Why Change?

The charity has exciting and expanded goals following the recent community consultation and
We need more land to carry out these goals,
The lease on the current land is coming to an end, and
Owning new land will give the project long term security. In the UK, in line with these changes, we are going to re-brand from Osiligi Charity projects to Together with Kenya UK.

What is happening to Roger and Helen?

They are in complete support of the changes and excited for the future of TWK Kenya and TWK UK
They have worked very hard for the community and are now going to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
They will continue to be involved and provide advice from the sidelines.

Where is the money coming from?

Money for the land purchase and build was received by private donations and a grant from the UK

Have you got enough funding?

We have enough for the initial build. We will continue to seek further funding from a variety of UK sources eg Corporate sponsorship, donations and grants.

How much money will be spent on funding the UK and Kenya Boards

All members of the UK Team give their time voluntarily and meet their own expenses.
The TWK Kenyan board are also nonpaid volunteers. The only paid employee is our Operations Director in Kenya who is essential to delivery of the project.

When will the move happen?

We hope to launch the new Primary School in January 2026

What is happening to the Safe House/Orphanage?

There are a small number of children who live in the safe/house, during term time, at Osiligi.

We are considering this matter very carefully. Current advice is that vulnerable children are better supported in local foster placements rather than in an orphanage or safe house. Also, the Kenyan government is planning to introduce legislation to transition from private orphanages to a family-based care system, (as per the National Care Reform Strategy June 2022) No final decision has been made.

What will happen to Osiligi Obaya buildings and contents?

The community has already benefited enormously from the education received in the existing buildings – many of which were built more than 10 years ago.

The visit to Kenya in January was primarily to announce the launch of the new charity to the governors, the local community, staff and pupils
Following this, there will be a period of discussion and negotiation so we hope you understand that we cannot yet answer this question definitively.
We will keep you updated as talks progress

Are staff moving to the new school?

We value all staff at Osiligi Obaya
Once all the jobs have been identified, they will be advertised.
There will then be interviews and appointments.
We hope that many of our staff may choose to apply for these jobs.

Will staff accommodation be provided?

Staff accommodation is included in the plans

What is the relationship between the Kenyan Charity and the UK charity?

TWK Kenya will provide strategic direction, local management and cultural context and advice
TWK UK will provide sponsorship, fund-raising and securing donations to support Kenyan development
They will work in partnership. There will be full transparency and accountability.

How will the new campus build impact the environment?

TWK is committed to being environmentally friendly and sustainable at every stage of the process.

Eg Only when necessary, have trees been removed for the build – many have been preserved. It is also intended to plant more.

A biodigester will be installed to process waste

2 agricultural plots are included in the plans

Will all children transfer to the new school?

All eligible pupils will be able to transfer
Parents will need to make the final decision

What about pupils affected by a longer travelling distance?

The majority of pupils will not face extended travel distance or time.
For those that do, we will ensure that all eligible, sponsored children will be supported, if necessary, to attend the new school.

Will pupils still be given meals?

There will be no change to current arrangements. All children will receive breakfast and lunch at the new school (cooked in our brand new kitchen!)

Will TWK be operating in the same region or extending further within Kenya?

At this stage, our education projects will continue to be solely based in the existing area of Kajiado West. Our Water and Agriculture projects will continue to operate across Kenya.

Will the running costs be higher when the new site is up and running?

The new educational complex (a Primary and Junior Secondary school, a Technical College, and a Community Learning Centre) on the new site, by virtue of its increased size, will have higher running costs than the current Primary and Junior Secondary school only.

However, we don’t expect the cost per sponsored child to be affected. Additional funds will be raised to cover the running of the Technical College and the Community Learning Centre.

How long will it take to do the build and get the new site up and running?

We hope to have the Primary and Junior Secondary School ready by January 2026. The other centres will continue to be built after this. The complete build is likely to take between 2 and 3 years.

Are these changes related to the recent voluntary request for higher sponsorship fees?

No. The request for a voluntary increase was based upon the 2024 costs for educating a sponsored child at the current school. Furthermore, we envisage that sponsored children will continue at the current school for the whole of 2025.

Sponsorship funds were not used to purchase the new land and will not be used for any building/development work on the new site.

However, any sponsor who would like to donate to the new build (and this would be most gratefully received!) should contact the charity directly.

Will the new Primary school enrol additional children in future years?

Yes, when up and running, each year we expect to take on a new intake of eligible disadvantaged children into the PP1 nursery class.

Will the new school have a mix of sponsored and unsponsored pupils?

At the current school, each classis made up with a majority of sponsored children, supplemented with a few private fee-paying children. We expect to do the same at the new school. This generates some income that can help with the running costs

Will you continue to support secondary school students, and if so, are you intending to include a secondary school on the new campus?

Yes, we will continue to support Secondary pupils.

There are no plans to include a Secondary school on the new campus.

Will my sponsored child’s Primary school education be impacted by the move?

No. We anticipate that there will be very little disruption for each child. If possible, we will move over to the new site at the start of an academic year (in January 2026). We hope that many of our excellent staff will apply, and be employed at the new school, ensuring that we maintain a great standard of education for the children.

Is my sponsorship money still be needed going forwards?

Yes, your sponsorship money is absolutely critical to fund your sponsored child’s education at the current Osiligi Obaya Primary school this year, and at the new TWK Primary school in future years.

For those sponsors who sponsor a children in a Senior Secondary school across Kenya, we will continue to support and facilitate this as normal. There will be no change except that in the future this will be managed under TWK instead of Osiligi Charity Projects.

As a sponsor, what will change, and what will not change?

We anticipate that there will be little or no change for sponsors.

Will the number of classes increase?

The new Primary and Junior Secondary school will have the full range of 11 classes, the same as the current Osiligi Obaya school. In addition, we are planning to include a Special Needs Class. There is currently no such provision in the area.

Primary school – PP1, PP2, Grades 1-6

Junior Secondary – Grades 7-9

Pupils at Senior Secondary (Forms 1-4) will continue to be sponsored off site.

Is there capacity to manage all this change? How is this being managed?

Yes, both the UK charity and the new Kenyan charity are absolutely committed to ensuring that this transition is properly resourced for a successful outcome. Both the Kenyan and UK team work very closely together and are equipped with the professional skills and experience to ensure a highly successful transition.

When will the name change from Osiligi Charity Projects the Together With Kenya (TWK) in the UK?

The exact date of the re-branding is yet to be decided. It is expected to occur in sometime in 2025. We will keep you informed of this.

Will the water repair projects be impacted?

Water repair projects across Kenya will continue as they are currently with the same team of people in Kenya and in the UK, but will, in due course, run under the new name TWK (Together With Kenya) instead of Osiligi Charity Projects.