In the Maasai language, Matonyok means “make the effort.” For the children of Matonyok Children’s Home in Arusha, Tanzania, those words are more than a name—they are a daily testimony of courage, care, and hope. Founded by Emmy Sitayo, a nurse who could not turn away vulnerable children, Matonyok has become a place of refuge for children with disabilities, neglected street children, and children affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty. Today, more than 60 children call Matonyok home, while over 100 children attend the small on-campus school. Education has always been a priority, but the need for stronger academic support continues to grow.
This year, Haven of Hope International is emphasizing The Learning Lab Initiative—a focused effort to help partner homes create safe, structured, literacy-rich spaces where children can grow academically and emotionally with aid of resources and tutors. For Matonyok, this vision fits beautifully with the meaning of its name. These children are already making the effort. Now, we have the opportunity to help place the right tools, resources, and support around them.
Many children who come into residential care have experienced trauma, instability, interrupted schooling, and deep learning gaps. Before a child can fully learn, they must feel safe, seen, and supported. HOHI’s Learning Lab model is built on that understanding. It is not simply a room with books or technology; it is a residential-based learning environment where literacy, tutoring, storytelling, guided reading, and daily encouragement become part of the rhythm of care. The initiative is grounded in the belief that literacy grows best when children receive consistent exposure to reading, language-rich interaction, guided practice, and trusted relationships.
At Matonyok, a Learning Lab would provide age-appropriate books, phonics and literacy tools, storytelling resources, interactive learning materials, and space for focused study. Just as importantly, caregivers can be equipped to serve as literacy facilitators—reinforcing reading, vocabulary, comprehension, attention, and confidence throughout daily life. HOHI’s model is designed for sustainability by embedding literacy development into caregiver-child relationships and adapting each lab to the local language and cultural context.
Matonyok already stands as a testimony of resilience. Children who once faced neglect, poverty, sickness, or abandonment are being given dignity, education, and a future. HOHI has supported Matonyok since 2020, walking alongside Emmy and Ndemno as they strengthen care and opportunity for the children entrusted to them.
A Learning Lab at Matonyok will help children do more than attend school. It will help them read with confidence, understand with clarity, dream with courage, and prepare for the future God has placed before them.
At Matonyok, they are already making the effort. Together, we can help them take the next step.
