From Seattle to Rabuor — Gratitude, Graduations, and Awesome Beginnings

Before I get into the all the awesome updates, I want to make sure to thank everyone who showed up, cheered, shook a tail feather on the dance floor, and raised their paddles at the Mwanzo (Fun)draiser on October 11. You helped make it one of our most joy-filled nights yet. We’re still tallying the final numbers and gathering all the details (because yes, even joy requires spreadsheets), but rest assured, every gift is already rippling its way back home.

A special thank you to our EPIC set up super squad made up of Sophie, Lara, Jake, and Elle led by the brilliant Anya! You all rock!

More updates (and photos from that night) to come soon!

Just few days after Madam Director (MD), Loyce, landed, Mwanzo Wetu Centre of Excellence Academy (MWCEA) celebrated another graduation season! Kenyan school terms are a little different from what we’re used to in the U.S. While our students here are just cracking open their notebooks for fall, Kenyan pupils are wrapping up the year.

The new term calendar starts fresh every January and runs in three main terms:

Term 1: January 6 – April 4 (13 weeks)
Term 2: April 28 – August 1 (14 weeks)
Term 3: August 25 – October 24 (9 weeks), followed by weeks of national exams like the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) before the December holiday break.

Then, as if the universe wanted to give MD the ultimate birthday present, on October 22 — her birthday — the Rabuor Water Project officially flowed for the very first time.

The system was formally handed over to the community, marking a new chapter in clean-water access. Mama Rosemell, fought through her illness to witness that first drip of water, the culmination of the dream she started decades ago.

As we celebrate these milestones, we’re already looking ahead. So as MD settles back in and begins dreaming up the next chapter for Mwanzo, we invite you to keep expanding and sustaining Mwanzo’s impact. Your continued support helps turn the legacy envisioned into action like funding life-changing programs, expanding access to education, and nurturing young minds who will shape the future of Rabuor and beyond.

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks, and MD is catching her breath before diving back into the next phase of work. We’ll share more photos, numbers, and stories soon, but for now, just know that your love and support are what keep this movement flowing (pun absolutely intended 🤭).

With gratitude and maybe a few happy tears,
AJ (your favorite forever intern)