After official founding in September 2002, Kijana’s first major school investments took place in the fall of 2003. Ebusiloli Secondary and Primary School’s were the first recipients of major investments. They had also received significant support from 1998-2001 (during the pre-Kijana Benjamin cross-country runathon fundraiser era).  Kijana funded several infrastructure projects, including improving floors, walls, classrooms, painting classrooms, acquiring books, paying for teachers salaries and more.

In 2004 and 2005, several primary schools, including Essaba, Ebukuya, Esirulo, and Mumboha were the beneficiaries of our first area expansion. In 2005 to 2006, Kijana founder, James P. Cummings was introduced to the Mwituha community and their needs. Mwituha had the remains of a defunct secondary school. Students were walking more than two hours each way to attend Ebusiloli Secondary School. We embarked upon the mission of restoring Mwituha so students could have a school near their home. Over the course of the next six years, Kijana invested annually in Mwituha, building classrooms, an administration building,  a science laboratory and ultimately a unique combination library and amphitheater. Mwituha has been a self-sustaining institution for many years now, enrolling over 500 students annually and sending students to the Kenyan university system annually for quite some time. 

After Mwituha, we moved to building a similar library and amphitheater at Lwanda Secondary School, in Nyanza province in an effort to expand beyond western province. Over the course of a few years, Kijana raised the money and constructed a library and amphitheater at the school. Additionally, Kijana shipped over and donated many books to the school library. 

Also over the course of several years, Kijana collaborated with PeaceOneDay and organized Peace Day events at several schools. 

Kijana also developed many collaborations with schools in the United States through pen-pal initiatives and other endeavors. Students in the Upper and Lower schools at The Benjamin School wrote letters to their global peers in Kenya and students from the schools wrote to them. Freshman world history students at Newburyport High School in Newburyport MA undertook a similar initiative, writing to students at Ebusiloli Secondary School. The Newburyport students also initiated a “Kash for Kenya” drive, raising several hundred dollars to assist students in Kenya.

In 2010-2011, Kijana organized a cross-cultural water education project connecting students from the Benjamin School, in North Palm Beach, FL with students from three schools in Kenya, Ebusiloli, Mwituha and Essaba.  The program was developed by former Benjamin student, and Kijana volunteer, David Watterson. Mr. Watterson developed the program as part of his capstone project at The Clinton School, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He had also been a participant in a month-long expedition to South Africa, with Kijana President James P. Cummings and others in 2003, while Cummings was teaching at The Benjamin School. Cummings has also orchestrated the visits of over 70 Americans to western Kenya and the schools connected to Kijana.

2019/2020 marked the beginning of a new era for Kijana.  In the fall of 2019, Kijana broke ground on the development of the Kijana Global Innovation School in Mulusi Village, near the town of Sabatia-Butere. This was after we began a new capital campaign and several major donors stepped up with major gifts allowing us to begin the next chapter. By January 2020, we had the skeletal structures of a five classroom block of classrooms and an administration building, toilets and a small playground. Fifteen students joined us in the opening of the school that January of 2020.  Five teachers (including a principal, Mr. Simeon Buluku), served as founding faculty members. 

Since that time, we have added a second block of five classrooms, a kitchen, more toilets, a two-story junior secondary building, solar power, significant beautification and resource development of the classrooms and buildings, expanded the garden, and much more.

We have developed a unique learning environment, as well as several powerful exploratory experiences, which allow for students to advance their skills and develop collaboration and creativity. We have implemented and are moving forward with programs involving music, the arts, karate, agriculture, STEM and STEAM, and have a very unique “Care, Share and Explore program (see on other parts of the website), which allows for student exploration of the environment, including visiting far-away national parks, an island in Lake Victoria, Kakamega Forest, Nakuru National Park, and areas of central Kenya. Furthermore, activities involving team building and character development have been instilled as well. 

As of October 2023, 183 students learn at the school and the teaching faculty (19) and staff has grown to over 35. Numerous international visitors have traveled to Kenya and to the school to volunteer and explore with our students and faculty members. Kijana, the school programs, and Kijana President, James P. Cummings, have won several awards in the last few years with the school’s development. The Kijana Global Innovation School, with the addition of the junior secondary building, has a capacity for more than 350 students as 2024 approaches.