Who We Are
Located in the Western rural parts of Kenya, Mukuyuni, less than 25 kilometers from Kimilili Township, is HIP Africa Organization. This is a Community-based Organization registered under the Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social protection whose Registration Number is BN/4510/17. As an organization, we are grounded on various community service offerings which are:
Learning Centre – whose beneficiaries are more than 100 vulnerable children from the local community.
Kitchen Garden – this is with the sole aim of developing self-reliant and dependent generation in Kenya by imparting them with lifelong skills that would be extended to their communities as a means of livelihood.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) – as an organization, we are providing accessible and drinkable water for school and more than 400 households in the community. This is with the hope of fostering positive community relations. Our WASH program is aligned to the Ministry of Education and Health regulations, and SDG 6: Water and Sanitation.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – we continue to remotely connect our learners globally with different schools in order to upskill the young generation with basic technological skills. HIP Africa is exploring further mechanisms of equipping our learners and community with advanced skills and tools.
Community Based Education – acts as a bridge between the learners and the community
All these programs are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, impacting the society in different ways. HIP Africa organization has a staff of 5 enthusiastic youths who are determined to impact the community through HIP Africa’s projects/programs. Also, it has Outreach members from across the world (HIP Africa’s Ambassadors) and community ambassadors representing all age groups. Since 2016, HIP Africa has grown immensely through donor fundings and well-wishers. Over the past 4 years, the HIP Africa Organization has developed and implemented social impact projects and programs that support the daily activities for the learners, the school’s operations, and the community.
Mr. Kegode is the current Director and Mr. Fredrick Manzugu serves as the Co-Director.
Our Motto:
Modeling excellence.
Our Vision:
To be a center of excellence.
Our Mission:
To initiate and equip children, youth, and the entire community through educational programs with diverse potential knowledge to utilize available resources with an aim of achieving excellence.
Our Core values:
Knowledge First.
Local and International collaboration.
International and local Community engagement.
Holistic contribution approach.
Personal and professional integrity.
Our Aims and goals
- To create an organization that would inspire, educate and liberate the less fortunate to realize their dreams through its humanitarian tailored support programs.
- To lay a foundation on which the community can transform its young people intellectually to curb ignorance, immorality, and drug abuse – and offer equal access to quality education.
- To enhance learning through the use of technology and allow children embrace self-discovery, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
- To promote education for sustainable development and global citizenship through technology and other platforms.
Achievements
- Courtesy of the fundraising efforts of Open World Cause, Double Churches Elementary, Katherine Hall,- link, we have managed to build 3 classrooms, due to increasing student enrollment. The funds also helped in paying our staff for 6 semesters,the construction of a computer lab, and 2 additional washrooms.
Currently, the classrooms serve more than 100 learners and over 200 community members who convene for social meetings or gatherings.
However, with the increasing population and COVID19 measures of social distancing at school, we are faced with new challenges ahead of us. As a centre, there’s a need for investing in more spacious and quality classrooms for our learners.
- In September 2019, in partnership with Go2Science, we successfully drilled a borehole at our school to provide clean water for hygiene and sanitation purposes for our learners. This water resource has also been very useful in meeting the needs of our neighboring community and aligns with one of our goals to uphold good community engagement and relations.
This was a milestone project and we are looking forward to constructing more water points in the school and the community. We are eternally thankful to everyone who took part in making this project a success. To date, our learners are now embracing positive behavior change of handwashing and are at less risk of contracting water-borne diseases. Also, there have been minimal cases of absenteeism because long walks to access water has also been reported which are all attributed to the borehole resource.
- In the year of 2019, Go2Sciencefundraised for teachers salaries for 3 semesters that covered for part of 2019 and 2020.
- In 2017-2018, we supplied over 100 water filters to the neighboring school community, with the help of Open World Cause. This aligns with the goal of upholding good health and well-being against water-borne diseases for the community. Through these efforts, the community is now at low-risk of contracting typhoid and other diseases brought about by poor hygiene practices.
However, more support is still needed in extending civic education and providing a sustainable solution to them.
- In efforts to bridge the digital divide by imparting basic digital skills to our learners and teachers, we received 14 iPads in 2017 from Open World Cause during their visit at HIP Africa and 8 iPads in 2018 from Mr. Eric Crouch, who is a 5th Grade teacher at Double Churches Elementary school.
So far those gadgets have been able to assist the centre with recording keeping and enhancing the student learning experience.
- In 2019, we embarked on a journey to provide a sustainable source of food to our learners and also become self-reliant by planting and harvesting fresh vegetables. This has been key in imparting basic agricultural skills to our learners.
- In 2016, students at Wallenpaupack South Elementary School, with the help of Tammy Lavoyand Michael Soskil, came together and helped in building a footbridge in our community. It serves more than 200 villagers on a daily basis and helps students to cross over and access education at HIP Africa. They also helped with the installation of electricity at the center. Since then, we have never lacked power at the centre and in the community.
- To achieve zero hunger, Grandview Elementary School,located in Indiana, with the help of Lisa Voss, supported HIP Africa by providing a meal for three semesters in 2017. These efforts increased student attendance and reduced absenteeism. The same happened in 2019, but this time was with support from Bettendorf school, in Illinois, with the help of Nikki Armstrong and Aaron Maurer.
- In 2016, Katherine Hall, from Hawkesdale-Victoria, Australia, supported the HIP Africa meal program for 2 semesters by competing in a half-marathon race in her region. She finished as a runner up in the race.
- In 2016, we received sports equipment from Asbury Park School, with the help of Dacia DeAngelis. Then, in 2019, BBT Global donated more equipment through Taina Benitez. We are humbled by the support.
Courtesy of the Heroes For Change Program from Kenya, in 2020 one of their volunteers, Christabel Netondo, trained our learners and staff on basic hygiene practices of handwashing with soap and clean water. This was in alignment with the goal of encouraging behavior change practices of our learners and upholding our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) standards at HIP Africa. Ultimately working towards achieving Global Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being.