SUED Stichting Understanding, Education & Development
  • Gilgil, Nakuru
  • info@thesued.org
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About Us

Where It All Began

From the Start

SUED began with a simple but powerful idea: children need more than textbooks to become confident, capable, and well-rounded individuals. In 2016, SUED began by supplementing course books in schools with storybooks. Hardly does one find a child who has a book outside the mainstream curriculum to read and expand their knowledge. Our goal was to see every child owning a book they can call their own. This was to encourage them to read beyond the classroom, develop a love for learning, and strengthen literacy through engaging stories.

As our work grew, we began to recognize a deeper challenge, not only in children, but across society: the erosion and underappreciation of positive moral values. Too often, the conversation stays on what's going wrong, without asking what it would take to go right. We believe that answer starts with values — and with the next generation. When children grow up competent and resilient, rooted in strong values, they don't just get through challenges; they become the ones who help others steer through them.

We recognize that literacy is a powerful pathway to shaping character. Stories do more than teach children to read; they teach them how to live, make responsible choices, care for others, and become positive members of society. SUED therefore deliberately began championing moral values through storytelling, developing and promoting storybooks that embed lessons on integrity, respect, responsibility, compassion, honesty, resilience and other values that contribute to healthy families and communities.

Values became the heartbeat of SUED. Today, our commitment to values-based transformation extends beyond storybooks. Through our programmes, we seek to recognize, celebrate and reinforce positive behaviour change, giving children and communities opportunities to demonstrate that values are not simply taught; they are lived. We believe that a child who learns to read gains knowledge; a child who learns values makes positive choices; and a child who lives those values becomes a change maker.

Our transformative dream

This is the foundation upon which SUED continues to build its transformational dream: To nurture a generation of change makers with children who are competent and resilient to face challenges, who are reliable global citizens who appreciate values and contribute to a healthy society and a healthy environment.

Our Approach.

Our tailor-made program promotes and nurtures values among learners. Values are the foundation for molding the youth and aiding them in adapting to changing circumstances. It promotes tolerance and understanding above and beyond political, cultural, and religious differences. It also puts special emphasis on the defense of children's rights, the protection of (ethnic) minorities, the most vulnerable groups, and the environment. The entry point of our activities is always to collaborate with the schools.

In our approach we partner with the schools to address challenges and create opportunities. Our activities contain four themes based on the context, challenges, and population of the school. Our approach embraces partnerships with local schools as a foundation for our work in the communities. SUED tailors activities in four strategic areas based on population, context, challenges and opportunities for communities to thrive.