Our Beginning

In 2007, sisters Leanne Pinfold and Melanie Haley embarked on a life-changing volunteer journey to the western part of Kenya, Africa. It was there that they first connected with the community of Katolo and met Georgina Malanga, who would later become their partner in a mission that would shape countless young lives. Together, they established the Hope Katolo Nursery School, a haven for children aged 3-5, providing them with early childhood education in a region where such opportunities are scarce.

Volunteering: How it all began

Leanne and Melanie’s story began with a simple desire to make a difference. They joined an Australian charity and travelled to rural Kenya where they were confronted with the harsh realities of life in a place with no running water or electricity. In a small group of seven young women, they contributed their time and resources to build a schoolroom and a fence for a community centre. It was during this time that they met Georgina, who served as Melanie’s interpreter and later, our indispensable partner.

The Birth and Build of the Nursery School

While volunteering in Katolo, Georgina invited the Australian volunteers to visit a local nursery school in an even more remote part of the village. What they found was heartbreaking: 47 children, many of them malnourished and potbellied, attending a nursery school that operated out of a mud hut. The children sat on the dirt floor, most without shoes or proper clothing, and the teachers, though dedicated, were untrained and working for free. With no toilet, clean water, or food, the school was in dire need.

When the charity Leanne and Melanie were working with declined to take on the project, together with some of the other volunteers - Nisha and Brooke, they decided to take matters into their own hands. With just a few hundred dollars and a partnership with Georgina, they purchased land and began the journey of creating their own charity.

Fast forward 17 years and the Hope Katolo Nursery School now consists of multiple buildings, a food program and paid teaching and ancillary staff for the 90 children who are enrolled annually. Buildings that have been constructed include a three room school building, kitchen, pit toilets, multi-purpose hall and sick bay. There is a focus on the future sustainability of the school and this is supported by solar panels, water tanks, a vegetable patch and animal shelters.