Kids to School was founded as a personal initiative by Ans Groener and Caren van Egten, together with Sister Jocelyn Pecto, a Filipino mathematics teacher in Kenya.
Ans had been visiting Kenya for many years and witnessed firsthand the profound difference that education can make in a person’s life. In 1998, she met Sister Jocelyn, and together they began helping young people who were forced to leave school because their families could no longer afford the tuition fees. Initially, they focused on secondary education, but later expanded their support to vocational training programs. A vocational education, in particular, gives young people greater opportunities for employment, independence, and a future of their own.
When Caren van Egten joined the initiative in 2008, it grew into the Kids to School Foundation. Thanks to this collaboration, the first five Maasai girls were immediately able to complete their education.
Although Caren passed away in 2010 and Sister Jocelyn in 2014, their mission lives on. Today, Kids to School supports young people in Kenya, Tanzania, and the Philippines in completing their school or vocational education.