How our Nutritionist is Helping Fight the Effects of ADHD

Joseph is a 6-year-old boy who enrolled in our school program in September 2022. He had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and at the time of his enrollment, no medication or other intervention had been offered.

Joseph had been in a mainstream school for three years before his grandmother and mother decided to bring him for assessment at Ubuntu Life's CWC. On our doctor's review, she chose not to initiate medication before a diet and behavior intervention had been applied.

Joesph's grandmother and mother met with our nutritionist, who advised them to try Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) diet. A GFCF diet involves removing foods containing casein protein and gluten proteins. Processed sugar and artificially colored foods were also restricted. The GFCF diet was recommended as various gaps were identified in Joesph's diet.

On the first assessment, without the diet changes in place, Joseph was very hyperactive. He wasn't able to remain seated in the nutritionist's office and would only take instructions if physically directed to sit and stay in place. Joseph would run from one place to the other, and his presence in the dining hall was so pronounced he needed an aid teacher to keep him in position for feeding, or he would run out of the dining hall, making it hard for him to finish an entire meal.

One month down the line, with his new diet in place, Joseph has become still like never before. Both his guardians and teachers have noticed massive improvements. If you stop by the dining hall today, you wouldn't even notice Joesph's hyperactivity, as he has regressed so much that he no longer needs constant teacher's aid. He also abides by instructions in class and can self-moderate/redirect certain behaviors when asked. Joesph's mother has also noticed improvements at home. She says Joseph no longer jumps from seat to seat all around the living room and can sit in one position throughout an event.

We are so proud of how far Joesph has come in such a short amount of time. Our nutritionist continues monitoring him and changes his diet when necessary. We are so grateful for our school lunch program and our doctor and nutritionist who make such a difference in the lives of kids like Joesph every day.

A Conversation With Board Member Chelsea Dee Thom

On July 2nd, the Ubuntu Life Foundation moved into the newly built Children's Wellness Center (CWC). The center, which had been a dream for years, sits on our 11 acres of land in Maai Mahiu. We sat down with Ubuntu Life Foundation Board Member, investor, and Tribe Heart Member Chelsea Dee Thom to talk about her experience witnessing Ubuntu's growth and the center's opening.

How long have you been a part of Ubuntu? What inspired you to get involved?

I have been a part of Ubuntu since the Icelandic volcano gave me an unexpected week in Kenya in 2010. I became a donor right away after seeing the Ubuntu development model. After Ubuntu, I was inspired to study for a Master's in Nonprofit Management and understand holistic community development on a deeper level; I was excited to join the board. Now it's such an honor to help Ubuntu grow in any way I can.

Speaking of growing, Ubuntu has grown quite a bit since you first became involved. What has that been like to watch and be a part of?

Oh my gosh, this summer, seeing the new Children's Wellness Center for the first time brought me to tears. When I first came to Ubuntu in 2010, I was just starting my development work. I had already seen some failed and flawed development models abroad, and it was so refreshing to meet a community with authenticity, dignity, and interconnectedness as core values. Ubuntu's growth feels mind-blowing to witness. The feeling that in sharing myself and my community, we got to be a small part of helping this growth makes me feel astounding joy. Seeing the kids have a real school building to go to every day. Just WOW, WOW, WOW!!

Throughout the years, I have taken the Ubuntu school photos, and each year I witness the staff and understand the needs of the individual child a bit better, and this year they were so in sync with each child's needs. The kids all seemed so proud of their new uniforms and themselves. It felt so awe-inspiring to witness the growth of these children and the staff firsthand. There has been so much incredible growth for Ubuntu and Maai Mahiu in the past 12 years, and I believe that we will see the clinic grow in even more remarkable ways in a few short years.

You were at the grand opening of the new CWC - tell us about your experience and what the new center means to the kids and community.

The new center is a big win that came from so much BIG LOVE. I brought my daughter for her 3rd time to Kenya to be part of the celebration. I got to watch her dance in Maai Mahiu town square with the Ubuntu kids, and the feeling of connecting my daughter with Ubuntu is always big, but this day, the feeling was that of tremendous joy. Watching the community come together, the parade, and the outright gladness of everyone celebrating was just so fun. It was such a phenomenal moment for the kids, the families, the Ubuntu staff, and the whole community. I stood for a second, gazing at the building just in absolute awe that it was real.

In your opinion, what are the biggest things the new center is offering that the old center couldn't?

Aww yes, now what can we do with the new wellness center? The answer is so much. First off, the kids have their own physical therapy room, large classrooms, indoor plumbing, and even a lunchroom. After 15+ years of not having these things for the school, it is such a relief to see how quickly the kids have settled into the school. We still need a disability-friendly playground, but that is coming very soon. The CWC can now host neurology clinics for our 260 epileptic patients, maternal health clinics, and general wellness. We are still in need of so much equipment, but with the life force of the Ubuntu community behind us, I believe it is only a matter of time and some hard work raising the funds till Ubuntu is one of the most renowned pediatric health centers in Kenya. Our dreams of always offering more have led us to this building, and it is the same dream that will lead us beyond this dream to the next.

2022 Tribe Party Gala

The Ubuntu Life Foundation held our annual gala on November 6th in Austin, Texas, and thanks to our amazing community, it was a huge success! It was wonderful to see our tribe community come together, and we were blown away by the incredible support shown to us throughout the night.

The Tribe Party raised an impressive $405,000 and counting! We are grateful that we were able to raise twice as much as our previous Tribe Party in 2019. That generosity allows us to continue to carry out our mission to provide essential health and education services and promote social inclusion for children with special educational and physical needs throughout Kenya. 

We ended the night with a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Emmanuel Jal and Topaz McGarrigle.

We are so thankful for everyone who came out to support us! If you’d like to be a part of next year’s gala, be sure to join our mailing list!

Family Support Day

Here at Ubuntu Life Foundation, we recently celebrated Family Support Day. A day in which we invite the children's friends and families to spend the day with us and learn more about the children we serve. We know it takes a village to raise a child, and this day allowed us to expand our village and teach family members the skills they may lack when serving their child's needs at home.

We were amazed at how successful the day was. We started by splitting the parents and children into two groups. Each group was encouraged to share their experience, including the joys and struggles of raising their child. It was great to see the families connect on their similar experiences. We then opened the floor to questions, which allowed parents the comfort and safety to ask questions in a warm and welcoming environment. We ended the day by all coming together to celebrate the September birthdays.

The overall day was a huge success. New friendships were formed, and our community grew in size and support. We've even had suggestions asking to start a club for family members to encourage and support one another. That type of enthusiasm was exactly what we were hoping for, and we are optimistic about getting something like this started in the future.

Meet Tiffany

Tiffany Tracey, an adorable six-year-old girl, joined Ubuntu in September 2021. When Tiffany first joined us, she was showing challenges in behavioral, emotional, and social difficulties. These challenges were all affecting her development and hindering her ability to learn. Over the course of a year, Tiffany has shown significant improvements. She is now not only initiating and keeping relationships but also playing and cooperating with others, as well as showing sensitivity to others' needs and feelings. Her self-confidence and self-awareness are also greatly improved. She has now started to take the lead in her classroom activities - something she wasn't able or willing to do just one year ago. Her progress and hard work, along with the help of Ubuntu teachers and caregivers, have made it possible for her to learn like her fellow peers. It has been an amazing experience to watch Tiffany grow, and we can't wait to see her continued progress.