Oliveseed Foundation

09/26/2026

Where can you celebrate the Maasai Mara, Oaxaca Mexico, and Palo Philippines all at once?! 🌺 - https://mailchi.mp/2ccc9772672c/calenda_2026-14198381

09/18/2026

The women from our Women's Work Center have been busy lately making gorgeous products for a "Calenda" street fair in California on Sep 26th! Bay Area friends, please join us on Cal Ave in Palo Alto from 3 to 7 pm that day. It's a celebration of the Maasai Mara (we're organizing that part), Oaxaca Mexico, and Palo Philippines, all places with a friendship connection to Palo Alto, organized by Neighbors Abroad of Palo Alto. We'll have a pop-up shop for the Women's Center sharing the beauty they've been making for the occasion, with an exhibit about the meaning of their beadwork. Please come, enjoy music and dance performances, and see the beauty these women have been creating! 🌼🌺🏵

09/18/2026

We were honored and delighted to be part of the National Read Aloud this summer in Kenya. 1000s of students across the country were reading the same passage from the same book at the same time, and the book was a conservation story of a child and a lion. And at that same moment, Barbs, Amos, and many friends of Oliveseed in the U.S. were also reading it! What a brilliant idea from Start A Library Trust spreading literacy and making it a fun experience for young learners! 🌿

Check out their report:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SW2i1xxRCF0JKffuudUsjlbsr_xYybXl/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawUaY6JwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXIxQ3cwbjhpM2hSMDJGSzBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe6a1zgOyZQEUH9T78D37sNkEzdSOhcxjJuY0LXB_2k05TUihWbn4en0Viut0_aem_2WVSA1-iQRinWsUWvNVh5Q

One of the moments that filled our hearts most this year was the National Read Aloud.

After weeks of anticipation, we are excited to share the results of this year’s National Read Aloud and the detailed report. 180,367 learners, 677 schools, 46 counties and 401 reading ambassadors came together to read the same story aloud, at the same time and in multiple locations.

This year, the movement crossed borders, with schools in Uganda joining us for the first time. Our amazing reading ambassadors joined learners both in person and virtually, with representation from as far as California.

For us, it was more than the numbers. It was the excitement in classrooms, the teachers making space for reading, and the many organizations and individuals who gave their time, energy and resources to make the day possible.

We are deeply grateful to every learner, teacher, school administration, reading ambassador, partner, organization and individual who supported this year’sNational Read Aloud.

Our 2026 National Read Aloud Report captures the results, the beautiful moments from across the schools, and the story behind a movement that continues to grow. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Read here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SW2i1xxRCF0JKffuudUsjlbsr_xYybXl/view?usp=drivesdk

Mona Mugambi Wangari -The Storyteller EdTech East Africa Rongo University Masana wa Afrika Rainbow Room Foundation Kenya Connect The Library of Congress The Nobelity Project KBC Channel 1 TV Iskanchi Press & Mag Storymoja Publishers Kamuche Kea-Sadik Terry Sesi

09/09/2026

Friends in the Bay Area, another great Neighbors Abroad of Palo Alto event is coming up this month, on the 26th. It's a celebration of Maasai Mara Kenya (we're organizing that part), Oaxaca Mexico, and Palo Philippines — all places that have partner relationships with Palo Alto. We'll be well represented with our education projects and a pop-up shop with gorgeous beadwork and fabric products made by the women of our Women's Work Center in the Mara. Please come! Celebrate these beautiful cultures and vital friendships happening today around the world. It'll be fun and very festive! 🌍 🌺 🌎 🌺 🌏

09/08/2026

Happy International Literacy Day, an occasion to cherish the gifts of literacy and learning wherever you may be. Though this photo was taken 3 or 4 years ago, when we published the 2nd volume in our series "Student Voices from Morocco," we are still thrilled about this book and the series of student writing it turned into. Larbi Arbaoui and Barb manage the writing competitions, and Mohammed Hassim on the right is an English supervisor in Morocco and a valued collaborator and judge for some of our competitions. Let us work together to spread literacy and celebrate it, today and every day!! 🌿 📕📗

08/21/2026

Friends in the Bay Area. We're having an Oliveseed OPEN HOUSE tomorrow at the Pacific Art League in downtown Palo Alto from 1 to 4. It's a celebration of our work in the Maasai Mara, with refreshments, beadwork arts, and a great time. Please stop by! 🌺 🐘 🇰🇪 🇺🇸

You'll learn about our current programs in education and livelihoods for women at Oliveseed. Plus, the new Friendship alliance between Palo Alto and the Maasai Mara through the sister city org Neighbors Abroad of Palo Alto. The backdrop is a beautiful exhibit of art and artifacts from Palo Alto's sister cities around the world; the 22nd is the last day of the exhibit.

We hope you can come!

08/07/2026

SF Bay Area friends, join us this month at the Pacific Art League in downtown Palo Alto (668 Ramona) for the Connected Worlds exhibit, with art and artifacts from Palo Alto's sister cities around the world. This includes gorgeous beadwork from our new friendship alliance in Maasai Mara Kenya 🥰 — as well as beauty from 8 sister cities in Europe, Asia, and Mexico. Come by!

The opening event is Sat Aug 8th from 1 to 4. On Sat Aug 22nd, we'll have an Oliveseed Open House... more on that to come! 🌎 🌍 🌏

07/25/2026

Yeaterday Oliveseed recieved a prestigious trophy award by the East Africa Lake Victoria Basin Commission, in partnership with Narok County, as part of the Mara Day celebrations.
‎This recognition is a great testament to our continued commitment and dedication towards supporting communities living around the Maasai Mara and creating a positive impact through sustainable initiatives.

We are deeply grateful to witness our efforts making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and we remain committed to strengthening our work and reaching even greater milestones together.

Narok, being one of Palo Alto’s friendly cities holds a special place in our journey and we warmly invite like-minded partners and well-wishers to join us in our upcoming engagements. Together, we can support initiatives that keep girls in school, empower women, promote environmental conservation and climate resilience, develop clean water projects, and create opportunities for youth empowerment.

07/25/2026

We're taking a moment to reflect on that beautiful day in March, when we launched the Ololchura Primary School Library, our 7th school library in the Maasai Mara.

The library was a beehive of activity when we stopped in for a visit the morning after opening and has been thriving ever since. We know that a great library is so much more than a collection of materials. It's a space for learning, community, exploration, and growth. It fills us with joy to see these students! 🌿

07/24/2026

Oliveseed is honored to be part of the ongoing Narok County Agricultural, Environment & Climate Change initiatives presided by H.E Patrick Ntutu, Governor Narok County, The Cabinet PS of Agriculture Hon. Rono among various sectors leaders.

Over the past 5 years Oliveseed has worked tirelessly to build Community Capacity in Narok County, advancing Sustainable & Regenerative Agriculture, Environmental Stewarships, and climate resilience, our efforts include development of Solar powered Boreholes Water Projects Disaster Response to perennial Mara Floods, Establishment of School Projects such as Libraries & Scholarships, Economic Empowerment initiatives & creation of a Sustainable Women Enterprise Center outside Sekenani Gate, among many more transformative programs.

We are sincerely proud being here today showcasing tangible impacts of our work & the shared progress we are making for Kenya future