Inside Simwood

Team Spotlight: Where’s My Christmas Hamper?

By Parnita Nimbalkar

You might be wondering why Simwood didn’t send out Christmas hampers this year, so here’s the story. In previous years, we’ve shared festive gifts with our customers, and we know they were appreciated, but this time we chose to do something different. As many of you know, we support ChallengeAid, an organisation doing incredible work in Kenya’s slum communities where larger NGOs often don’t reach. Some of their students have even progressed to university and become national chess champions. Seeing this remarkable talent inspired us to help more children access activities like chess and realise their potential. 

With 53 schools in the programme, we donated 106 locally crafted chess sets, choosing to work directly with a local craftsman rather than sourcing them elsewhere to ensure our support had the greatest possible impact within the community. During a visit to Kenya in 2024, the warmth and kindness of the people left a lasting impression, and it’s been inspiring to see the continued progress since.

At Billian’s (Simwood School of Hope), the team has been expanding chess opportunities across Mathare, recently training 19 young people as coaches and preparing to launch 10 chess clubs alongside a community tournament planned for April. Beyond chess, the school continues to support children through revision sessions, mentorship, football tournaments promoting positive life choices, music and performing arts programmes, and ongoing therapy support for children with special needs. So while there may not have been a hamper this year, it has instead been transformed into a chessboard and 32 pieces, helping inspire thousands of children across Africa.