by Craig Hammon, KCEF Board Chair
As summer ends and a new academic year begins here, I wanted to reaffirm what a difference your prayers and support are making for our children in Kenya, where it has been a hard and challenging year.
Former site of Gospel Victory Academy
The year began with runaway inflation doubling prices for many staples. Then very heavy rains came, destroying crops and displacing over 200,000 people. The rains brought serious flooding in many places, especially the Mathare slum outside Nairobi, where the Gospel Victory Academy, a KCEF partner, was literally washed away.
In the midst of these already trying times, the government decided to pass legislation for new and higher taxes on basic goods, resulting in protests and riots across the country. Business were disrupted and schools were closed in fits and starts. The protests were so strong, Kenya’s president was forced to withdraw his proposal for the new taxes, at least for now.
All of this has had a profound impact on our KCEF partner schools, not least because economic disruption always has the greatest impact on the poor, the vulnerable, and those on the margins. Families of the children in our schools are struggling just to buy food and basic necessities, and many are unable to find the funds to pay school fees, though they are modest.
The third term of the 2024 school year has just begun in Kenya, and all of our schools are off to a great start, with higher enrollments and strengthened programs. But all of them also face the challenge of serving many families unable to pay even partial fees. One option is to send these children home until their families can pay, but that would mean disrupting their education and dashing their hopes for their futures.
While we have encouraged schools to work with parents as best they can to collect as much fee income as possible, we know we must step in with more scholarship assistance at this critical time. So we are committed to increasing our support for all our schools in order to keep the kids in school and make sure their teachers are paid. Despite significant challenges, this is a very positive and exciting time for our KCEF schools and programs:
- Although Gospel Victory Academy had to abandon their destroyed property, they have found a new and better space to rent in Mathare, a space with greater security and a large playing field next door
- New libraries (a first) are being established at all schools
- Our Kenyan consultants, Bluesparks, are working hard to help all schools grow and thrive and improve their impact on student learning
- The vocational training program in Kiandutu has enrolled over 90 students in five different programs, including the new auto mechanics course. These much in demand programs offer lifelines to 18-25 year-olds
- In another promising development, we have added Saint Catherine’s in Kiandutu slum as a new partner school. They have strong leadership, committed teachers and 370 students. They also have great need for our partnership and support.
Saint Catherine’s School
We need to make sure that no child is turned away because of lack of funds, so we are asking for your help in meeting our commitment to stand with the schools, the children, and their families. Will you please consider joining us at this urgent time?