Technology drives much of the world today, but for many young people in low resourced communities, access to it remains out of reach. At Nyangulu Secondary School, students had been studying computer theory for years without ever touching a real machine. Imagine memorizing the parts of a computer you have never seen, or writing answers about the function of different parts of a computer you have never switched on. This was their reality until this year.

So how does this connect to our work at Tailored for Education, where our core mission is school uniforms?

Uniforms are the starting point, but they often spark something greater. When students receive uniforms, parents are invited to contribute a modest amount, usually between one and five dollars, into a Parent Contribution Fund (PCF). Born from parents’ desire to give back after their children received uniforms, the PCF allows schools to carry out projects that directly improve learning environments. From water and sanitation facilities, to desks, books, and now technology, the fund continues to show what collective effort can achieve.

Our partner in Kisumu, the Riley Orton Foundation, has been working with Nyangulu Secondary and the parents to make this possible, and they report that Form 3 parents came together through the Parent Contribution Fund to purchase four computers. With additional backing from the Principal and a local civic leader, two more were added. Together, they established the school’s very first ICT lab with six computers. For the students, this was a turning point, connecting them to a new world of possibilities.

Mr. Odede Walter, the Form 3 uniform project representative, captured the moment best:
“Thank you so much, team, for this massive milestone in equipping our ICT lab. I cannot express the joy I saw in the faces of those learners when they received their computers. Today, they are no longer left behind. God bless TFE/ROF, God bless Nyangulu.”

For the first time, these students could sit at a computer, learn by doing, and see themselves as part of the digital age. The pride on their faces showed the power of parents, schools, and partners working together.

This is what makes the Parent Contribution Fund so powerful. It is not only about raising funds but about deepening collaboration. Parents become decision-makers, schools gain critical resources, and students benefit from an environment that supports their growth.

At Nyangulu Secondary School, we started with uniforms and this unlocked access to technology, changing what learning looks like for an entire school. We look forward to sharing more of these highlights to show the level of impact in many of the schools we work with.