Destiny Garden School (DGS), founded in May 2009, is a charity school providing children from ages 4 to 15 years old with a good education. It is located in Mtongwe, one of the poorest suburbs of the Likoni sub-county, Mombasa. The school has children from Nursery, Pre-primary 1 and pre-primary 2 classes, to Primary level from Grade 1 to 6, together with a Junior School level from Grade 7 to 9.
Destiny Garden School is situated in Mtongwe, one of the poorest suburbs of Mombasa, on Kenya’s coast. The school opened in May 2009 with 160 children and 7 classes and now has over 450 children and 12 classes all with qualified teachers, providing deprived children with a good education.
Some of the children are orphans living with extended families and a few are HIV positive. Many families in this area struggle to make ends meet where regular work in the area is hard to secure.
DGS Staff & Classes
Classes at DGS
The aim at Destiny Garden School is to keep the classes small, no more than 30 children, to ensure that each and every child gets the attention they need to develop their full potential. At present, the classes at the school go from Nursery Class to PP1 and PP2 (Pre-Primary) and then Grade 1 to 9 classes.
Pre-Primary Class 2 – December 2021
Class photos were taken in December 2021 – see this link for the other class photos.
The ages range from 2 ½ year olds to 14 year olds, although there are older children as the classes aren’t necessarily age related; some of the children have never been to school before, so they are classed according to their level of education. At present Destiny Garden School has 12 teachers who are all fully qualified and are dedicated to the welfare of the youngsters.
The Staff at Destiny Garden School
Destiny Garden School currently employs a School Manager, an Administrator, 12 qualified teachers, 2 cooks, a cleaner, a day security guard and a night security guard.
Jacob Boaz Muoga is the Director of Destiny Garden School. He also coordinates the fund raising and looks after all the volunteers.
Brenda Ongola is the Sponsorship Director.
Boaz Muoga is the School Manager of Destiny Garden School and also assists in the sponsorship programme.
Kenyan Educational Information
Educational Structure in Kenya
The following is the new 2-6-3-3-3 system
Pre-Primary School (2 Years)
Pre-Primary 1 – 4 years old
Pre-Primary 2 – 5 years old
Lower Primary (3 Years)
Grade 1 – 6 years
Grade 2 – 7 years
Grade 3 – 8 years
Upper Primary (3 Years)
Grade 4 – 9 years
Grade 5 – 10 years
Grade 6 – 11 years
Junior Secondary (3 Years)
Grade 7 – 12 years
Grade 8 – 13 years
Grade 9 – 14 years
Senior Secondary (3 Years)
Grade 10 – 15 years
Grade 11 – 16 years
Grade 12 – 17 years
University (3 Years)
3 years 18 – 20 years.
Please Note:
- Pupils must pass the KCPE Certificate (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) to go on to Secondary School
- Pupils must pass with A or B+ to go on to further education – i.e. University or College
- Above is the new Kenyan education structure and the transition to this will not be complete until December 2023.
- The current grade 8 class will be taking the KCPE exams March 2022. The current Grade 7 will take the KCPE exams in December 2023.
- The 2022 grade 6 class will be the first class to transition onto Junior Secondary in January 2023
- Due to the pandemic the school year has had to be adjusted but it will revert back to January to December in 2023 provided there are no serious disruptions in 2022.
The School Year
In Kenya the School year is from January to December and the official 2025 school dates for government schools are as follows.
- Term 1 – 6th January to 4th April 2025 (half term 26th February – 3rd March)
- Term 2 – 28th April to 1st August 2025 (half term 25th June to 29th June)
- Term 3 – 25th August to 24th October 2025 (no half term)
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) examinations take place from 27th October to 30th October.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams will run from 3rd November to 21st November.
The long December holiday that will run from 27th October 2025 to 2nd January 2026.
Kenyan Public Holidays
January 1st – New Years Day
March 29 – Good Friday (varies as per UK)
1 April – Easter Monday (varies as per UK)
May 1 – Labour Day
June 1 – Madaraka Day
August 30 – Idd ul Fitr/Idd basara (End of Ramadan)
October 20 – Mashujaa Day (Heroes Day)
December 12 – Jamhuri Day (Independance Day)
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 26 – Boxing Day
DGS Newsletters and Archives
More information coming soon.
Volunteering at DGS
Volunteers are encouraged to work at Destiny Garden School. They not only gain valuable life experiences but also benefit the school with their help, different ideas and cultures.
Volunteering direct with Destiny Garden School cuts out the often large administration fees charged by volunteering organizations, whose overheads are high. The school is directed and managed by Jacob, who is a qualified and experienced businessman and also the founder of Destiny Garden School. He holds the welfare and education of the children uppermost and his vision is ‘to get the children out of their poverty trap through education.’ Volunteers at Destiny Garden School are looked after by Jacob and his team to ensure that their stay is comfortable and safe, and that they have a rewarding experience. Working in Mombasa will give you the opportunity to experience Kenya, one of the most scenic countries in Africa – and you can take weekend breaks to visit one of the spectacular Game Reserves or just relax on one of the many beaches.
For more details of the volunteer programme, please see the following questions and answers, or email info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk
You can read the comments some of our past volunteers have made on our Volunteer Reviews page.
Volunteer Kathy who has worked at the school on a number of occasions.
