Catherine put the growth mindset training she attended to good use to come up with an innovative solution to a need in her village.

Catherine is a member of the Aero Nyero farming group, receiving training in growth mindset, as well as conservation farming skills.
Alongside many other parents in the village, Catherine was having difficulty accessing a school for her children. The schools available were far from where they lived, which meant a dangerous and tiring journey for the children, and much anxiety for parents.
One night, Catherine had an idea, Why not open a school in our village on the land that my husband and I own? Catherine was convinced that this would fill the gap and solve a problem affecting many families in the village. She told her husband her idea:
The first time I shared my idea with my husband, his response was a BIG NO. However, I didn’t give up, with the mindset training fresh in my mind I realised perseverance was key. I tried again but this time I collected all the required information and presented it to my husband again showing him how we could start small and build slowly. I pointed to the mango tree in our compound suggested we start with that as a shade then grow from there. My husband finally agreed. I mobilised parents in my village who bought into my idea and were willing to trust me with their children. Thus began the birth of my dream, opening a school from under a mango tree
Members of the community pulled together to make the school a reality, clearing the bushes and preparing the land. Shortly after this, the first term of the brand new village school began.
As the number of children grew, Catherine faced some challenges, especially with heavy rains and extreme heat. To address this, the community built their first grass thatched hut, with materials contributed by parents. “There is power in unity indeed” says Catherine. From the financial contributions made by the parents Catherine and her husband, who has been very supportive of the venture, were able to construct one block comprising of three classrooms made of burnt bricks and a tin roof.

Today, the school has over 70 pupils and more still are registering.
Together, Catherine and her husband farm and have an agricultural business through which they have managed to raise money to pay the teachers and continue supporting the construction of the school.

Catherine says,
“Thank you, Amigos, for the huge role you have played in this journey, I now see what other people in my village could not see.”