Feed 300 poor children in urban Mombasa

In our school in Mombasa the Mustard Seed Project (MSP) continues to provide porreidge for our children as they arrive and then a balanced midday meal. Consequently our children are healthy and ready to learn. The hard work of our staff ensure that our National exam results are godd, giving our children the chance of a better future. Our families may be poor but they value education and are very keen for their children to have the chance to escape from poverty.. Parents who are able to do so pay a small amount towards school meals and are proud to do that for their children. Food is free for families who cannot pay and many of these are supported during school holidays with basic maizemeal and beans. Food inflation continues to be very high in Kenya and the number of families needing extra help is increasing all the time.

Two of our UK Trustees went to Kenya in September for a month. During a zoom conversation with our Founding Trustee while she was there, she said that in Kenya the rich are getting richer - but the poor are getting poorer and a greater proportion of any income they may have is spent on food. She then told me the story of our night watchman. He is a well-educated man who was desperate for work. His two sons should be in secondary school. The boys were with us for primary education and the family was so poor that we provided basic food during school holidays.

State education in Kenya is "free". The boys began secondary school but the family were then unable to pay for school meals, so the boys were not allowed any lunch, then the family was unable to pay for excercise and text books which are not provided, nor are pens, pencils ertc.. Children are not allowed in school without shoes and uniform so they were sent home. At home there was not enough food. Our night watchman was delighted to be given the job. Knowing his circumstances some food was saved for him by members of staff for when he came in to work. He was obviously hungry - and very thin. One evening his son passed by to speak to his father. His father gave away his meal to him. His story brought me to tears as it did for our Founding Trustee when she was told. During our conversation we tried to think of ways to help. Immediately we will ensure that the family has maizemeal and beans throughout the year, as, though the children are not at our school the family is part of our community. We are not a rich charity and every penny raised counts. We are working on ways to offer a little more help to see them through the worst time. MSP has been able to do this successfully for other families, including one of our school cooks. It gave hope that things will get better and that there is help available. We know that this story can probably be told many times in Kenya but this is our community.

We know we cannot save the world but we can help make life better in a very small part of it, so please continue your support, or join us now. The smallest amount of help can change a life for the better. MSP and the community it serves are grateful to you, our donors. Without your generosity we could not continue - and there is so much still to do and so much need.

The aim of the Mustard Seed Project (MSP) has always been to provide good quality education for poor children in Mombasa. We recognised from the beginning that hungry children are likely to be less healthy and less likely to take advantage of that education, so we have always had a feeding programme for the children at our school, Miche Bora. We continue to provide basic food for 29 of our poorest families during school holidays as well as morning porridge and a balanced midday meal for all pupils. Parents who can afford to pay a small amount towards the cost do so but increasing numbers cannot. After prolonged drought and therefore rampant inflation, exacerbated by war in Ukraine and other factors, Kenya now has flooding which again will impact on food inflation. The cost to MSP of our feeding programme is almost as high as running costs for the school and there is no sign of inflation stabilising at the moment. However, with the help of our donors, our school has had great success so far. Our external exam results are excellent again this year and having a healthy diet is a contributing factor. The thanks we give to you, our donors, are not just from the UK Trustees but from the children, parents and the staff of Miche Bora school. 

The following is a story of one of our children, Colvice, who had been through our school and left at the age of 14 last November (the school year begins in January and our children are 3 to 14 years). He had of course benefitted from our feeding programme. He was born "out of wedlock". His mother later married but has recently died. His stepfather did not want him so he was sent to relatives in Nairobi. There he was treated virtually as a slave. He managed to borrow a phone to contact his mother's sister in Mombasa but they could not afford the £15 coach fare from Nairobi to Mombasa. We were asked if we could help so MSP provided the coach fare. He is now living with his aunt and MSP has found funding through a sponsor for his secondary education. He and his aunt came into school to say thank you to MSP while Rita, our Founding Trustee, was there in February/March this year. She said it was a very moving experience. £15 has changed his life and his prospects for the future.

Rita will be going out to Kenya for another month in September, this time with one of our UK Trustees who has not visited before. There is always lots of work to be done and I know they will be working very hard. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped MSP to help children like Colvice. Every penny matters so please continue to give your support, or join us as a new donor. You make a real difference.to the lives of our children and their families at our school. .