Founder's Story

Author:Valentine Hokah

Read time:3 minutes

The Birth of Kosi Africa: A Visionary's Journey to Transform Education in Kenya

Stories of African children and the privilege of education are far too common, yet the crisis continues. For some, education is not merely a challenge but an ongoing fight for survival.

This is the story of a visionary and self-driven young man. When history remembers many with kind words, he is to be remembered for wanting better for himself, as is human nature, and for wanting and doing the best for his motherland.

Meet Wycliffe Barasa, Founder of Kosi Africa

At the tender age of five, Wycliffe Barasa found himself on the streets. (We will constantly refer to him as Barasa in this piece). There are beautiful things about streets to write home about; ranging from a variety of street food, amazing graffiti, faces, and sounds of hope of hardworking individuals. But Barasa's story on the streets is that of despair after his desire for education was cut short.

So, Barasa's childhood story involves seven good years on the streets in a foreign country as a homeless boy. At age 12, his 'candle' was miraculously lit, and he was reconnected to his grandma in his motherland, Kenya. Barasa's grandma was in her late 80s at this point, but she still believed in his hunger and thirst for education.

But the story doesn't just end there. Barasa dropped out of school more than 13 times. His 'candle' went off so many times, not because he disliked school but because Grandma was unable to afford school fees to sustain his education.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of Barasa's education story.

Remember when we began we mentioned that this story is not just about Barasa, but about the thousands of children who still undergo a similar story in his local village and across the country. When you engage Barasa, you will never miss hearing him mention this statement, “I do not want any child to go through what I went through”. And so this ignited something in him. Living a life beyond himself.

The Birth of Kosi Africa

In 2021, Barasa together with Tabitha founded Kosi Africa, a non-profit organization on a mission to equip a new generation of young problem-solvers through education, leadership, and mentorship. These leaders will, in turn, transform their respective communities.

In just its first year, Kosi Africa, supported by generous donors, transformed the lives of more than 2,000 children, indirectly impacting over 8,000 family members. By 2035, Kosi Arica's vision is to develop 10 social impact projects that will create 10,000 social impact leaders igniting 1 million candles.

Through EduHope, Kosi Africa is “lighting candles”—each candle representing a child given the chance to learn, dream, and shape a brighter future. You notice we mention “lighting candles” so many times one would mistake this piece for talking about parties.

But candles in this case represent EDUCATION. There is an African proverb that says; educating one child translates to empowering a whole community. Isn't it just exciting how this story of one young man is transforming thousands of lives already? Now imagine how much impact this can have if we all decided to light the candles of the children who haven't had an opportunity and chance to share their stories.

Image taken from UNICEF's Twitter account (No infringement of copyright intended)

Be Part of EduHope

Kosi Africa is opening doors to a new future for children across Kenya, inviting supporters worldwide to stand with them in ensuring no child's education is hindered by financial hardship. It's more than just an initiative; it's a movement, a mission to build communities that thrive through education.

As the African proverb goes, “Educating one child empowers a community.” Together, we can ignite hope, one child at a time. Join us on this journey to “light candles” by supporting EduHope.

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