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For more than a decade, So They Can has been committed to empowering the lives of children living in poverty through education. Keep reading to learn more about the milestones of their positive impact journey so far...

It all began in response to the 2007 Kenyan election violence that saw more than 300,000 Kenyans internally displaced. The loss of lives, homes, employment and hope was unfathomable and deeply concerning.

In 2009, co-founders and friends, Cassandra Treadwell and Keri Chittenden committed to provide support to an internally displaced persons camp of 6,700 Kenyans who were living in UNHCR tents on a block of land in Nakuru. It was here, together with the Government and local community, that So They Can was established to deliver on a direct request from this community: ‘We need a school for our children — an education is the only inheritance we can give them’.

Existing primary schools lacked the capacity to provide quality education. Class sizes were between 60 to 200 children per teacher and one textbook would be shared per class.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Kenyan Government and So They Can was signed, outlining the Government’s commitment to fund teachers, water, electricity and roads. In exchange, So They Can’s committed to construct a school, provide much-needed learning resources, teacher training and form part of the Board of Management.

In 2010 the doors to Aberdare Ranges Primary School opened — and just two years later, the organisation established Miti Mingi Children’s Village, a life-changing home for vulnerable and orphaned children.

With continued growth came an even greater awareness that the critical education needs of other communities could not be ignored. In 2011 So They Can was introduced to the run-down rural primary schools in neighbouring Tanzania on a visit with So They Can Chairman, Peter Hunt.

Shortly after the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Tanzania Government and So They Can and local stakeholders was signed. This was the first public private partnership in teacher training in Tanzania, and the first education partnership with the joint objective to improve the quality of education throughout Tanzania.

In 2012, in conjunction with their established government partners, the NGO opened the doors of Mamire Teachers' College in Babati — and just 8 short years later, the facility was ranked as the top teachers’ training college out of all 79 public and private establishments across the whole of Tanzania.

With a continuing focus on their development work, in 2020 So They Can finalised the reintegration of the children at Miti Mingi Village back into their families; instead supporting the child and their entire family at home through their reunification and reintegration project. This important project demonstrates the progress that these families and the whole community has made.

So They Can’s holistic approach has seen expansion in both Kenya and Tanzania, implementing education, women’s empowerment, community engagement, as well as child health and wellbeing projects enabling learning and the opportunity for communities' to break the poverty cycle.

Today, the organisation has supported over 28,000 students through education in 42 of their partner schools throughout East Africa. But it doesn't stop here —by 2030, So They Can’s goal is to empower 36,000 children through education, and by joining the Lawyers Weekly Education Collective today, you can help them reach this goal.