We found this school in a deprived suburb of Mombasa and decided to bring out resources and paint the walls. In the event we set up our own school with 17 children and two teachers in two classrooms in another school.
We grew to 35 young children and three teachers and changed buildings.
When the school started we did not have a clear plan of what we would do. We saw children in need of help, knew we had skills to offer but had no knowledge of Africa or its culture. Within a very short time we realised that the children were coming to school hungry and started a feeding programme.
We started renting this building in October 2010. It is actually four apartments with an internal corridor. Each apartment has two rooms, a toilet and a kitchen. There was of course no water in the kitchen or toilet.
In January at the start of the school year we had 100 children in four classes of 25 and five teachers. Two of the teachers were working part-time as they had other roles within the school as well.
By this time we had 175 children in classes of 25. As we only had 7 classrooms, one room being used as an office, we realised we had to move. We had been looking for larger premises but nothing suitable was available. Eventually we found a plot of land and after lengthy bureaucracy we managed to purchase it and start building.
There are lots of small private schools in the area. They have appalling premises and no resources. The two government schools have a similar problem because of overcrowding. Children are in classes of between 80 and 120. This made us realise that our next aim related to class size. We have 25 children in each class.
School is under construction but of course there is a deadline. We knew that in January 2015 we would be unable to accommodate a new class.
We were sent this photograph, my best ever Christmas present and were able to accommodate the new class. In fact four classes of children were sent over to this new building. It was a huge rush as furniture had to be transferred and the classrooms fitted out for occupancy.
The standard of education in Kenya for poor children is very low. Only 30% of 14 year olds have reached the level expected of an 8 year old (UWEZO 2017). The UN Sustainable Development Goals say that children need quality education that will make a difference. This became our next aim. Our first group of children have just taken their KCPE (Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education) and achieved a mean score of B-
Four classes of children are now being taught in the new building
It will have 12 classrooms, offices, a clinic, staffroom, toilets, kitchen and a hall.
We had to make our project sustainable for the future. We have a 99 year lease on the land and when all children are in the same building our overheads will be lower. We now have a number of young enthusiastic trustees who can continue our work in the future. We are providing quality education which is appealing to wealthier parents. If necessary in the future we shall take a few of their children into each class who will be paying realistic fees to subsidise the others. We shall let out the building to local colleges in the evening and at weekends.
Girls’ toilet block with running water from our bore hole.
Ground floor is complete. We hope to complete the upper storey this year, 2019.
Older girls from this poor community are not able to go to school when they are menstruating. Within our toilet block we have two separate toilets where these girls can go to wash themselves and their sanitary towels. They are all in school full-time now.
Children collecting lunch from the new building
Computers being used in class for teaching purposes
The school will be completed before the end of the year
Just needing a few final touches before the children return in January