Achungo began with one young man who refused to look away.
What began with one child has grown into a community-led movement transforming hundreds of lives in rural Kenya.
Achungo began with one young man who refused to look away.
What began with one child has grown into a community-led movement transforming hundreds of lives in rural Kenya.
A beginning rooted in resilence
Michael O. Nyangi grew up in rural Homa Bay County, Kenya. When he was seven years old, his father died. His family survived on their garden plot, and like many children in the region, his future depended on whether someone would invest in his education.
Through the generosity of others, including a government scholarship and mentors who believed in him, Michael completed secondary school, then earned his college degree in accounting, and became a CPA.
But his path to get there was not straightforward. Before college, he had worked construction in Nairobi, carrying water and bricks. His boss noticed his work ethic and helped pay his first year as he worked his way through school. Later, one of his professors helped him finish. Michael never forgot what those investments made possible.
After graduating, he began working his dream job in a bank in Nairobi. Each day as he walked to work, he passed women and children in the slums struggling to survive. He saw a few women who seemed to be giving up and gave them what little money he had.
Days later, he saw them together selling roasted corn using that small gift to start something of their own. It changed how he saw what was possible.
At age 22, Michael left his career and started a microfinance initiative supporting women in the Nairobi slums. That work grew over time into an office of 15 and gained international recognition, from Amnesty International. But his focus kept returning home.
On holidays when he visited his village, about 350 miles from Nairobi, he began taking in orphaned and vulnerable children, many of whom had no access to school. With the help of local widows volunteering as teachers, he started a small classroom in a rented shed.
Many doubted it would last. In 2005, Achungo Children’s Centre was officially registered in Kenya. What began with a handful of children has since grown into a thriving, community-based school — but Michael’s conviction has remained the same: Education of the children is the key to breaking the cycle of extreme poverty.
officially founded.
How Achungo Came to the United States
Monte saw that Achungo was deeply Kenyan-led and rooted in the community. It was not an imported model. It was sustainable because it belonged to the people it served.
After returning home, Monte committed to supporting the work. As volunteer Executive Director of Achungo Children’s Center, a 501(c)(3) in the U.S., he leads an all-volunteer board dedicated to the success of the students of Achungo.
Today, he continues to support U.S. governance, board leadership, financial accountability, communications, and partnerships — all without compensation such that all donors know that 100% of their gifts go directly to Kenya. He also takes teams to experience the schools twice each year — every January and June. Those trips have a profound impact on everyone who goes.
In 2007 Amin Opitz, a German schoolteacher, sent Michael funds to build his first building. In 2008 his sister, Barbara Jeanrenaud, led a team from Saratoga Federated Church to visit and put in a well. In 2010, Barbara brought Monte Fisher on as Executive Director of the Achungo U.S. non-profit, and Monte made his first visit and was immediately impressed with Michael Nyangi.
Monte had spent nearly 25 years in the software industry but over time, he felt drawn toward work that could create lasting human impact.
On his first visit, Monte realized that Achungo would make a real difference. What he found was not a polished institution, but it was something far more compelling:
- – A local leader of integrity and humility
- – Teachers who viewed their work as a calling
- – Students who studied with remarkable discipline and hope
Achungo is now a partnership:
Kenya, The Heart
Vision, leadership, and daily operations. The Kenyan board and entire staff are local to the community so that the school cultures remain distinctly Kenyan but driven by the values of love and respect for the children.
U.S., The Support
Fundraising, strategic governance, and accountability. Facilitating the success of Achungo through our resources and encouraging personal collaboration between Westerners and Kenyans as we all benefit from experiencing the Achungo model of love and respect.
Together, this partnership has allowed Achungo Children’s Centre to grow from a rented classroom into a consortium of campuses known collectively as the Achungo Educational Centre, becoming one of the top-performing schools in the county.
Why This Model Works
Achungo Children’s Centre is built on a simple but powerful principle:
Children thrive best within their own community. Rather than institutionalizing children, Achungo supports community-based care. Most students live with relatives, grandparents, aunts, older siblings or caring neighbors. They remain rooted in their culture, language, and identity.
The school provides:
- High academic standards
- Daily meals
- Clean water
- Clothing and medical as needed
- Mentoring and emotional support
- Structured study environments for exam preparation
Teachers are trained to understand the students’ backgrounds and challenges. They are not merely instructors — they act as mentors and supportive adult figures in the children’s lives. The prevailing love and respect produces an environment highly unusual for anywhere in the world.
Why This Model Works
Achungo Children’s Centre is built on a simple but powerful principle:
Children thrive best within their own community.
Rather than institutionalizing children, Achungo supports community-based care. Most students live with relatives, grandparents, aunts, older siblings or caring neighbors. They remain rooted in their culture, language, and identity.
The school provides:
- High academic standards
- Daily meals
- Clean water
- Mentorship and emotional support
- Structured study environments for exam preparation
Teachers are trained to understand the students’ backgrounds and challenges. They are not merely instructors — they act as mentors and steady adult figures in the children’s lives.
Children thrive in community
Excellence at Achungo Children’s Centre is not driven by fear — it is driven by respect, encouragement and hope. Other educators in Kenya have visited Achungo to better understand its exceptional impact on the students.
Our pass rate on national primary exams over the years
Staff members on the ground in Kenya
Years of community transformation
Our Staff
Achungo Children’s Centre employs 68 Kenyan staff members, including 44 credentialed teachers trained at Kenyan teacher colleges.
Our teachers are known for:
- High academic standards
- Personal mentorship
- Collaboration and mutual support
- A deep belief that every child can succeed and is worthy of the best possible educational experience
Michael remains actively involved in teacher mentoring, hiring, and strategic growth.
Our Board
Greg Schott
Board Chair
Former MuleSoft CEO brings operational expertise and international non-profit board experience.
Gretchen Cheng
Board Vice Chair
Frequent Achungo visitor brings firsthand field perspective and a deep, personal commitment to education.
Yinan Gu
Board Strategy
Strategic leader brings global revenue expertise and a focus on sustainable, long-term resource mobilization.
Mark Pietrofesa
Board Treasurer
Wealth advisor brings decades of financial and marketing expertise and a heart for Achungo’s students.
Paul Osborn
Marketing Committee
Retired software engineer brings 35 years of technical expertise and seasoned non-profit leadership.
Lara Hoyem
Strategy Committe
Business GM and NGO COO brings 25 years of business operations and global education expertise.
Lara Hoyem
Strategy Committe
Silicon Valley veteran and NGO COO brings 25 years of business operations and global education expertise.
Rod MacLeod
Finance Chair
Seasoned finance executive for both publicly traded and private medical technology companies.
Lara Hoyem
Strategy Committe
Silicon Valley veteran and NGO COO brings 25 years of business operations and global education expertise.
Financial Transparency
We are committed to stewardship and accountability.
- 100% of donations received by Achungo Community Center are directed to Kenya operations.
- U.S. administrative costs (insurance, tax filings, etc.) are personally covered by board members.
- Achungo community Center is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 61-1598457
- Please see below our Candid Seal of Transparency and our 4 Star Rating by Charity Navigator
Available Financial Documents:
We believe donors deserve clarity. As Achungo continues to grow, we are committed to increasing transparency through annual reports and published financial updates.
Looking Ahead
What began in a rented shed in 2005 has grown into multiple campuses serving over 850 students — with hundreds of graduates moving into secondary schools, universities, and professional careers.
But the mission remains the same: No child should be denied education because of poverty. No child should be abandoned to circumstance.
The story of Achungo is still being written — and we invite you to be part of it.
Looking Ahead
What began in a rented shed in 2005 has grown into multiple campuses serving hundreds of students — with graduates moving into secondary school, university, and professional careers.
But the mission remains the same: No child should be denied education because of poverty. No child should be abandoned to circumstance.
The story of Achungo is still being written — and we invite you to be part of it.