St. Francis Moto Hope Center and Academy was founded by Fr. Francis Kabiru on January 3rd, 2012. It is the brainchild of Moto Hope Mission Inc. (MHM) a Minnesota-based non-profit, charitable organization, and Moto Hope Mission-Kenya a separate non-profit organization in Kenya. Fr. Francis’ first-hand knowledge of the impact of education in Kenya and his deep-seated love for his native people spurred in him a burning desire to bring these two teams to work together to start the Center. St. Francis Moto Hope Center and Academy is located in a serene and conducive learning environment 150 miles northwest of Nairobi in the Molo (Moto) region of Kenya. This is where Rev. Francis, its founder was born and raised.
Fr. Francis, a Catholic priest who ministers in Duluth-Minnesota, grew up in a family of 12 in Moto Village, Kenya, where St. Francis Moto Hope Center and School Academy is located. As a Kenyan youth, Francis was exposed first-hand to the realities of a good education. His father was a teacher, and his mother was extremely supportive. His whole family was well aware of the immense value of a good education and community empowerment. Fr. Francis was guided by his desire to save the school-going pupils from walking so many kilometers away to access the public school (Moto Primary) he and his siblings and friends attended back in his Primary school-going days. He purposed to start a school closer home to provide quality holistic education to the children of Moto and its environs.
On a trip to Florida in February 2011 Fr. Francis with a dear family friend Sandy Baldwin pondered on their passion in life; reaching out and empowering others. An urgent urge to act on the said passion grew irresistibly stronger. As they savored the breathtaking horizon of the Pacific Ocean in the rich warmth of Florida's February away from cold Minnesota, they put their vision into action. They rolled out plans to start fundraising with the noble intention of making a difference in the lives of the wonderful people of Kenya.
Sandy who had initially made several trips to Kenya and Tanzania had a deep understanding of just how vital empowering the people of Africa is. She is a wearer of many hats; she is a retired teacher, loving mom and grandma from St. Cloud, and the able co-founder of Moto Hope Mission Inc. Fr. Francis and Sandy enjoy the unwavering support of strong, qualified, and cooperative volunteer board members. They have worked very hard and realized the commendable success of the St. Francis Moto Hope Center and Academy.
The school began with just 3 students in nursery and two teachers and continues to grow at a very impressive rate. The current student population stands at 401. To help students to focus better on their studies and provide a warmer and more conducive environment for them, modern dormitories were constructed for both Primary School and Junior Secondary. In its current state, our center of excellence prides itself in quality and standard facilities, administration, teaching, and nonteaching staff that enable it to meet all the emotional, physical, creative, and intellectual needs of all students.