The History of the International African School
The International African School started because a mother was worried.
As a mother, I felt my children weren’t getting enough of our culture, history, language, or an African perspective at school. I kept wondering: How can our children know who they are if their education doesn’t show them where they come from?
That question turned into an idea. Even though I didn’t have a full plan, a team, resources, or know exactly what I needed, I chose to take action. I jumped in, just like someone diving into a pool without knowing how to swim. I didn’t know everything I needed. I made guesses and didn’t realize how hard it would be. But I had something better than a perfect plan: I believed in the idea and knew our children deserved more. So I started.
The first challenge came fast: How would I find the resources to teach our children what I wanted them to learn? There were hardly any materials that brought African languages, histories, stories, and cultures into the classroom the way I imagined. Instead of waiting for someone else, I chose to make these resources myself.
I put my Swahili language classes on hold and focused on writing grammar books for Swahili as a second language. It was a tough process. I had few resources, no publishing support, and no promise that anyone would read the books. But I kept going. In time, Books 1 and 2 were published in English, Dutch, and French.
That experience taught me something important: if the resources you need aren’t there, sometimes you have to be the one to make them.
After that, I started exploring my community’s cultural heritage more deeply. I began collecting and writing down Luhya folktales, realizing that stories could be powerful tools for learning.
Stories are magical for children. They take them to places they have never visited. They introduce them to people they have never met. They allow them to experience history, values, humor, wisdom, imagination, and identity in ways that textbooks alone cannot.
I wanted children to explore Africa through stories, not stereotypes, but through the voices, experiences, traditions, and imagination of its people. Tales proved an invaluable resource in developing my Discovering Africa program
What began as simple Swahili language lessons has grown into much more. The International African School is now a place for language learning, cultural education, storytelling, heritage preservation, cultural exchange, and hands-on learning.
Today, IAS is working with institutions like the University of Eldoret, Mapping Colonial History (MCH), and Kinara Park Kids. These partnerships show how far the idea has come and how much further it can go.
When I look back, I remember how it all started: one mother, one worry, and a willingness to jump in without knowing how deep the water was.
What began as a reaction to the lack of African perspectives in my children’s education has grown into a movement that is now part of a bigger wave of educational and cultural projects. That is the beauty of the journey.
The International African School didn’t start with a big institution, a large budget, or a detailed plan. It started with a question, a mother’s determination, and faith.
Now, that first small stream is joining with others. We’re learning from each other, working together, growing, and becoming stronger as a group. The journey is still going.
I continue to believe that our children deserve an education that helps them know not just what they can become, but also who they are and where they come from.
The journey that began with one mother refusing to accept “not enough” is now becoming a stronger place for African languages, cultures, identities, education, and connection.
Odilia Anyachi Okonga
