As we celebrated the grand opening of our new buildings at Canopy Life Academy in Kenya, we were reminded once again that none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you for the role you have played in turning this dream into reality.
Because of your generosity, our campus now includes two new student residences and a new academic building—facilities that will allow us to register as a high school and significantly expand our impact. What we once thought would double our capacity is now positioning us to nearly triple it, serving more than 90 students in the years ahead.
Here you’ll find videos, photos, and speeches from the grand opening, along with images that capture the transformation of our campus. We hope you return to them often as a reminder of the lasting impact you have made—not only on these buildings, but on the lives of the students who will learn, grow, and lead within them.
Thank you for helping Canopy Life empower vulnerable children in Kenya to become godly, innovative leaders who create businesses, solve problems, and help lift others out of poverty.
Our students performed a poem entitled “Thank you, Lord, for This Far”.
Chase and Emily Brown spoke to the gathering on behalf of our donor community. Rachel Nduta spoke on behalf of the Kenyan board. And Stephen Kimani spoke on behalf of the Kenya leadership and staff.
Amongst the speeches, I (Christi) also was able to share with my heart, and as I spoke mostly to you as donors, I wanted to share my speech here:
Bwana sifiwe
Today is a day of gratitude.
As I stand here looking at these buildings, I am overwhelmed by how many people made this moment possible.
First, we thank God.
Every good gift comes from Him.
Long before there were blueprints, construction schedules, or fundraising campaigns, there was a burden in the heart of God for the children who would one day call this place home.
Time and again, when WE could not see the way forward, He faithfully provided one step at a time. These buildings are not ultimately a testimony to what we have accomplished. They are a testimony to the faithfulness of God.
I want to thank the incredible team who helped bring this vision to life.
To EDG Atelier, thank you for helping us dream beyond simple buildings and create spaces of beauty, dignity, and possibility.
To Eric Hagman and the construction team, thank you for your leadership, your patience, and your commitment to excellence.
And to the hundreds of workers who have labored on this campus over the past year—masons, welders, painters, electricians, carpenters, landscapers, and laborers—thank you.
You have not simply built walls and roofs. You have used your gifts and skills to create a place where young people will be formed, challenged, healed, and prepared for the future. Your work matters, and we are deeply grateful.
I also want to thank the more than 100 families, individuals, churches, and organizations who gave sacrificially to make this expansion possible.
You believed in something you could not yet see.
You believed that the next generation of leaders in Kenya is worth investing in.
You believed that young people from rural communities can become godly, emotionally healthy, innovative, and relationally rooted leaders.
You believed that leadership changes families, and communities, and nations.
You believed in these students.
And because of your generosity, they now have a place designed specifically for their growth and flourishing.
At Canopy Life, we believe that environments shape people.
They shape how we think, how we learn, how we dream, and how we see ourselves.
When a child walks into a beautiful classroom, sleeps in a safe and dignified home, studies in spaces designed for curiosity and creativity, they receive a message:
“You matter.”
“You belong.”
“Your future is worth investing in.”
These buildings are not the mission.
They are TOOLS for the mission.
The mission is the young people who will live, laugh, worship, wrestle with difficult questions, discover their gifts, and learn to serve others within these walls.
The mission is raising leaders who love God deeply, think critically, care for people well, and create solutions to the challenges facing their communities.
The mission is seeing young men and women become agents of transformation throughout Kenya and across Africa.
As many have said, the twenty-first century may well be Africa’s century. If that is true, then the question before us is: What kind of leaders will shape that future?
Today, we celebrate because we believe the answer is being formed right here.
Not just in these buildings, but in the lives of the students who will fill them.
So as we dedicate these facilities, let us dedicate ourselves once again to the work they represent.
May these classrooms be places of discovery.
May these homes be places of belonging.
May this campus be a place of beauty.
May generations of young leaders encounter God here and leave prepared to transform the world around them.
And may all the glory belong to Him.
Thank you.
Our new campus is radiant and is seen especially well from the top of the new water tower which will service the school and local community. What was once just two buildings on empty land is now a robust and lively campus, brimming with possibilities… thanks to you and your generosity.