Kwa Njenga Primary School

Before...

Kwa Njenga, a Catholic primary school in the Mukuru parish of Nairobi, Kenya is Childaid's longest running project. Mukuru is in the heart of the slum area of Nairobi. And while to many people, these slums are deplorable to those who live there, this is HOME, and they cherish and fight for the right to have a roof over their heads.

Childaid has been involved with the school since 1999 when there were approximately 600 children enrolled. At that time the classrooms were no more than huts, put together with bits of wood and whatever else was available. There were no floors and the open sewers, which ran adjacent to the property, overflowed in the rainy season, flooding the classrooms causing disease and sickness amongst the children.

Childaid, with the help of Kilimanjaro Trekkers, Donators and the Irish Government initiated a programme to rebuild the school with adequate classrooms, toilets and a kitchen, which enabled the school to offer a hot meal to pupils. As for many of the children the meal they received in school was the only nourishment they got on any given day, this has proved a major attraction to local families.

With the initial improvements demand grew for access to the school, so Childiad has continually expanded the facility, building further classrooms and providing additional equipment as necessary. The number of children receiving primary education in a clean, healthy environment now stands at over 2,000, and Childaid are exploring the idea of a secondary school for the area.

Kwa Njenga school was dedicated to the memory of Childaid founder member John Lucey following his untimely death.

After...