October 2025
3 October 2025
Dear Pharo Family and Friends,
September has been a month of momentum across our schools, ventures and global partnerships. The big news comes from our schools: early exam results are deeply encouraging. In Ethiopia, Homosha and Assosa again achieved region-leading averages, with several Homosha girls featured on national television. In Somaliland, the content-mapping and teacher-upskilling programme is bearing fruit at Sheikh, and in Rwanda, Pharo School Kigali passed 250 students for the first time.
We are thrilled to welcome Nkazimulo Moyo as our new Director of Pharo Schools, joining from SPARK Schools in South Africa, just as the new Assosa school compound opened on 22 September. Across Ventures there has been encouraging commercial traction, and our investment into the healthcare sector in Ethiopia, spearheaded by Dr Edward Rukwaro, has been approved.
Much of the month has been spent preparing to host Guillaume, our trustees and Pharo Management partners for a multi-country tour. Q3 has been a quarter of operational excellence delivered; the challenge now is to sustain that pace into Q4.
Onwards, Tom Mason, CEO, Pharo Foundation
Architecture and affordable housing in East Africa
In Somaliland, thousands own land but few can build on it. Pharo Ventures is exploring innovative approaches that could reshape Somaliland’s housing landscape.
How to repeat a miracle: Homosha’s value added
By Francesca Beausang. A standout school adds value regardless of intake. Homosha achieved outstanding results despite 51% of pupils joining with exam scores below 50%.
Assosa’s exam results
Grade 6 students achieved a 99% pass rate in regional exams and every Grade 8 student passed the national examination. One Assosa girl scored the highest average in Benishangul-Gumuz, with 6 of the region’s top 10 from the school.