Partner Spotlight - Flying Kites

Each quarter, Construction for Change connects with partners positively impacting their communities. This month, CfC interviewed Katie Quinn, Director of Operations for Flying Kites, to talk about the organization and our latest collaboration.

1. What inspired Flying Kites to partner with Construction for Change?

   Flying Kites Academy provides high-quality education and support services to vulnerable children in our rural community who otherwise could not afford to attend ‘free’ primary school – for which uniforms, books, and other costs are mandatory. We were inspired to build the Flying Kites Early Learning Center to provide the youngest learners in our community with a space to learn, grow and nurture their physical and socio-emotional well-being.

   In January of 2021, we launched School Meals Programs in each of our 6 Network Schools in response to concerns expressed by Heads of Schools and families – citing hunger as the #1 obstacle to learning in the classroom. While in the short-term we were able to ensure that every student across our Network received a warm, nutritious meal of fortified porridge each day at school – the under-resourced schools in our Network did not have adequate facilities to safely prepare hundreds of meals per day – often cooking in old classrooms with dirt floors, poor ventilation, and without access to running water. We knew that to create a sustainable foundation from which nutritious meals can be served to thousands of students for years to come, we needed to invest in quality, energy-efficient kitchens.

2. What did Flying Kites and Construction for Change accomplish together?

   With the support of Construction for Change, we opened the Flying Kites Early Learning Center in 2021 – a critical year following ten months of school closures in Kenya due to the ongoing pandemic. With the addition of the ELC to our campus, we are now providing some of our community’s youngest and most vulnerable students with a welcoming environment – with highly-qualified Early Childhood Educators, developmentally-appropriate materials and spaces that foster creativity and learning, and access to support, such as the provision of uniforms, three nutritious meals each day, and safe transportation to and from school.

   Thanks to the support and expertise of Construction for Change, we have completed the construction of high-quality, energy-efficient kitchens at three under-resourced schools in our Network – Heni Primary, Nyakio Primary, and Tulaga Primary. These facilities will catalyze the expansion of School Meals Programs across our Network of schools – creating a platform from which nutritious meals will be served to thousands of students for years to come.

   The new facilities are equipped with access to clean, running water to improve hygiene practices, energy-efficient cookstoves significantly reduce the cost burden of firewood, and the ventilation creates a healthy environment for cooks to prepare hundreds of meals each day safely.

3. What has it been like for the students in the new classroom environment?

   For the young children (3.5 - 5 years old) enrolled in our Early Learning Center – a school is a place where their physical, mental and socio-emotional needs are met – with child-centered instruction, three nutritious meals a day featuring produce from our very own school farm, health services inclusive of annual health checks and routine deworming, and ample opportunity for creativity and play throughout the day.