frustrated by the limitations of his local public school. With over 50 students per class, he rarely got individual attention, and he dreaded the many days when the teacher wouldn’t show up at all. How would he ever achieve his dream of going to university and becoming an airplane pilot at this rate?
A generous soul in America heard about Faiz and his dreams and wanted to help. There was a high-quality private school in Faiz’s community, but at $350 per year, it was out of reach for his family at that time. Sponsorship gave Faiz the chance to attend this school, where he thrived and became a role model for his siblings, cousins and children in his community. Smaller class sizes, caring teachers, and individual attention quickly led to English fluency and a deepened love of learning in this already motivated student. Faiz excelled at his national exams after 8th grade and was offered a spot at an elite high school, guaranteeing that his boyhood dreams of attending university would finally be within reach.
The Kwetu Fund was born out of the desire to connect more students to the type of education that changed Faiz’s life. We work with highly motivated students and families who would not otherwise be able to afford high-quality school. Better eductation will ensure that they have the same opportunities that any of us would want for the children in our own lives.
In addition to school sponsorships, the Kwetu Fund also provides access to education in another important way. Through the Kwetu Fund team's experience working with children with Spina Bifida in Tanzania, we have learned that mobility can be critical to a disabled child's attendance and success in school. Many students with disabilities who don’t have wheelchairs cannot readily attend school. We have met children whose mothers will carry them miles to school on their backs each day just to give them the opportunity to learn.
Kids with disabilities face many structural barriers, but one thing that we have seen is that their parents will do almost anything to overcome these barriers to give them a good education. Wheelchairs are a huge one-time cost. A wheelchair can cost as much as a family makes in 6 months or more, and can make the difference between a child receiving an education or not. Once they have a wheelchair, many of these students have access to high quality, government-subsidized schools for kids with special needs.
We value the privacy and dignity of our students and their families and so we do not provide detailed personal information online. We can, however, provide more information to interested donors about a specific child who has benefited from their donation. For more information, please email us at Kwetufund@gmail.com
The Kwetu Fund is a registered tax-exempt charitable organization (EIN: 84-3742314). Gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulation. Our team donates their time and private funders cover our low administrative overhead, so 100% of the money received from your donation goes towards education. Money goes a long way in Kenya and Tanzania, and we value donations of any amount. Here are examples of what your contribution can do:
How to donate:
By Paypal: 
Note: Please put your name and address in the comment so we can send you a personalized thank you!
By check:
Pay to the order of: The Kwetu Fund Co.
Mailing address:
Please email for the address! Kwetufund@gmail.com
