In 2001, there were no PRESCHOOLS in north eastern Samburu. Today, Thorn Tree Project funds and advises 11 community-run nomadic PRESCHOOLS

The Thorn Tree Project began by raising money to help the Samburu start a series of preschools in the outlying nomadic communities that would allow parents and children to experience the benefits of schooling firsthand.

Finding a location for the preschools was easy. The community identified the largest, shadiest thorn tree in the area, and propped a blackboard up against the tree trunk. 

Sponsoring a preschool costs $1,000 per year. To sponsor a preschool please contact info@thorntreeproject.org

An active committee of Samburu men and women are elected by their community to manage each local preschool. Each elected committee selects a person to cook for the students at each school. Understanding the compelling evidence that malnutrition has profoundly damaging consequences for children, The Thorn Tree Project provides food for the students and pays the salaries of the cooks and teachers.

In the early years the teacher was most often a warrior with just a few years of schooling himself. Nowadays almost all of the teachers have ECD diplomas, many of them the Thorn Tree Project alumni. The learners are taught basic numeracy skills and the alphabet. They learn songs, colors, shapes and begin developing the skills necessary for continuing on to elementary school. 

The first few preschools opened in 2002, giving the local parents an idea of how the schools would operate. Parents were able to see that the children were acquiring new skills and they were happy learning: mothers were thrilled to see their young children able to write their names.

By the end of the the year the students who were 6 years old were ready for grade school and were looking forward to becoming boarding students so they could continue learning. These children were the first in their families  to ever attend school.

Generous Thorn Tree supporters in the US and Europe "sponsor" a preschool by covering the annual $1,000 cost per school.