No surprise here...It's the people!  The keystone of Mission Education is the role of our social worker, Fridah Inoti, a professional, college-educated Kenyan who serves as liaison between the child/family and school. She monitors student achievement, meets with school personnel, and communicates progress with the Director.  Fridah's additional role is to help these families become self-sustaining.

Importantly, Mission Education is a “Hand Up” not a “Hand Out.”  We're not providing welfare, we're providing opportunity.

Yes, Mission Education is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization; all donations are tax-deductible. For tax purposes, Mission Education Inc. will mail you a receipt in JANUARY showing your TOTAL dollars donated during the previous calendar year.

100% of every dollar donated goes directly to pay for children’s school fees, uniforms, textbooks, school supplies, and the social worker’s services. Unlike many charitable organizations, ZERO donor dollars go toward administrative expenses. All administrative facets of Mission Education Inc. are performed by unpaid volunteers.

Just like in the U.S., every transaction generates a receipt and pictures of those receipts are promptly emailed to Mission Education for our review.  Mission Education Inc. provides funds as they are needed for education expenses such as tuition, textbooks, and uniforms.  The social worker makes tuition payments directly to the schools.  Other educational purchases are also made directly by the social worker.  Neither the students nor their families ever handle funds directly.  

Our organization is officially recognized by the Kenyan government as a “Community Based Organization” (CBO). As you can see from the certificate below, in Kenya, we are called “Mission Education Organization" and its only purpose is to carry out the "mission" of Mission Education Inc.  

(Click Certificate to view)

It’s up to you! If you would enjoy a personal connection with a child and their family, please sponsor a specific child. 

If your schedule doesn’t allow or you don’t feel called to have an on-going connection with a specific child/family, consider a "General Gift." General gift donations help cover the costs of uniforms, textbooks, school supplies, etc. and the added expenses of secondary students. Any child without a specific sponsor will receive additional encouragement and support from the social worker.

Thanks to modern technology, it’s easy! You are welcome to send encouraging emails or snail mail letters to your sponsored child and their family. Birthday and holiday greetings are welcomed. Since all Mission Education children are Christians, Christmas and Easter are especially meaningful. It’s completely up to you how often you communicate with your sponsored child.

If a reliable internet connection is available, it may be possible to coordinate an occasional Skype conversation. Keep in mind, Kenya is 9 hours ahead of Central U.S. time (8 during Daylight Savings Time).

While Swahili is the native language, English is Kenya’s official language and the language used in school and most media. Though your child’s “British” English won’t be perfect, the older the child, usually the better their English.  For child safety, all communications must go through the social worker.

We understand financial situations change; you are never obligated to continue sponsoring a child if you are unable. Ideally, you’ll be blessed to be able to sponsor them through Secondary school (High School).

If you are sponsoring a child monthly, PLEASE make your donations via online bill pay.  Since our staff is 100% volunteer—WE ARE the administrative help!—we sincerely appreciate you choosing online bill pay.  Click here for the online bill pay form to set up a monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual donation direct from your bank account. 

If you prefer to complete your sponsorship in one lump sum, personal checks are appreciated.  Please make payable to:  Mission Education (NOT Mission Financial & Insurance).

We will try our best to match you with a child who would be a good fit for your family. If you have children or grandchildren, we understand how impactful it can be to sponsor a child they can relate to.  Check out the "Children Needing Sponsorship" link to learn about their personal stories.

No. The monthly sponsorship only covers the cost of tuition, one school lunch per day, and the social worker support. All schools in Kenya require students to provide their own uniforms, black dress shoes, textbooks, notebooks, and school supplies. Almost all high school students attend boarding schools (similar to our children attending college); the cost is significantly higher. Much of these expenses will be covered with funds raised via one-time donations.

THERE IS NO LIMIT how many children and families we can serve! The more Mission Education is blessed with generosity, the more children we can help.

Families must be supportive of their child attending school.  The social worker completes in-home visits to ensure expectations are being met.  The social worker also evaluates the family's needs and refers them for additional support and resources.  The ultimate goal is to get these families to be financially self-sufficient and to help provide for the educational expenses of their child.  Ideally, by the time children reach high school age, when their educational expenses are greater, the family contribution will help cover these expenses.

During the social worker's "home visits," she communicates clearly defined expectations to the student and their family.  A written contract is signed acknowledging these expectations. If expectations are not met and corrective action is unsuccessful, the social worker will recommend terminating future sponsorship. The director will communicate with the sponsor and potentially find another student deserving an opportunity.

Government primary schools in Kenya are supposed to be free.  However, due to many loopholes in the education system, there are many expenses passed on to the parents.  Complicating things, there are not enough government schools for the number of children.  Another shortcoming of government schools is the quality of education is poor and the classrooms are crowded.  As a result, private schools are more prevalent than government schools and the education is superior.

Kenya has “year-round school” divided into three semesters with breaks between semesters. Children attend preschool at age three for a minimum of three years; primary school follows for 1st through 8th grades. Unlike the U.S., children move to the next grade level based on reaching educational benchmarks, not by age. It’s common to have different aged students in the same classroom. At the end of 8th grade, students take a high-stakes, standardized national examination that determines their high school fate. A high school education is not guaranteed.

Almost all Kenyan high schools are four-year boarding schools. (Year-round like primary schools.) The experience is much like attending college in the U.S. Room and board makes high school education significantly more costly than primary school.

Kenya’s high school admissions process is similar to college admissions in the U.S. A student’s national exam score (think SAT, ACT) is the primary basis high schools use to “invite” students to attend their school. High schools compete to get the best students, so students with the highest test scores are invited to attend the highest quality schools. Students with high scores will often have multiple schools offering enrollment; one’s final choice is determined by quality of school, location, accommodations, etc.

Students recognize attending high school is a privilege, especially those in higher-performing schools. Upon graduation, students take another high-stakes, standardized national examination that determines eligibility to attend college. The Kenyan government provides college scholarships to the highest performing students.

Kenya has very few public universities; competition is high. Students must perform exceptionally well in high school to be admitted to a university. There are private colleges and universities offering quality education; some will enroll students who were not able to be admitted to public universities, but they are very expensive. High-performing students are eligible to apply for government scholarships to attend public universities. These highly competitive scholarships cover almost 50% of the cost.

Like the U.S., depending on one’s career interest, students can choose a school that’s strong in their particular career field. What’s exciting in Kenya is well-educated children can "be whatever they want to be" just like in the U.S. Behind South Africa, Kenya is the 2nd most developed country in Africa; career options are much like those in the U.S.