Makuyu Education Initiative

22/09/2026

I don’t like answering a question with a question, but whenever people asked me why I wanted to volunteer abroad, I always found myself wondering: “Why not?”

Essentially I figured that because time passes so quickly, I really just wanted to spend some of it in a way that felt meaningful.

Throughout September, I was fortunate enough to support the Makuyu Education Initiative, helping care for young children. From preparing meals to leading lessons, every day brought a new opportunity to contribute and learn.

Most of all, I was taken aback by the children’s selfless nature.

Despite circumstances that could so easily have hardened them, they approached each day with genuine optimism. They reminded me that abundance is not always measured by what we have, but by how deeply we appreciate what we do.

It’s easy to believe that only a certain version of life exists, but stepping outside of what is familiar and living on basics can challenge that perspective and remind you of what truly matters.

Kenya blessed me with countless memories that I’ll carry with me forever thanks to the most kind community. And I hope that, in whatever ways I can, I continue to use what I have to help these children, and others like them, not simply survive, but thrive.
With love
Naomi🖤🤍❤️💚

06/09/2026

Natalia's hearing implant has been activated. While the journey to hearing is not easy, she is showing real progress in her therapy session in hearing and starting to understand the world around her! Thanks for all your support!

20/06/2026

Natalia's hearing implant operation went smoothly. In the follow up appointments she'll undergoing the implant's activation and starting rehabilitation. She received a warm welcome from her friends! Thank you to everyone for your support!

13/06/2026

Natalia was just admitted to Nairobi Hospital for her operation! The operation will take place tomorrow! Hopefully, this will give her an opportunity to be able to hear with the implant! It has been a long journey with many twists and turns, but she is almost there! We wish her the very best of luck!!!

13/05/2026

The long awaited Natalia update is here! Unfortunately, after ghosting it us for months and then needlessly getting everyone’s hopes up, MP Shah Hospital has failed to put Natalia back on the schedule for a cochlear operation that they had originally scheduled her for. However, thankfully, another hospital (Nairobi Hospital) was able to accommodate Natalia, thanks to the work of Dr. Serah of Cochlear Implant Group of Kenya (CIGOK), and we are pleased to announce that Natalia is tentatively scheduled for May 30th for her operation!

We are feeling optimistic about the operation. On my last trip to Kenya, I personally met Dr. Serah who I found to be very professional (a big thank you to Julie of , a California based nonprofit dedicated to combatting hearing loss, for connecting us!). While the cost of operation is substantially more expensive, the truth is that the window of opportunity for the implant to have a meaningful impact in Natalia’s language development is closing and we can't afford to wait.

With the operation coming up, we are still hoping to raise as much funds as possible before the operation, so if you'd like to help Natalia acquire the gift of hearing, the fastest way to ensure the funds arrive on time is through our website: www.moco2makuyu.org/donate

03/11/2025

Hi, I know many are wondering about how Natalia is doing. Unfortunately, right before her operation was scheduled to take place, a long time political leader Raila Odinga passed away and a national week of mourning was declared. We are still waiting for the hospital PM Shah to call to give us a new date for the surgery. Hopefully, we'll hear from them soon.

Kenyan President William Ruto has announced seven days of national mourning and a state funeral for opposition leader Raila Odinga, who died Wednesday following a cardiac arrest while receiving medical…

15/10/2025

Natalia's cochlear implant operation has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 21st!!! Thanks so much to Hospital PM Shah for scheduling it! We are nervous but excited! Natalia is going to spend a few days in the hospital afterwards. If everything goes well, the cochlear will activated some time in November, which is when she'll hear her first sounds. However, hearing for the first time can be a confusing and frightening experience. I also suspect that she may not have learned a language yet, so we'll need to be patient with her progress. However, she is very brave and I have no doubt that she will persevere, but for now let's take it one step at a time! Here she is (with hair extensions).

08/10/2025

Thanks so much to Matthew for connecting us with youtuber Ben Esherick to raise awareness about Natalia's condition! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2jv9JmGM8TI Please help us raise enough funds for her cochlear surgery so she'll be able to hear!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

21/08/2025

Imagine a world of silence in a country which is so full of music and dance 🎵 Imagine sitting in a classroom of 30 noisy classmates not aware of the sounds around you. This is Natalia’s world.
Natalia was born deaf, she has a loving family around her but here in Kenya the facilities for teaching deaf children are pretty much non existent. Her parents are doing all they can to learn sign language as well as work and bring up Natalia’s two siblings.

Natalia is a very bright happy child but her world is limited without the ability to hear.
A cochlear implant would make such a difference to her world.

Could you help Natalia enjoy the world around her like her classmates and siblings?

A go fund me page has been set up to raise money for her cochlear implant. Any donations big or small would be greatly appreciated, it all makes a difference ❤️
https://gofund.me/a14ec33a

31/05/2025