In the Maasai language, “Matonyok” means “make the effort.” That phrase becomes especially powerful at the start of a new school year, when pencils are sharpened, uniforms are straightened, and children line up—many of them carrying a story that could have easily kept them from ever sitting in a classroom. Haven of Hope International (HOHI) has been supporting Matonyok since 2020, walking alongside Emmy and her team as they strengthen care, stability, and learning.
At Matonyok Children’s Home in Arusha, Tanzania, Director Emmy Sitayo—a nurse and a pioneer in her community—has spent years doing what “make the effort” really looks like: refusing to turn away children that others might overlook. The home was born out of her compassion for vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, neglected street children, and children affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.
Today, over 60 children live at Matonyok, and the impact extends even further: over 100 children attend the small on-campus school, where early education and foundational learning provide a safe and steady start for children who might otherwise be left behind.
Education isn’t assumed—it’s protected
In much of Africa, education is never taken for granted. School fees, uniforms, supplies, transportation, and even a stable home environment can be out of reach for many families. For children who have experienced abandonment, disability stigma, or extreme poverty, the hurdles multiply. That’s where HOHI’s partnership with Matonyok’s on-campus school is more than a convenience—it’s protection. It keeps children close, safe, supervised, and learning.
But education is not sustained by a classroom alone. It’s sustained by structure, consistent encouragement, and a team that knows each child’s history and needs.
HOHI support that helps children thrive
According to HOHI’s progress report, ongoing support helps provide essentials that make school success possible—covering needs like food, improved staff-to-child care, and a social worker, along with monthly internet access that keeps the home connected to coaching, training, and educational resources.
That internet access matters. It helps the team participate in weekly Zoom coaching and training, and it gives the school access to online tools and tutoring resources—critical supports for children who may be rebuilding learning foundations from the ground up.
And the social worker is not just a title—she’s a steady presence helping track progress, support learning, and strengthen the children’s path forward. HOHI notes that the social worker understands hardship personally and brings both skill and compassion into the daily restoration process.
Back to school is a fresh beginning
This new school year, Matonyok’s children are stepping into more than lessons—they’re stepping into possibility. Every notebook, every tutoring session, every day of consistent attendance is part of a bigger miracle: children once pushed to the margins are being welcomed, taught, and prepared for a life with choices.
At Matonyok, “make the effort” isn’t a slogan. It’s a school-year commitment—and a promise that education will remain a doorway to dignity, healing, and hope.
