"I want to go to a better school."

This statement from Rebecca, a resident in an orphanage in one of the most remote places in Kenya, set Kenya Education for Youth into motion.

Education for many Kenyan children consists of student/teacher ratios as high as 100:1, and an astoundingly high rate of illiteracy. As secondary schools require tuition, and students are required to purchase their own books, supplies and uniforms, few children can afford to attend, and leave academics to find jobs to help support their families.

After years of working in a basic needs ministry, two of KEY's current board members discovered that the brilliance, hard work, and determination Rebecca and other motivated children possess, transcends economic background, geography and ethnicity. It became obvious that without the resources to receive a quality education these students would remain in a life of poverty. Rebecca dreams of becoming a pediatrician. How many lives could she better if she just had the right opportunities?

Because of young people like Rebecca, KEY was born.

KEY board members toured Kenyan schools, meeting extraordinary children who imagined a better future. We knew without major intervention their dreams would not come to fruition, and taking a leap of faith these bright students were enrolled in quality schools that have the supplies and staff required to enrich a young person's mind. At these private schools students had access to language, art and business classes, as well as athletics and balanced meals.

We couldn't be more thrilled to report these students are now thriving, and are well liked and respected by their instructors and classmates. These children now have the resources to break the cycle of poverty, and impact future generations.

The goal for KEY is to find these exceptional and motivated children, give them the educational resources to achieve their dreams, and create a better tomorrow for themselves and the world.

If they believe, so should we.