This Nursery School is in Kibera shanty slum, Nairobi where 1.2 million people live in
about 9 - 10 square miles in appalling conditions with no mains
drainage, clean water, electricity, etc. The school started in June 1997 and is progressing well.
There are now 79 children in the Nursery itself and a further 120 children being sponsored in Primary
Schools. 4 children are now in secondary schools.
The nursery children have breakfast, and at midday they are joined by
all the primary school children for a hot dinner - all the children are
showing a marked improvement in health and ability and no longer leave
school to search for food at lunchtime.
The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is such that the 35 new children in the Baby
Class are all AIDS orphans. Their needs increase as more parents die and
their siblings, who may be as young as 12 years, or elderly grandmothers
with no income, care for the children. A group of children's carers has
started to learn how to sew and knit with a view to setting up in business
making school uniforms for local nurseries and schools.
A micro-finance scheme is working well with several HIV+ve mothers
running small businesses.
This photo shows Bill and Joy Murphy with John Njenga the social worker at the school.
A Saturday Club is run at the Nursery School. It is for all the children and they have games, Christian
teaching and food. Additionally, during the school holidays and from Monday through to Friday, 150
children are being fed at the Nursery compound.