ABout Us

Our Mission

To improve access to education that unlocks the potential in African youth, while also connecting people from around the world to foster responsible citizenship.

Our Vision

Together we can realize the key to sustainable development: achieve universal access to effective education.

About Us

Education is Power (EIP) is made up of volunteers from Canada, Kenya and Tanzania. Proceeds go directly to East African students’ school fees or to help hire teachers at struggling primary or secondary schools in East Africa. As a way to make a further impact, we also lead mentorship and tutoring programs three times per year in our East African partner communities. We call these programs Empowerment Weeks. At EIP, we are dedicated to enhance the quality of education in East Africa. A principle was we achieve this is by providing extra support and training opportunities for teachers.

We are a volunteer run organization with very low administration costs. To show our dedication, our Canadian trustees pay all Canadian expenses out of pocket, except for the banking fees required to send to Africa…..

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Values

Promote peace and intercultural understanding

  • In Canada and other countries we offer global awareness programs for primary and secondary classes where we  facilitate letter writing exchanges to schools in Africa and students of EIP.
  • In our global awareness programs we help to identify and stop forms of oppression as well as create awareness for Education is Power through fundraising activities.
  • In East Africa, students of EIP and other EIP volunteers make visits to schools to address important issues such as ethnic stereotypes, and how prejudices and discrimination lead to serious conflicts (e.g. The Kenyan election violence of 2007).

Ensure environmental sustainability

  • Students of Education is Power must demonstrate how they will help ensure environmental harmony and sustainability with their future careers and goals.  
  • We support students presently involved in volunteering with local organizations where they work towards environmental harmony and sustainability.   
  • Educate environmental conservation during school visits.  
  • We Support and work with East African organizations involved in environmental conservation work. 
  • We promote environmental conservation as the backbone for economic progress and better livlihoods in Africa.

Promote gender equality and empower women

  • Female students are encouraged to apply to Education is Power and receive special consideration to allow equality.
  • We educate why gender equality and women empowerment is a very important issue during school visits and other presentations.
  • We promote reducing rapid population growth across Africa by increasing women’s education opportunities.
  • We support and gain advice from East African organizations involved in empowering women.

We believe that we can change the world through education, empowerment, and inspiration!

Who We Are

Dave Cuddy

Dave Cuddy

Founder

Bio
David Kuria

David Kuria

Chief Advisor and Co-founder

Bio
KenCuddy

KenCuddy

Head Financial Officer

Bio
Robyn Penfold

Robyn Penfold

Education Development and Communicatins Officer

Bio
Samuel Wakang'u

Samuel Wakang'u

EIP Kenya Outreach Officer and founding student

Bio
Zipporah Mugure

Zipporah Mugure

EIP Kenya Financial Officer

Bio
Stephen Kamau

Stephen Kamau

Kenya Operations Director and founding student

Bio
Kip Ntere

Kip Ntere

Operations Director – Laikipia Region, Kenya

Bio

The Extended Education Is Power Team

In reality Education is Power is made possible by the help of a lot of people. In Kenya we have our main partner KENVO (The Kijabe Environment Volunteers – a partner of Canada World Youth, www.kenvokenya.com).  Many KENVO members help EIP in various ways such as organizing events and community awareness in Kenya as well as guidance and support for EIP students. In Canada there have been many people who have volunteered a great deal towards organizing successful EIP fundraisers and other fundraising support.

History

A message from Co-founder Dave Cuddy

Education Is Power has grown out of the Canada World Youth international educational program, taking place in North Bay, Ontario; Kiambu, Kenya; and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 2006-2007. I believe strongly in this program as a way to empower young people to pursue just, and harmonious societies. As part of the program, I was lucky to gain two Kenyan host brothers named Stephen Kamau, and Samuel Wakang’u. Along with our Canadian host sister Olivia, we lived together with a wonderful woman named Lynn-Anne, who was our host mom during our first three month phase in North Bay, Ontario.

From here, great friendships and understanding were fostered and continued to grow as we shifted to East Africa. We were fortunate to live with amazing local families in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, where we volunteered with various local organizations and participated in educational workshops, learning to become responsible global citizens. Canada World Youth taught me that as a Canadian, I have power and privilege that the majority of the world does not have. And better yet, the program helped give me the determination to use this power to help make a better world.

In February 2007, when I finished my Canada World Youth program, my Kenyan counterparts and I did not start Education Is Power right away. We began to work together on a proposal to start an outdoor education centre in Kenya for Kenyan youth. After working on this, we realized that this kind of undertaking would be much better achieved with a post-secondary education. The problem was that the price for college or university in Kenya was far too high for my Kenyan team members to afford. So in January 2008, while I was studying at Université Laval in Quebec, I met with Maxim Fortin (also a CWY alum), and we discussed how we could create an organization to advance education in East Africa. Maxim helped develop the EIP website, and I organized Education is Power’s first fundraising event which took place in Quebec City in April 2008. In the process, I collaborated with David Kuria, CWY East Africa Program Director from Kiambu Kenya, to define the structure, mission, and vision of Education is Power. From here David Kuria, Samuel Wakang’u, Stephen Kamau, and I joined together to form Education Is Power. And the story continues…

Get in Touch. Get Involved.

Reach out to us and we would love to tell you all about Education Is Power. 

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Providing opportunities for people to further their education

Graduated Seconday School

thousand $ Raised

A note on Canada World Youth – The exchange program that helped lead to Education is Power

Founded in 1971 by the Honourable Jacques Hébert (1923-2007), Canada World Youth (CWY) is a world leader in developing international educational programs for young people aged 15 to 35. A non-profit organization, CWY is dedicated to enriching the lives of young people that have a desire to become informed and active global citizens. CWY programs are designed to help youth experience the world for themselves, learn about other cultures and diverse Canadian communities while developing leadership and communication skills. Since 1971, the CWY program has been completed by over 35,000 young people from 67 countries.

Dave Cuddy holds a master’s degree in global management and a graduate certificate in project management completed through Royal Roads University. As well, he has diploma in outdoor adventure leadership completed through Algonquin College. His experience in Africa began in 2007 when he completeda six month Canada World Youth international education program. Dave has over eight years experience working back and fourth between East Africa and Canada, and dealing with the Kenyan and Tanzanian education system. His primary responsibility is to oversee all aspects of EIP operations. This involves working with community leaders and government officials to align EIP’s mission with the Kenya Vision 2030 and Tanzania Vision 2025 development plans. He leads fundraising and Canadian school outreach programs, manages supported EIP student and teacher issues, supervises EIP volunteers, co-develops extracurricular programs in Africa, and manages school infrastructure projects in Africa. Additionally, Dave works with his Kenyan colleagues to establish criteria for forming new EIP committees or country chapters. He is also responsible for developing international partnerships to help promote the project. In addition to working for Education Is Power, Dave is an outdoor educator and carpenter.

David Kuria is from Kimende, Kenya. As of October 2017 he serves as the minister of environment for Kiambu County, Kenya. David founded KENVO (The Kijabe Environment Volunteers) in 1994. Before his political career he served as KENVO’s executive director and worked with the East Africa Wildlife Society, as well as the United Nations Environment Program. David has devoted a great deal of his spare time to ensure that EIP’s strategic operations are as effective as possible. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s in environmental science and community development, and he is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Conservation and Community Activism.

Ken Cuddy (father of Dave Cuddy) holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and graduate degree in law. He has worked as a lawyer in Perth, Ontario, Canada for 35 years. He has volunteered countless hours to the administration and all financial dealings of Education is Power since it began in 2008.

Robyn is a primary school teacher in British Columbia, Canada. She holds a bachelor of education with a diploma in special education and an undergraduate in psychology. Robyn teaches in a remote aboriginal community in Vancouver Island North. She is well experienced in adapting education practices to meet the needs of diverse cultures while upholding the cultural heritage and identity of these diverse cultures. Her experience is invaluable for EIP’s teacher support and training programs in Kenya, as well as designing EIP study projects to meet curriculum objectives of Canadian primary and secondary schools. She also assists in communications and copywriting.

Samuel is from Kimende, Kenya. He started at KENVO as an avid volunteer and then became a project officer for youth and school programs. He has participated in two Canada World Youth International Education programs. Samuel was a major inspiration to start EIP as he became our founding student (along with Stephen Kamau). Thanks to EIP, Samuel completed a Bachelor of Science and Environmental Education, and he is now pursuing a Masters in Environmental Studies and Community Development at Kenyatta University. Samuel coordinates meetings, mentors and communicates with students and volunteers much of his time in countless ways for EIP.

Zipporah is from Kimende, Kenya where in 2003 she started as a volunteer with a Kenyan non-profit group called KENVO (The Kijabe Environment Volunteers). Zipporah went on to become a project supervisor for Canada World Youth and to work for KENVO as their chief financial officer. She continues to work for KENVO while dedicating her time as a volunteer for Education is Power. Together with David Kuria, she oversees all EIP financial records in Kenya. She is in her final year of a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance.

Stephen is from Kimende, Kenya. He is one of the founding students of Education is Power and was first inspired after participating in a Canada World Youth International Exchange. Stephen is a very committed volunteer for Education is Power. He coordinates the High School Mentors program in Kenya and leads several projects to connect Canadians and Kenyans. Stephen is currently finishing his Tourism Management Degree Program from Moi University.

Kip started volunteering with Education is Power in 2014 and in this remote area of Kenya, many students would not be able to gain sponsorship without his determined efforts. Kip uses his contacts as a private wildlife guide to coordinate engaging and valuable empowerment weeks for EIP students. He also ensures communication between current students and Canadian sponsors, not a simple feat in an area where cell reception is spotty and Wi-Fi can only be found in bigger town centres.