Impact Report 2022/23

The Karat School campus is a thriving space of joy and learning that promotes academic excellence, practical skills, and overall well￾being. Our holistic, hands-on, inquiry-based learning approach integrates modern technology and local culture. The curriculum is child-centered, loving, and attuned to the local environment.

Enrollment is free, and each student enjoys two warm meals daily. The center is also a community hub where we welcome students and their families and host events and gatherings.

Many Ivorian girls are kept out of school because girls’ education isn’t valued and girls’ labor provides needed family income. Meanwhile, mothers lack the education and skills to improve their financial situation.

The Girls' Education Incentive Farming Program directly addresses these concerns. Girls attend the Karat School full-time while their mothers receive a stipend to participate in a 6-month hands-on training program that covers literacy, financial basics, and climate-resilient farming practices. The program boosts girls’ enrollment, produces food for the school and community, and helps mothers improve their economic status.

Each year, thousands of girls who fought hard to have access to education miss school because they lack period supplies. In Cote d’Ivoire, 65% of women and girls reported being unable to afford these essential products. In partnership with a sustainable hygiene products company, we supply middle school girls living near our school campus with sustainable period products that empower them to stay in school during their monthly cycles.

The Karat School campus is a transformative center for education and community engagement. But we’re limited at the current location by space, rent increases, and vulnerability to eviction at any time.

It’s clear - we need a new campus of our own! The work has already begun. We’ve secured the land and have architectural plans for a new campus that will accommodate up to 500 students. We invite you to be part of creating this new Legacy Campus, which will ensure a stable and empowering educational environment for the next generation of Karat School children.

It’s hard to succeed in school if you go to sleep hungry and cold, have no place to do homework, can’t reliably access technology, and are painfully aware of the gap between you and your classmates. To support children in the RV community, we provide food and gas cards, household supplies, and materials that are essential for education. We build long-term relationships with the families and connect them to relevant programs in the community.

When obstacles arise, we step in to make a difference, whether it’s resolving power and network connectivity issues, providing a computer for college, or helping a student obtain supplies for after-school activities.

Vamos Afuera introduces children to the wonders of nature at local parks and nature reserves. Most of the RV children live in extremely tight quarters and don’t have safe places outside where they can play and explore. For some of the children, the camps are a first-ever experience of the beauty and diversity of the natural world. They learn about local ecology and enjoy the freedom of being outside in nature.

Conducted in partnership with Environmental Volunteers, the program covers transportation, hands-on learning, lunch, and snacks and is free for all participants.

YESS introduces RV youth to inspiring community leaders who have overcome challenges by building on their life histories and identities. This day-long workshop encourages the youth to embrace who they are and raise their voices in self-advocacy.

Many of the RV youth grapple with shame and low self-esteem from their living conditions and finances. At YESS, they get to tell their own stories through creative expression and have in-depth conversations with peers, community leaders, and representatives from KSP partner organizations. This coming year, we hope to reinforce the value of the summit by providing avenues for follow-up throughout the year.