Unfortunately, the collective now referred to as non-formal schools, doesn’t attract government support, although they are exempt from meeting the minimum requirements. If the government’s requirements were to be enforced on non-formal schools, most would close and 2.6 million children nationally would be without access to education.
Even though the four schools are close-by each other,each was individually established with its own history and distinctiveness. The support we give to each may vary with their individual needs, but we provide a hot meal for every child in all four schools, every day. Please click on the titles below to find out more about each of the schools.
Lindacare Educational Centre started in 2005 providing daycare with two babies of mothers that needed to go out in the day looking for casual jobs to put food on their tables.
Caroline Akinyi Wadunga, the founding Director of Lindacare, built the first room made of iron sheets bought with a foreign well-wisher’s donation in 2009. The current school building, composed of a two-level hall that is usually subdivided with temporary movable boards caters for 42 children. Lindacare has 3 teachers and a cook, who are all carers first.
In 2010 Lindacare decided to specialize as an Early Childhood Development (ECD) school, which translates to the first two pre-primary years in the new system. Caroline is passionate about providing a secure place for working mothers to leave their children as a response to the neglect and abuse of ‘left children’ in Kibera. To the school’s credit, records show an above average performance-curve having sustained over the last academic year.
Cana Junior Children’s Centre works hand in hand with the community in making sure that no child misses out in creating a sustainable and secured future.
This was Mrs. Martha Auma’s vision when she started Cana in 2007 as a Daycare Centre, with three 2 year old children. She started the school in her slum house, later seeking accommodation at a well-wisher’s local church as it grew. In 2016, after an incident of arson the school room and church space were rebuilt. An upper level was added to house 6 classrooms and an office/staffroom. Cana educates a full range primary school with 100 children spread from Grade One to Standard Eight, taught by 6 teachers.
The year 2016 highlighted its first class eight sitting the KCPE examination with a highest score of 250 out of a maximum 500 marks. For the KCPE examination, Cana partners with the nearest public school, Olympic Primary School to form a joint class.
Giftedhands Educational Centre was founded in 2008 by the current director, Jane Aluvisia with six pupils (pre-scholars), four teachers in a two-room set.
In 2009, Kanzi facilitated a mission by young men from Manchester that built eight classrooms from timber and iron-sheets. The school now comprises 12 classrooms, staffroom, office Kitchen, 5 toilets and a storeroom. With the space they have compared to other slum schools, Giftedhands is looking to expand its population from a current 320 to 500 by 2022. The school has a staff of 11 teachers, a manager, a caretaker and a cook.
Giftedhands Educational Centre, as the largest of the four Kanzi supported schools, plays a significant role in building collaboration amongst the Kanzi-supported schools. At times, when bidding for government relief food and other such resources, Kanzi-supported schools only qualify for help when they deliver a joint application. There is also collaboration between the schools for activities such as on-site teacher training, sharing resources and holiday activities, often utilizing these larger premises.
Fruitful Talent Centre is an integral preparatory facility that aims at providing education as well as offering a home for orphaned children.
Fruitful was started in 2007 by Lornah Miraho, fondly known as ‘Shosho’ (Grandmother), during the post-election violence in Kenya that left many Kibera children parentless. Propelled by this very emotive situation, Shosho’s vision was to see the orphans, not only housed, but educated and also mentored in their various talents to achieve their dreams.
Fruitful’s facility consists of; one hall as the learning space which is subdivided with moveable boards into 5 class spaces, 2 dormitories with a total of 6 bunk beds. The school facilitates a complex population of 70 children with 7 teachers; complex because, 70 represents the average attendance of daily school, yet, Fruitful also has 20 orphans that call the centre home.
Under their circumstances, Fruitful’s performance is encouraging, as they have consistently attained above average marks over the years. In addition to relying on gifts and donations from various sources, Shosho is skilled in the making of beaded artifacts, which she sells to raise funds. Some of the children and staff also participate in this trade to supplement the school/home’s budget.
