This summer, our director, Dr. Winnie Koko had the privilege of traveling to Kenya to visit some of the deaf and hard-of-hearing girls and families we serve through Elimisha Binti Initiative. It was a journey filled with gratitude, prayer, difficult realities, and beautiful reminders of why this mission matters.

Our work at Elimisha Binti Initiative goes beyond paying school tuition. We believe in walking alongside each girl, understanding the circumstances she comes from, encouraging her in her education and faith, and reminding her that her disability or family circumstances do not determine the limits of her future.

During this mission, we traveled to the communities where some of our girls live and spent time with them and their families. These home visits gave us an opportunity to see firsthand the realities behind the students we support.

Some of the circumstances were heartbreaking.

In one family, the father is battling cancer. In another, a single mother caring for her family is herself unwell. We visited another home headed by a widowed mother raising five children, and another family where the father is blind and also struggling with illness. Behind each of these circumstances is a deaf or hard-of-hearing girl with dreams, potential, and a desire for an education.

Meeting these families reinforced something we have always believed: when we support a girl’s education, we are doing much more than paying a school bill.

For families already facing illness, disability, bereavement, poverty, and the everyday challenges of raising children, the cost of educating a child with a disability can become yet another tremendous burden. Our goal is to help ensure that these circumstances do not become the reason a girl is denied the opportunity to learn and build a better future.

More Than Tuition

During our visits, we spent time listening to the girls and their families, learning about their needs, encouraging them, and strengthening the relationships that make our work possible. Christian mentorship continues to be an important pillar of our mission. We prayed with the girls and their families, shared encouragement, and reminded them that they are seen, valued, and loved by God. We want every girl we serve to know that she is more than her circumstances. She is capable. She has purpose. And she deserves the opportunity to pursue her dreams.

The trip was not without challenges. At times, the roads were difficult and nearly impassable, but God was gracious to us throughout the journey. The weather cooperated, our transportation remained reliable, and we were able to accomplish what we had traveled to do.

As we returned from these visits, our hearts were full. We were reminded again that the work of Elimisha Binti Initiative is not simply about education. It is about hope, dignity, faith, opportunity, and breaking cycles of disadvantage—one girl and one family at a time.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18

You Can Be Part of Their Story

We are deeply grateful to everyone who continues to believe in and support this mission. Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support make it possible for us to continue walking alongside these girls.

There are still many deaf and hard-of-hearing girls whose families face circumstances that make access to education incredibly difficult. Together, we can help ensure that disability, poverty, illness, or family hardship does not determine the future of a child.

Pray with us. Support the mission. Share our story.

Together, we can continue educating, mentoring, and empowering deaf and hard-of-hearing girls—giving them the opportunity not only to remain in school, but to dream of what their lives can become.

Elimisha Binti Initiative
Educating. Mentoring. Empowering. Transforming lives.