Gatoto Integrated Development Programme was founded in 1994 to provide high-quality holistic education at low cost to the children of the Mukuru kwa Reuben slum of Nairobi, Kenya, who would otherwise not have access to schooling. If you would like more information, please view the video here: https://youtu.be/iQxZK-qqzlo
Unfortunately, Gatoto unexpectedly lost its founder in March of 2021 due to COVID-19. Betty Nyagoha was a multi-talented, charismatic leader loved by the many lives she touched around her. Through the generous support of our donors and the American Friends of Gatoto (AFG), GIDP was able to build a new spacious and modern school building that will be dedicated to Betty in our December 4th event.
Help us honor GIDP’s beloved Founder, Betty Nyagoha, with a celebration of her life and a call to continue her legacy.
Our Zoom dedication ceremony on December 4th, 2021 will include a dedication to the new building, testimonials from Betty’s loved ones, and a conversation on the future of Gatoto.
The event is open to all supporters and all of those interested in the mission and vision of GIDP.
Please refer to the times and zoom details provided below. We hope to you see you on December 4th!
Time(s): 12:00-1:00pm (GMT) or 3:00-4:00pm (EST)
Zoom Details:
Link: https://iu.zoom.us/j/82301983542
Meeting ID: 823 0198 3542
Betty’s Legacy
In 1994, Betty teamed up with the village elders of the Mukuru kwa Reuben neighborhood to found Gatoto Community Primary School. Over the following 25 years Betty and her team built a high-performing elementary school in the heart of one of Nairobi’s largest slums – where the Government of Kenya does not provide educational opportunities for children.
Betty was born in what is now Lugari Sub-county in western Kenya on February 20, 1969, the youngest of ten siblings. As a high school student she excelled at drama, netball and basketball. After high school, Betty studied at Kilimambogo Teachers College. Before joining the school as its inaugural head, Betty had run a thriving business selling maize and beans. She had been a teacher earlier in life, but was made redundant by the government. She told The Guardian in a 2016 interview, “I was passionate about education from a young age. I really admired teachers. The way they spoke, the way they dressed, I liked everything about them.” When Betty returned to teaching and to establish Gatoto, she took a significant pay cut, with a starting salary at Gatoto of $10 a month. She found the going very tough in the first few years. The school’s nearly 400 initial students were crammed into a single church building, with children sitting on the floor in different corners.
After Gatoto’s inaugural year, the school was ranked last in a divisional exam across the largest district in eastern Nairobi. A few years later, the land where Gatoto now stands was acquired, and the school began its steady ascent. It now has modern classrooms, many dedicated and able teachers and staff, and an enviable reputation among slum schools. Its exam results are impressive. Many of Gatoto’s former students – supported by GIDP’s secondary and university scholarship programs – have continued their academic achievement and gone on to professional success. Gatoto regularly competes – and succeeds – in musical and other competitions at the national level. So much of what Gatoto and its graduates have achieved is due to the vision and perseverance of Betty Nyagoha.
May she rest in peace and may we all do our best to serve her legacy by helping Gatoto’s 1000 current students, and generations of Mukuru kwa Reuben children who will follow in her footsteps.
