When the Fon returned home after years of study and public service, he was shocked by what he saw. The classrooms where children spent their days were in terrible shape. Rain poured through broken roofs. Cracked walls leaned dangerously. Many pupils sat on the floor because there were not enough benches.

He told his council, “A kingdom that cannot educate its young people has no future. This must change.”

The Current Situation

The Mbatu Kingdom has only one government primary school and a secondary technical school that has never been used and is now overgrown by bushes. Over the past ten years, more children have enrolled, but the school buildings have not been improved.

A 2024 survey by the palace secretariat found:

• Two out of five classrooms are unsafe to use.
• One classroom holds 68 pupils but has only 12 desks.
• There are no working toilets or latrines.
• A roof collapsed during the 2023 rainy season, forcing classes to move to the community hall.

The teachers work hard every day, even though they are underpaid and lack support. Their dedication is inspiring, but they cannot fix the buildings themselves. Children need safe, strong classrooms to learn well.

What We Are Asking For

The palace, together with community leaders and Mbatu people living abroad, has started an education appeal. The goals are clear and the costs have been carefully calculated:

1. Rebuild and re-roof Class 6 and Class 7 — $7,000
2. Install latrines and handwashing stations for all pupils — $4,500
3. Provide 200 desks and benches — $4,800
4. Create a school materials fund for textbooks and stationery — $2,000
5. Start a teacher support bursary — $3,600 per year

Total Phase 1 Goal: $21,900

How You Can Help

You can support this effort through the palace’s GoFundMe campaign or by contacting the secretariat directly for larger donations. Every contribution—big or small—makes a real difference and can be traced to a specific project.

You can also help by shopping on this website. Twenty percent of all merchandise sales go directly to the education fund.

As the Fon has said, “When you buy a hoodie or a tote bag with our kingdom’s emblem, you are putting a desk in a child’s classroom. You are putting a roof over a child’s head. That is not a small thing.”

If you want to donate or partner with the palace on education projects, please use the Contact section of this site or visit the GoFundMe link in our Support section.