A Year of Growth, Courage, and Possibility
Every morning in Kibera, long before the sun rises, hundreds of children begin their walk to Little Lions School—dusty paths, uneven roads, and crowded alleyways guiding them toward a place of safety, nourishment, and learning.
In 2025, these children achieved more than numbers could ever fully capture. Their laughter, resilience, and curiosity shaped a year filled with transformation.
But even by the numbers, the story is astonishing.
Our School Mean Standard Score rose from 77.73% to 85.25% — a remarkable jump that reflects the grit of students and the dedication of teachers. Every class, every subject, every teacher improved.
Pre-schoolers thrived above 87%.
Upper school grades held strong above 61%.
And for the first time, our Grade 6 students sat for their KPSEA exams with confidence that only comes from real preparation.
But the heart of the year wasn’t academics alone. It was the whole child — their emotional health, creativity, safety, and dreams.
Part I: Where Children Learn to Be Themselves
Growing Strong Hearts and Confident Voices
At Little Lions, wellbeing isn’t a program — it’s part of how we see every child.
This year, the Counseling Department led emotional resilience workshops, mindfulness sessions, and art therapy experiences that helped children understand themselves and one another.
The Child Coaching Program
More than 40 students dove into sessions exploring:
- Emotions and how to name them
- Personal strengths and character
- Coping strategies like meditation and breathing
- What it means to be resilient in a difficult world
Every session blended creativity and reflection — storytelling, drawing, and role-play helping students process challenges in gentle, safe ways.
A Safer, Kinder Environment
Learners also participated in age-appropriate safety discussions to help them recognize boundaries, danger, and support systems.
Art therapy followed these conversations — a soothing way for children to express what words couldn’t yet hold.
Health, Dignity, and Care
Swahiba Networks supported our girls with a year’s supply of menstrual hygiene products, ensuring dignity, consistency in school attendance, and confidence.
By year’s end, zero safeguarding incidents were reported — a testament to the environment of trust and care that teachers nurture every day.
Part II: Becoming Kenya’s First AI-Integrated School
Innovation Meets Opportunity
If 2024 was the year of testing new ideas, 2025 was the year everything came to life.
Little Lions officially became one of the first schools in Kenya — and likely the first in any informal settlement — to fully integrate artificial intelligence into teaching and learning.
Teachers Led the Transformation
Through a three-month AI training program, teachers learned to:
- Analyze class data instantly
- Track progress with real-time dashboards
- Generate automated report cards
- Personalize lessons using Gemini and Claude
- Guide AI-enhanced creative writing sessions
Suddenly, teachers had tools many private schools still don’t have. And the children? They bloomed.
Digital Fluency for a New Generation
Grade 6 students became competent users of Google Classroom — organizing assignments, tracking learning, and communicating digitally.
Assignments and exams moved online, graded automatically, with immediate insights displayed in digital dashboards.
For children in Kibera, this wasn’t just learning — it was a glimpse into their future.
Part III: The Joy of Learning
Academics Rooted in Curiosity, Play, and Exploration
Every subject made progress — not because of pressure, but because students were engaged in new, dynamic ways.
Mathematics
- Visual lessons delivered through classroom TV
- Joint teaching sessions with multiple teachers
- Digital practice through Synthesis AI
- Full syllabus completion
Languages (English & Kiswahili)
- Debates, storytelling, spelling bees
- Saturday remedials for struggling learners
- A push to build a reading culture in a community where books are rare
Science
- AI-powered assessments
- Grade 4 digestive system models
- Grade 7 vertical farming & irrigation projects
- Weekly hands-on science practicals
Students didn’t just learn science — they did science.
Part IV: Learning Beyond the Classroom
Growing Food, Growing Skills, Growing Imagination
Little Lions continues to teach children where their food comes from — and why caring for the earth matters.
Agriculture & Nutrition Highlights
- Composting with kitchen waste
- First fruit tree planting (avocado & papaya)
- Crop diversification across the school
- Container gardens that bring farming to urban spaces
Home Science
- Students learned food preservation through SimSim balls
- Grade 6 baked their first cake using the new kitchen
Animal Care
Our guinea pig herd taught the children lessons in responsibility, compassion — and also loss. Two animals passed due to territorial fighting, creating space for conversations about care, research, and empathy.
For 2026, a new expanded hutch and rabbit enclosure are planned.
Part V: The Arts, Athletics, and All the Ways Children Shine
Dance, Music & Performance
The Little Lions dance team captured 3rd place out of 100+ schools at the ASK Nairobi Showground — a huge achievement.
They also performed at Rowalland and lifted every major school event with joy, rhythm, and pride.
Sports
The Boys Under-13 Team: A Comeback Story
From 15th place to 4th, the boys’ team delivered one of Kibera’s greatest turnarounds.
Girls Team
Training every Friday, delivering wins, goals, and heart.
Under-10 New Team
Their first friendly match ended in a promising, hard-fought draw — a glimpse of future champions.
Challenges
- Only two pairs of soccer boots for all teams
- Overcrowded fields limiting safe play
Sports teach resilience — but they also show where support is desperately needed.
Part VI: Health, Hygiene & Safety
The Hygiene Department kept the entire school safe, clean, and disease-free — despite water shortages and tight conditions.
Results
- Excellent score on government inspection
- Zero disease outbreaks
- Zero safety incidents
Growth isn’t possible without safety — and safety requires constant care.
Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
The coming year is filled with bold plans:
Technology
- Upgraded AI subscriptions
- Magic School AI exploration
- More laptops for digital learning
Infrastructure
- Multi-story school building plans
- Expanded science lab
- Animal husbandry facility
- Local weather station project
Academics
- More library access
- Reading corners in every class
- Teacher workshops
- Writing, spelling, and debate competitions
Agriculture
- Farm visits
- Community garden partnership
- Expanding crop programs
Sports & Arts
- Ballet, gymnastics, creative speaking
- Improved playfields
- Better equipment
Counseling & Wellbeing
- New cohort for Child Coaching
- Peer support training
- Continued menstrual health education
A Community Effort
This year’s story was written by:
Teachers, counselors, coaches, donors, parents, and friends across the world who believe every child is worthy of love, safety, and extraordinary opportunity.
