Our vision
kila mtoto – that is Swahili and means every child. And this is our wish:
Our project
We support children and families in Rabai – a very poor area near Mombasa on the coast of Kenya. We enable children to attend school and support families.
Our children attend Hope Rabai Preparatory School, a pre-school run by a community-based organization, as well as surrounding government schools. Pre-school is compulsory, but often too expensive – so many children from poor families miss out on this entry to the school system. This is where we want to start – and help exactly where help can make a difference.
To enable the children to go to school, we are looking for sponsors who would like to support the children with a monthly contribution.
A total of 60 children attend Hope Rabai Preparatory School, all of them from needy families who would not be able to send their children to school. For this reason, the families and the school desperately need outside support. Nevertheless, in our project families share the responsibility; all families contribute firewood for cooking and are responsible for keeping the children's school uniforms in order.
Two teachers run the school and teach the children with great enthusiasm. We have a total of 10 staff members.
We are currently building a new school building with plenty of space, situated in the heart of the villages where our children live.
After the two years at the Nursery, the children transfer to a Primary School. In the 6 years of primary school, the children learn all the basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, but also natural sciences, science and many practical activities such as agriculture, music and sports are on the timetable. The children in our project attend state Primary schools which are within walking distance.
Primary school is followed by 3 years of Junior Secondary school and another 3 years of Senior Secondary school. The school-leaving certificate after 14 years is equivalent to the German Abitur. Afterwards, the young people can do vocational training or go to university.
We would like to accompany our children as far as possible to a first vocational qualification that allows them to support themselves and their families. We are happy if sponsors accompany their sponsored child on this path.
Team Europe
kila mtoto e.V. is a registered non-profit association in Germany.
We see ourselves as a democratic, communal association of people who pursue a common goal – helping disadvantaged families in Kenya to help themselves. The principles of our work are openness and communication, participation and community. It is particularly important for us to work on an equal footing with our Kenyan partners.
Dr. Cordula Becker, Chair of the association, founder of the project in Germany, lives in the city of Cologne. Cordula has many years experience in aid projects and started kila mtoto in 2023 with Kenyan, German and Austrian friends. Cordula works for Schule im Aufbruch as an Impact Manager, aiming to better education in Germany as well as in Kenya. She visits Kenya regularly for several weeks and very much appreciates the direct exchange with the Kenyan team. She is currently learning Swahili, having discovered her fascination for this beautiful language during her visits to Kenya.
Lisa Sezemsky, second Chair of the association, is taking care of finances and accounting at kila mtoto. She is working as an accountant and is not afraid of numbers. Lisa lives in beautiful Tirol in Austria.
Dr. Johanna Zrost, board member, supports kila mtoto e.V. with her many years of experience in aid projects in Kenya. Johanna is a doctor and lives in Vienna, Austria.
Dagmar Kizinna, is a member of the board. She has long been involved in various aid projects in East Africa and also contributes her experience to kila mtoto e.V.. Dagmar comes from Cologne.
Susanne Waldock, auditor, supports kila mtoto in an advisory role, takes on administrative tasks like the audit and always has a close eye on our texts. Susanne lives in Vienna, Austria.
Team Kenya
In Kenya we work together with the community-based organization (CBO) Huamwenga Hope. These CBOs are supported and run by the local community. At Huamwenga Hope, people from Rabai have come together to support people in need in their community. The CBO aims to make a lasting difference in the lives of local people in Rabai through education for children and youth and the promotion of agriculture. We at kila mtoto would like to support Huamwenga Hope in this endeavour, with sponsorships for children and financial support for school development and agricultural projects.
Prof. Hemedi Mkuzi, Chairman of Huamwenga Hope and our agricultural expert. Prof. Mkuzi conducts intensive research at the university on sustainable agriculture, particularly with regard to climate change and droughts.
William Muta Tsaka, treasurer of Huamwenga Hope. Mr. Tsaka works for the Kenyan National Museum and is curator of the Jumba la Mtwana Museum near Mombasa.
Bakari Saha, secretary of Huamwenga Hope. Mr. Bakari is a primary school teacher at a school in Rabai. As secretary he is responsible for minutes and written communication of the neighborhood association.
Sarah Salama, member of Huamwenga Hope. Madam Sarah works in the administration of Mombasa County and therefore has a lot of experience in administration.
Our employees in Kenya
Of course, our project would not be possible without our employees at our school. We now have 10 employees who look after the well-being of the children at our school and other schools.
Mr Fadhili is our manager and oversees the daily work of the project, both at our school and for the children who attend other schools. He is the link between Hope Rabai Nursery School, our partner organization Huamwenga CBO, and kila mtoto e.V. Mr Fadhili professionally handles all matters and is always in a good mood. Fadhili also takes many photos and videos every day for our sponsors and donors.
Madam Sophia is our Headteacher and teaches the PP 2 class. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and several years of experience as a preschool teacher. She is very dedicated and has great ideas for our school. She brings a breath of fresh air, modern teaching methods, and good cheer to the school.
Madam Zainab teaches our youngest students, the PP 1. She has a diploma in Early Childhood Education and teaches with a lot of energy.
Madam Judith is our social worker. She regularly visits all the children’s families and takes care of the children’s and families’ extracurricular needs. She also takes photos at school and during family visits for our sponsors and donors.
Madam Mercy, one of our cooks. An incredibly strong woman – cooking ugali, or cornmeal porridge, for so many children is a real physical challenge, yet Madam Mercy always stays in good spirits. Her mchicha (spinach) is the best in all of Kenya!
Madam Khadija is our second cook, who, together with Madam Mercy, takes care of breakfast and lunch for our children. She is rather quiet and provides our children and the team with great patience.
Mr Tinga is our man for everything. He takes care of our school grounds and whenever something needs fixing, Mr Tinga is there, and he’s happy to run any errands. He is highly respected in the community and very popular at our school.
Madame Hellen is our cleaning lady and keeps the school clean – from the classrooms and restrooms to the office – Hellen keeps everything sparkling clean.
Mr Kalama and Mr Jumamosi are our guards and watch over our school grounds day and night. They also greet our children in the morning.