Supporting Jolaurabi School in Kenya

This year marks a special milestone for Wards — our 120th anniversary – and one of the ways we're marking this celebratory year is by supporting Jolaurabi School in Mombasa, Kenya.

Run by charity Educate the Kids, Jolaurabi School provides education and family support to some of the country’s most impoverished children. Around 800 children attend the school, which relies on fundraising, and donations of school uniform, shoes and equipment.

In March, Partner Laura Jakeways and her young daughter Millie, travelled to Kenya to visit Jolaurabi and personally donate a variety of essential items.

Laura, who is based in our Portishead office, brought many pairs of shoes and clothing, some of which were kindly donated by colleagues at Wards. Items that might seem simple but make a world of difference to the children who receive them, such as underwear, toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap.

Wards has also donated 120 schoolbooks to Jolaurabi, to encourage and support the children’s learning, as education is the key to these children being able to change their own futures.

Several Wards’ staff members have been supporting pupils directly through the school’s educational sponsorship programme, which provides uniform, 2 meals each school day, books and exam fees to each sponsored child.

Laura says: "The children were so excited to receive the donations, and it was a humbling experience to see how we could make such a huge difference with just a few basic items.  Seeing their smiles when they were fitted with new shoes was very moving.”

A School That Makes a Difference

Set up 20 years ago, Jolaurabi’s mission goes beyond the classroom —it’s about nurturing children’s overall well-being, offering family support, and creating a safe, caring environment where young minds can thrive.

In addition to offering free education, Jolaurabi School provides food, shelter, and a sense of community, and the charity has helped to transform the village by installing electricity, drilling boreholes for fresh water, providing adult education and more.

To find out more or to give directly, visit: www.educatethekids.com