Blog

Celebrating World Happiness Day at Eco Moyo! 🌿✨

This day served as a reminder of how important these simple experiences are.

Life at Eco Moyo

Mar 26

Girls Only Football Tournament – A Celebration of International Women’s Day!

Guess who won this time

News

Mar 9

Mondays Are for the Girls!

New year - new club! Girls only!

Life at Eco Moyo

Jan 22

Grenseløs Kunst Auction – A Huge Success!

This years Grenseløs was the best so far, wow!

News

Sep 4, 2024

Worlds first Creativity Lab

Meet Malcolm - our Creativity Lab teacher! 🤩 Malcolm is 28 years old and lives in Kilifi but is from Western Kenya. Curiosity about the...

News

Jun 29, 2024

Secondary support

The best support we can imagine

News

Mar 31, 2024

Multipurpose hall

The multipurpose hall aims to provide a haven for students to partake in sports and other activities, shielding them from rain during wet...

News

Aug 31, 2023

New playground!

While the students and staff were enjoying a well-deserved break, some of us were hard at work constructing a brand new PLAYGROUND and...

Projects

Aug 29, 2023

Malin's Arrival at Eco Moyo

We are thrilled to welcome Malin to Eco Moyo. Malin has volunteered with us three times in the past and has developed a deep affection...

News

Aug 15, 2023

We celebrated World Happiness Day on March 20th 🤗

We asked the students ”What makes you happy” and the answers were mostly eating, playing, dancing, singing, watching TV, learning and friends.

No one said anything about having money, a big house or any possessions of any kind and we think that is very beautiful and it’s a reminder to all of us what really matters 🩷🧡

Did you know, that when Eco Moyo first started in Dzunguni, many kids had never attended school before, so we had massive age gaps in the same class. In class 6, we’ve always had students at the age of 12-16 years old.
Over the years, this has evened out and this year’s Class 6 is the first to be nearly the same age across the board! Smallest in size so far but undoubtedly the cheekiest class 6! 🤗

Rolling in to a new week like 🛞😃🛞😃🛞

(Important info: they got help lifting that big tyre 😄)

Say hello to our new GIRLS CLUB 💖

It’s very often that the girls have more chores at home and can’t stay behind after school to play football like the boys, but we have dedicated Mondays to Girls Club!

Meaning we are kicking out all the boys at 16.00 sharp and the girls get at least once a week where they are allowed to stay after school and have activities with girls only! It’s dancing, singing, arts, football and just playing 🫶🏽💖

Our second unusual post in a short time 💔

This time we have said goodbye to our Shiloh. She has also been a part of Eco Moyo since the very beginning. Lindsay rescued her from poor circumstances as the smallest puppy and she has been a part of the family ever since.

She has guarded the school loud and clear; and kept unwanted visitors away at night - she has also kept a lot of our visitors awake at night 😂

Every time Lindsay would come back to Eco Moyo, Shiloh made sure to tell everyone. She would become so happy and make her own, very loud scream - which made Buddy appear from wherever he was, all happy cause he knew that was the “Lindsay is back-scream” ❤️.

Shiloh, like Buddy, also got to spend the last months of her life retired on the beach together with Lindsay and her old friend Ninja 🥰

Rest in peace, we love you and we will miss you Shiloh ❤️🫶🏽

First week of school done and we are happy to be back in business! 4 days of school and wow have we been busy.

First off - 2025 is off to the best start possible: we now support 70 of our previous students through junior secondary school (class 7-9). We pay for school fees, uniforms and food in those schools who offer it. So our class 7s were here on Friday to report to which school they will attend. 👩🏾‍🎓👨🏾‍🎓

Second of all, we’ve never had a class 6 this “small”. 🥹🥹 When Eco Moyo started there were so many kids who’d never gone to school before so older kids got put in younger classes creating a big age difference in the classes. Last years class 6 had a span of 12-16yo. This year almost everyone are the same age and it will take some time to get used to that these boys and girls 11-12yo are actually the biggest kids in school now 😄(it’s the boys in green shirts in assembly in pic # 4)

Third - we had some problems with the swings, they kept breaking but have now been fixed and they’re already in full swing all day, which is wonderful to see 🤩

Fourth: we have filled up PP1 with 25 students already the first day and their uniforms are already on the way. Stay tuned to see which colours they’ve chosen!! We have hired Sidi and Fatuma from Dzunguni to make uniforms for all students - both ours at Eco Moyo and for secondary, creating local jobs in our community 🫶🏽

Fifth: election for school president was done on Friday as well. One had promised more English speaking and discipline in school and the other one had promised more football. The winner will be announced on Monday morning assembly - we are eagerly waiting to see those results 😂

Sixth: we had club orientation so that the students can choose a club that interests them. New for this year is Drama & Music! 🎭🎼

A little test for you guys, can you name any other of our clubs/after school activities?🥋

✨ Highlights of 2024 ✨

⭐️ First of all a huge thanks to Leon, you came in as a saving angel and have changed the life of so many kids we now support through Secondary School.

⭐️ A huge thanks to Barnefondet who funded Kenya’s first Creativity lab from Leap Learning!

⭐️ We are currently building a new staff room and offices, designed by Frida, a super volunteer who’s staying with us for a long time, and a huge thanks to her family who had a fundraiser for it! Also a huge thanks to a very good friend of ours who is also funding this, we appreciate you.

⭐️ Solar power!!! From 2 buildings to 15. Do we need to say more. Thanks to @iugnorge and our friends in the US for funding this and to IUG, Dagfinn and Lina a volunteer earlier this year who made it happen!

⭐️ This year our village has struggled due to no rain in the rain season, so we organised a holiday lunch program - giving around 350 kids lunch everyday in November and December, a huge thanks to everyone who supported this. This meant a lot for everyone in the village and for us to be able to support our village in a tough time.

⭐️ Grenseløs Kunst this year was a huge success, thanks to everyone involved, artists who contributed their art, volunteers who contributed their time and everyone who showed up so support and buy art! We love all of you and see you in August for another round!

⭐️ 2024 - the year of visitors at Eco Moyo. Our network is growing and more and more people are going all the way out to our school in Dzunguni - this makes us so happy! This year we’ve had more visitors than ever before, having someone staying with us almost all year through and t no body loves that more than the kids!

⭐️ The biggest shout out to our monthly sponsors, we love and appreciate you more than we can describe, you are the backbone of everything we do and we are so so so thankful for each and one of you!! And Nelson, we love you so much!!!! ❤️⭐️

Christmas is coming!!

Skip the traditional Christmas gifts this year and give something that truly makes a difference - a donation the our kids in Eco Moyo - in someone else name. 🥰

Choose between four meaningful categories for this years’ symbolic Christmas Card from Eco Moyo:

⭐️ Breakfast for our children every morning
⭐️ Extra curricular clubs and activities
⭐️ School books for 2025
⭐️ Can’t choose one? Give to support our overall work with providing education and safe haven to 200 kids in Dzunguni village

The link is in our bio or you can go to ecomoyo.com/donate - choose a category close to your heart - make a donation - download the PDF to print or send someone digitally. Easy peasy in 1-2-3 and available both in Norwegian and English! 🤩

All money goes straight to our children in Kenya 🩷🧡

🔸 STAFF TRIPS 🔸

We had the great pleasure of having two staff trips in October. We really enjoyed a weekend away from the school with team building, work shops, getting to know each other outside the school, good food and just enjoying our time on the beach and in the pool. 🤩

The best Black Friday offer ever if you ask us!

Skip the traditional Christmas gifts this year and give something that truly makes a difference - a donation the our kids in Eco Moyo - in someone else name. 🥰

Choose between four meaningful categories for this years’ symbolic Christmas Card from Eco Moyo:

⭐️ Breakfast for our children every morning
⭐️ Extra curricular clubs and activities
⭐️ School books for 2025
⭐️ Can’t choose one? Give to support our overall work with providing education and safe haven to 200 kids in Dzunguni village

The link is in our bio or you can go to ecomoyo.com/donate - choose a category close to your heart - make a donation - download the PDF to print or send someone digitally. Easy peasy in 1-2-3 and available both in Norwegian and English! 🤩

All money goes straight to our children in Kenya 🩷🧡

Class 6 trip 😍

Friday 1st of November - the day after the final exams in primary school for these cool kids, it was time for their graduation trip!

THE party bus of party busses left from Eco Moyo at 7 am and returned 8.30 pm. It was 13,5 hours of adventures at Gede Ruins and snake sanctuary, we saw Sabaki river, we had lunch in Malindi and beach time in Watamu. To top it off, we made a stop in the supermarket Naivas on the way back. (By popular demand!)

As always this day was fantastic and we’re grateful and happy to be able to give this to our class 6 graduates as a thank you for their time at Eco Moyo and a leaving gift 💜🩷

We don’t have a single photo from the best part of the day - the beach, so you can imagine how much we enjoyed!!

PS, if you haven’t been on a bus trip with Eco Moyo, we highly recommend, it’s the best party ever 🤩

Not our usual post today. 🤍

But this week we said goodbye to Buddy who has been a part of us since before Eco Moyo became Eco Moyo. ❤️

The old pictures are from when Lindsay used to live in a mud hut where Eco Moyo is today.

Buddy has been the greatest company for our boarding students and everyone who’s been to Eco Moyo. He has for sure protected our school against intruders - now the hens & chickens of Dzunguni can relax a little bit 😅

Buddy went along on all the walks. If you would tie him up to go outside the gates without him, he would chew through the leash and follow 😁

A bit more than 10 years ago, he just walked up to Lindsay and decided to stay and she of course took him in with open arms. 🥰

He got to spend his final days enjoying the beach with Lindsay and all his friends.

Rest in peace Buddy, we love you and Eco Moyo won’t be the same without you 🩷

This made us emotional🥹

We had the pleasure of having Linn Marie with us this summer, read about her experience at Eco Moyo ♥️

“When I look back at my stay at Eco Moyo, I am filled with both joy and longing. This summer, I stayed at Eco Moyo for six weeks, and I miss it everyday.

I miss the high fives and handshakes. I miss hanging out with the learners at the Creativity Lab, making paper planes and drawing cartoons. The smell of chapati and mahamri in the morning. How welcome I always felt, and being greeted with “karibu” every time I entered a room. Walking in Dzunguni in the afternoon, looking at the beautiful landscape and wanting to eat every mango on all the mango trees. I miss the assemblies with presentations, singing and dancing.

I miss the smiles and the laughter. The way Eco Moyo really became a home. How the learners took such good care of us. I miss all the Kiswahili, learning new words every day, not always knowing if it was a Kigiriama or Kiswahili word we learned. I miss talking to the teachers about their lives, their families and learning about Kenyan culture in such an organic way. The sports tournaments, and the excitement when winning. I miss waking up to the sound of cows and children running down to the school area. The grade 6 boys constantly wanting to borrow my camera. Helping out at the Leap Lab, and the moment you see that a learner understands something new.

I don’t miss the constant fear of seeing a snake at the toilet, but at the same time, I kind of do. I guess it is because there is not a single thing I would want to remove from the experience. I want to remember my stay at Eco Moyo as it was, because it indeed has been the best summer of my life. A summer filled with so much joy, wonderful people and moments of pure happiness.”

Karibu tena @linnmarie_mp anytime you want ♥️

🔸 CLOSING DAY 🔸

The school year is officially over and we ended in style! (as always really 😏). Performances from the students, teachers speeches and the “school fee” from parents: collecting firewood.

Did you know that we provide EVERYTHING in Eco Moyo for free? All we ask from the parents are to help us to collect firewood to the school kitchen.

In pic # 6 our head teacher Dominic is giving the news that this year we are serving lunch to the kids during the holiday. Not only Eco Moyo students, but all children in Dzunguni village from 2yo up to class 6. We have decided to do this because of the drought in our area this year. There was no rain at all during the long rain period and it has affected everyone really hard.

We don’t want children to go hungry during their holiday! If you want to contribute, there is a link to the fundraiser in our bio 🧡

Don’t fear, the school is closed until first week of January, but we’ll keep post updates here 🫶🏽

This is the perfect time to read about amazing Lina and her experience at Eco Moyo this summer! We’re installing the solar power she helped us with - as we speak!

“My journey to Eco Moyo came very spontaneously. I had heard of the school while studying for a bachelor’s in solar energy and of the amazing work being done. So, three years later, when my friend, Linn Marie, called me out of the blue saying she was going to spend her summer at Eco Moyo, I had no reason not to join. And it turns out Eco Moyo was already looking at expanding their solar systems. Perfect timing!

I got to stay a month at the school and my days were half filled with planning solar systems and half with getting to know the wonderful staff and learners. Learning Kiswahili, clapping games, netball and about Kenyan politics and culture. And laughing so much! All the time, at everything, with everyone.

My favorite thing about my stay was my morning routine: waking up to the sound of the kids arriving at school, walking up to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, being greeted with a “Karibu!” and then trying out the new Kiswahili we had learned the previous day. Having Asumptor and the wonderful matrons laugh at us and with us before walking down to the school and greeting the teachers and learners. (And then waiting for the wonderful moment when Mama Mahamri arrives with mahamri and chapati!)

I have thought about my time at Eco Moyo every day for the last two months since I left, and I know I have to go back! If you’re thinking about visiting and volunteering, don’t think, just do it💚

PS.
Last picture was taken driving away from Eco Moyo at the end of our stay🥹💔”

Just a normal day at Eco Moyo! Smiles all around 😍😍😍

#ecomoyo #freeeducation #kenya

Meet Malcolm - our new Creativity teacher! 🤩

Malcolm is 28 years old and lives in Kilifi but is from Western Kenya. Curiosity about the name “Creativity Lab” was what made him apply for the job.

“My first thought when I saw the school and the especially the open classroom was ‘wow’

The Creativity Lab I run is an open, interactive space designed to foster children’s imagination and creative thinking.

Equipped with tablets, art supplies, and comfortable seating, it offers an environment where students can engage in drawing, painting, modeling, and music among many other activities.

The lab’s objective is to nurture creative expression as envisioned with Leap Learning and also complement the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) by providing hands-on experiences that encourage innovation, problem-solving, and artistic exploration, all while promoting a relaxed, student-centered approach to learning.”

Say hello to our newest “students” at Eco Moyo😍🥰

Meet Bingo & Bongo - our new dogs we adopted from @kspca & @kspcamombasa.official this week. They are brothers and 6 months old, they will accompany Buddy on guarding our school, so as soon as they are used to the premises, all the people and kids - they won’t be allowed to sleep on the sofa 😅 (last pic)

#adoptdontshop #ecomoyo #kenya

Happy international Literacy Day !! 📖🤓

Today we celebrate the power of reading and writing and the incredible impact Literacy has on our lives. At Eco Moyo we believe that every student deserves the opportunity to unlock their potential through the gift of Literacy. This year our classrooms are buzzing with literacy activities from interactive read-alouds, comprehension tasks, retelling and paraphrasing stories to creative writing projects. Our students are embracing the joy of learning!

#ecomoyo #education #internationalliteracyday

Okei, folkens! Da har vi endelig landet etter både i lørdags og tilbake i Kenya! 🇰🇪

Først og fremst vil vi takke alle som har bidratt til årets Grenseløs Kunst Auksjon på Roseslottet.

Stor takk til @roseslottet for det fantastiske stedet og samarbeidet og takk til @vebjornaugustsand for en utrolig debut som auksjonarius! Med humor og sjarm fikk han virkelig løftet stemningen, mange flotte priser, og vi føler oss veldig takknemlige! Alle kunstverk ble solgt! WOW 🤩

Vi kunne ikke gjort dette uten våre venner, bekjente og alle som har bidratt! Takk til @strykejernetkunstskole for lånet av staffeliene! Tusen takk igjen til @bilkollektivet – dere stiller alltid opp ❤.
Apropos noen som alltid stiller opp, Mads fra ProjektorPøblene – vi elsker deg! Og vi gleder oss til du kommer til Kenya!

Tusen takk til våre fantastiske frivillige som hjalp til før, under og etter auksjonen. Venner, familie og fantastiske folk vi kjenner, uten dere hadde vi ikke klart dette!

Mange takk til alle kunstnerne som bidro med sine fantastiske verk til auksjonen! Uten deres kreativitet og sjenerøsitet hadde denne kvelden ikke vært mulig.

Og sist, men absolutt ikke minst! Tusen takk til alle som kom på lørdag, kjøpte verk, støttet prosjektene våre og bidro til den gode stemningen! 🥳

Takket være dere har vi samlet inn 178.000 kr til @newmile46 ’24 av @affirmative_art og Eco Moyo!!! 🥹🤩😍

Dere er best! 💚💚💚

Say helloooo and welcome to our Leap Labs new sister - The Creativity Lab!! 🤩👏🏽

Thanks to support from Barnefondet, Marit - the super lady behind Leap Learning has created a new lab with tools, materials, and resources to inspire students to be creative and work on their own projects. The lab includes art supplies, tablets with creative apps, and a variety of materials to spark imagination and innovation.

The lab combines technology with diverse materials in an inspiring environment. Students work individually or in small groups based on their interests, while the teacher facilitates engagement and fun.

Vision:
The Creativity Lab aims to inspire students, develop a creative mindset, and teach skills for meaningful creation. It emphasizes learning from nature and community, producing high-quality, functional work, and preparing students for future careers.

Goals:
Critical Thinking and Engagement: The lab aims to help students develop critical thinking skills, enhance their ability to analyze and synthesize information, and foster a deeper engagement with learning.

Cultural Enrichment: By producing diverse forms of art, literature, music, and other cultural expressions, students contribute to the richness of culture, enhancing both personal enjoyment and strengthening community identity.

Innovation: Support creativity-driven advancements in technology, science, and art.

Problem Solving: Encourage creative approaches to finding effective solutions.

Main Categories in the Lab:

Colours, Shapes, Texture, Pattern, Symmetry
Drawing and Painting
Crafts
Arts
Artists
Performing Arts
Music
Communication
Play and Stay Active

We are so excited for this project and proud to be the very first @leaplearninginternational Creativity Lab in the world!

Closing day term 2!! 👏🏾

As usually, we talk about the projects and events of the term, the children and the one-to-one student progress meetings. Of course there’s performances from the students to end the term on top!! 🤩

The parents help to collect fire wood before they all leave for break. This is the agreement between Eco Moyo and the parents to have their children in the school. Compared to other private schools around our area where you have to pay approx 31.000 Ksh per year we find this alternative preeeeettty good!! 😊

Term 3 starts on August 27th 🫶🏾

Eco Moyo football tournament!! ⚽️⚽️⚽️

Yesterday we invited surrounding schools to a day full of football! ⚽️☀️

Term 2 sports curriculum is all about ball games so we throw a yearly tournament and provide lunch for all the players. As you can see it’s the happening of the weekend and everyone came to watch. 🫶🏽💚

#ecomoyo #education #kenya

Last week, Eco Moyo attended a sports tournament with 11 other primary schools in Ngerenya area🤾🏾‍♀️⚽️

We played handball, football, netball and volleyball, and did amazing🫶🎖️

Several got selected for the sub county tournament that was played yesterday, and two have been selected to represent Eco Moyo at the county level!!!❣️🏆

We are really impressed and proud🤩

Class photos of 2024! 🩷💙💛💜🧡💚❤️🩵

From PP1 to class 6, we have 198 students at Eco Moyo this year🫶🏽

We had Pernille staying with us earlier this year and she left such an impression on all of us. @pernillehordvei you are welcome back whenever you want 💚

Read about her experience from earlier this year, note that part 2 is in the comments! ⬇️

“From the start of February to the start of March, I was allowed to volunteer at Eco Moyo. It was a culture shock to go from cold Norway to Kenya, but the children welcomed me with open arms from the very first second. Although they thought I looked strange and was pale as a ghost, having not seen the sun for several months in Finnmark, all it took was a smile for them to come running. Arriving at Eco Moyo for the first time was very special. In the middle of the bush lies a colorful and vibrant school. To get to the school, you drive on roads that you would never think you could drive on back home in Norway, but it's no problem for the locals.

During the four weeks I spent at the school, I did many different things and had various tasks. One nice thing about Eco Moyo is that they want you to contribute with something you know or are interested in. Whether you have experience with a sport, have studied, or have other relevant, useful, or fun experience for the children.

I had classes and lessons where we used videos and screens, mainly English or gym. I supported teacher Violet with the "Leap Lab," where students learn math and English in ways other than the standard classroom format. I introduced, taught, and played handball with the children. I participated in the activities and clubs Eco Moyo organizes, including football in the afternoon, and running, art, and taekwondo clubs. Additionally, and just as importantly, I spent time with, played with, and gave attention to the children. Just a little wave or smile is enough for them to burst into laughter or light up and give you a big smile back.”

Part 2 in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Eco Moyo explains part 2 - The Kenyan school calendar! 📆 swipe ➡️➡️

Term 2 this year, was however postponed due to heavy rains and flooding across Kenya. Our area was an exception though, as we have desperately been waiting for rain for the past 2,5 months.

Term 3 finishes on October 25th for everyone except class 6 who will have a few days more, to write their exams. Exams are a big part of the curriculum and are taken at bigger schools with top level security from police officers as security guards!👮🏾

After the final exams for Eco Moyos sixth graders comes everyone’s favourite day: class trip to the beach
🤩🤩🤩

We had the pleasure of welcoming 24 students + 2 teachers from Karmøy Folkehøyskole this January! It was a week full of activities, read about their second experience at Eco Moyo:

“Karmøy Folkehøyskolen had a fantastic time at beautiful Eco Moyo! For 6 days we have participated in the classes at the school📚👩‍🏫, played with the kids🤸⚽️, gotten to know the teachers, gotten to know the local area around the school🌿 and had great food🍉🍛and even better times and experiences.

Together with the kids we continued the Wall of Dreams project from last year. Painting a wall full of dreams for the future🎨.

It’s been so inspiring to live at the school and se all the smiles here at this place! Thank you so much for the hospitality! We are looking forward and hoping to coming back next year ✨”

📸 @mikaelmyklebust

In January we had the amazing Mia volunteering at the school, read about her experience in Eco Moyo.

(Last video: We can report that the little guy in PP1 that refused to go to the gate without holding Mia’s hand now follows all his class mates out the gate 😅🥹)

“To summarise my amazing stay at Eco Moyo seems impossible because there is a book full of things I could say about this special place. From the moment I was welcomed into Eco Moyo I knew it would be a place close to my heart forever. Throughout my stay, I felt so appreciated and at home by everyone.

I worked as a kindergarten assistant for two years where I was sent to new kindergartens throughout the week, which means I had numerous interactions with varying children, but never in my life have I met so many golden kids and teachers as when I was at Eco Moyo. I try to explain it to people, but its something one has to experience to understand. There is something very special about Eco Moyo, that is almost indescribable. I felt extremely safe the whole time and enjoyed the delicious meals made by the kitchen on site. The accommodation I had went above my expectations. Another leisure which I enjoyed was on the weekends when school is closed we could relax on the pristine beaches of Kilifi, i even got the opportunity to scuba dive which was beautiful.

I will be forever grateful for my experience at Eco Moyo, and I really hope to be back in the future. Thank you Eco Moyo!” 💚💚💚

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Latest updates from instagram @ecomoyo

Blog

Celebrating World Happiness Day at Eco Moyo! 🌿✨

Girls Only Football Tournament – A Celebration of International Women’s Day!

Mondays Are for the Girls!

Grenseløs Kunst Auction – A Huge Success!

Worlds first Creativity Lab

Secondary support

Multipurpose hall

New playground!

Malin's Arrival at Eco Moyo

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Latest updates from instagram @ecomoyo