Our Work
This page serves as a guide for all of past major events and is updated every few months.
Below are how the Livingston Chapter started, our progress and our accomplishments.
01
The Beginning
Every movement begins with a spark. For us, it was coffee.
In December 2023, we organized our first Coffee Drive at Livingston High School. Students and parents came together, not just for a warm drink, but for a shared purpose: raising funds to support girls’ education in Kenya.
Encouraged by the response, Ansh and Arkit led another Coffee Drive in January 2024, expanding our reach and refining the process. Each drive brought in more supporters, and more importantly, more awareness about the challenges faced by girls who don’t have equal access to education.
What we learned:
-
Community support matters.
-
Small fundraising efforts, repeated consistently, add up to real impact.
-
These early drives laid the foundation for everything we’ve built since.
02
Fundraising
Through numerous coffee drives, chats with founders and CEOs and fundraisers, the Livingston Chapter has helped raise $23,000 as of 2026. We have met with representatives from Citi Bank, State Street, State Farm and the CFO of Flutterwave.
October 15th, 2025: One of the slides showcased during Swetan Sinha's presentation of Hitaji to representatives of State Street and State Farm.
April 26th, 2025: Girls from Kanga Onditi Primary School use lemons to power lights as Hitaji Team taught about chemical reactions online
April 26th, 2025: Classroom set up for online meeting with the Kanga Onditi Primary School. Students were encouraged to work in groups and conduct each STEM kit through collaboration.
03
STEM Kits: April 2025
By March 2025, our mission had grown beyond fundraising. We wanted to directly inspire the next generation of students through education.
In partnership with the Kanga Onditi School in Kenya, the Livingston Chapter hosted its first STEM mentorship workshop through Zoom. A classroom full of students gathered together, following along as we introduced hands-on science through interactive experiments. Using simple materials, students explored concepts through activities like Lemon Batteries, learning how chemical reactions can generate electricity, and Lemon Balloons, discovering how chemical reactions can produce gas and create motion.
After watching demonstrations and learning the science behind each activity, students worked together in groups to try the experiments themselves — turning curiosity into action.
What we learned:
1) STEM becomes more meaningful when students can learn by doing.
2) Hands-on activities make science exciting, accessible, and fun.
3) Early exposure to STEM can spark curiosity for future education.
This workshop marked the beginning of what we hope becomes a lasting mentorship program for students with limited access to STEM opportunities.
April 26th, 2025: Students filled out notes and feedback form after the STEM activities. This helps the team in Livingston to understand issues with their current plan and improvements for the future.
.jpg)
05
Visiting Migori: June 2025
June 30th, 2025: Swetan Sinha teaches a group of 30 girls from 6th-8th grade about Newton's Laws of Physics. The notes session was preceded by four activities discussed in the workshop section .
During our trip to Migori, Kenya, we worked alongside the local Hitaji team to learn about the community and support programs focused on education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment.
We visited schools, hospitals, orphanages, and research institutions, gaining a deeper understanding of daily life and the challenges students and families face.
One major focus of the trip was meeting women involved in Hitaji’s microfinance program. Small groups of women receive shared loans to grow businesses such as markets, beauty shops, farming operations, and brickmaking. These programs have created real economic opportunities and maintain an impressive repayment rate.
We also participated in a community medical workshop where basic health and CPR skills were taught to local families. The event concluded with a women’s soccer tournament supported by Hitaji, showing how sports can build confidence, teamwork, and community spirit.
Another important part of the trip was visiting secondary schools and mentoring students, especially girls interested in STEM. We led hands-on science activities, introduced engineering and physics concepts, and encouraged students to pursue careers in science and technology. Despite limited resources, the students showed incredible curiosity, determination, and enthusiasm for learning.
Overall, the trip highlighted the power of education, mentorship, and community-driven programs to create lasting impact.
06
Gala
On October 18th, 2025, the Hitaji Development Initiative hosted their Golden Futures Gala. The Livingston Chapter helped fundraise, set up and organize the gala.
The first Hitaji Gala was a major success and marked an important milestone for the organization. With more than 60 attendees, the event brought together families, students, volunteers, and supporters to celebrate Hitaji’s mission and impact. Guests heard inspiring stories from students supported by the program and learned more about the organization’s work in education, mentorship, and community development. The evening featured strong youth leadership, engaging presentations, and a welcoming atmosphere created by the volunteers and event team. The gala also helped strengthen community awareness and laid the foundation for what organizers hope will become an annual tradition supporting Hitaji’s future growth.
October 18th, 2025: Hitaji Team of Volunteers at the Golden Futures Gala. Volunteers here helped in the set up (golden plates and napkins seen) as well as with the auction for wooden carved animals.
Back Row from left to right: Anya, Ansh, Swetan, Vivaan. Front Row from left to right: Tanush, Arjun and Jatin.