Pendo International Projects
Venture Overview
Pendo establishes private early childhood education (ECE) schools and equips existing ECE businesses in low-income communities with the skills, support, and resources needed to provide high-quality, affordable early childhood education. Founder Ciro Muiruri is a social entrepreneur and early childhood educator who began her career in Kenya helping establish the first early childhood school exclusively serving deaf children in Kibera. Through Pendo School Kenya and cross-continental leadership between Canada and Kenya, she champions equitable education access for children across Africa.
Website: www.pendointl.org/
Venture Issue Area: Education & Talent
Venture Headquarters: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Venture Founder
Ciro Muiruri is the Founder and Executive Director of Pendo International Projects. She provides leadership to the organization’s Canadian and Kenyan teams, supports strategy realization, and engages with external stakeholders. She is a champion for the advancement of early childhood education and believes that more must be done to change the trajectory of 400 million children living in Africa right now through quality, affordable and equitable education. Among other things, Ciro is a social entrepreneur, early childhood educator, and community developer.
She began her career in affordable Education in 2006 while working for an international organization in Kenya, where she helped establish the first early childhood school exclusively serving deaf children in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum. In 2009, she leveraged her experiences to transition to social entrepreneurship by establishing a private Montessori school outside of Nairobi. In 2019 Ciro established Pendo International Projects and launched the organization’s first initiative - Pendo School Kenya. Ciro is also a highly sought-after Speaker, human rights activist, and refugee advocate, and serves as a board member in different organizations in Kenya and Canada.
