Bridging Dreams in Kambitsi Village

By: Charo Kaingu ‘My Village’ Champion, Kilifi, Kenya

“It’s been remarkable to witness their transformation from struggling readers to confident ones. Even more heartwarming is seeing some of the children develop a culture of reading.”

Seeing myself make a positive impact on the community and society fills me with pure happiness. Working as a village champion to implement the ‘My Village’ project by Zizi Afrique Foundation, alongside Kaloleni Youth Empowerment Group (KYEG) and the People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network, brings an exciting sense of purpose.

Back in October 2022, I crossed paths with Zizi Afrique Foundation and the PAL Network. That’s when I was introduced to the ‘My Village’ Project. Through a two-day training in digital literacy and data collection, I learned to assess children’s learning. The assessment results revealed a telling story about the status of education in Kambitsi Village. It showed that many children struggled to read and understand simple texts in both English and Swahili, even among children in the upper grades. This experience confirmed to me the statement that “Schooling does not equal learning.”

Motivated by this realization, I committed to becoming a Village Champion for the ‘My Village’ Project in my community. Since then, I’ve been leading sessions on foundational literacy for children who need help with reading. It’s been remarkable to witness their transformation from struggling readers to confident ones. Even more heartwarming is seeing some of the children develop a culture of reading. This has made my journey both inspiring and full of hope.

I’m truly humbled and delighted by the wonderful experience the project has brought into my life. Moreover, I’ve formed many friendships through this initiative. As I usually tell my community members during our meetings, “this project has brought a new era for us.” On behalf of Kambitsi Village and our community, I extend my gratitude to Zizi Afrique Foundation, KYEG, and the PAL Network. Through your efforts, our children now have a chance at a brighter future.