For more than a decade, our work was never defined by registration certificates or office spaces. It was defined by people.
It was defined by children returning to school after dropping out.
By vulnerable families receiving support when they had nowhere else to turn.
By young people discovering that someone believed in them.
Our journey began in 2012 through simple acts of compassion that grew into what became Tumaini Na Uwezo (TUNU)—a grassroots initiative dedicated to restoring hope through education, family support, and community empowerment.
For years, TUNU operated entirely through volunteerism. Friends contributed what they could. Community members opened their homes and hearts. Teachers referred vulnerable students. Well-wishers donated school supplies, sanitary towels, food, and school fees whenever emergencies arose.
We did not begin with funding.
We began with purpose.
As the years passed, the needs within our communities continued to grow. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed a sharp rise in school dropout cases across Kilifi County. Many families lost their livelihoods, girls struggled to access menstrual hygiene products, and increasing numbers of young people faced uncertain futures because of poverty.
It became clear that responding to one crisis at a time was no longer enough.
Communities needed long-term, sustainable solutions.
They needed stronger partnerships, better coordination, and programs capable of reaching more families.
To achieve this, we realized that our work also needed to grow.
In September 2024, after years of grassroots service and careful reflection, we officially registered Farina Foundation as a non-profit organization.
The registration did not mark the beginning of our work.
It marked the beginning of a new chapter.
Farina Foundation was established to strengthen what TUNU had already built. Registration enables us to work more effectively with schools, government agencies, development partners, businesses, and donors. It enhances transparency, accountability, and our capacity to mobilize resources that can create lasting impact.
While our structure has evolved, our mission remains unchanged.
We continue to believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, every family deserves the chance to earn a dignified livelihood, and every community possesses the potential to create its own solutions when given the right support.
Today, our work focuses on three interconnected pillars:
- Education Access Support—helping vulnerable learners stay in school through scholarships, career guidance, KUCCPS and HELB application support, and community fundraising.
- Community Empowerment—strengthening households through self-help groups, sustainable livelihoods, and economic empowerment initiatives.
- Dignity and Well-being—ensuring girls can remain in school by providing menstrual hygiene products and promoting menstrual health education.
Although our name has changed, our purpose has not.
Farina Foundation is simply TUNU with greater capacity, broader partnerships, and an even stronger commitment to creating lasting change.
As we look to the future, we invite you to become part of this journey. Whether you choose to volunteer, partner with us, or support our programs financially, your contribution helps transform lives and strengthen communities.
Because lasting change is never built by one organization alone—it is built by people who believe that hope should be shared.
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