Build a school in a deprived area of Mombasa

We have some very happy children, teachers and parents at our school in Kenya. It is for children in a very poor area of Mombasa where we endeavour to provide a good quality education in well equiped classrooms with classes of no more than thirty. Because the Kenyan government has reorganised the education system throughout the country the Mustard Seed Project (MSP) has had to comply with a change of status and fulfil a lot of new requirements. Miche Bora school is now a Junior Secondary School rather than a Primary School as previously. The children come to us from three years old in Nursery until fifteen rather than fourteen as before. At twelve years onwards the children have a different uniform to distinguish them from the younger children as this was one of the new requirements for "Junior Secondary". Our parents and teachers were very keen indeed for us to take on the "Secondary" status as despite the poverty in which our children live education is highly valued. Our average national exam results, taken during the children's last year in our school, are very good and higher than the government expectation of average C. We generally average B or B-. We hope to continue to have such excellent results.

We have recently had a number of visitors to the school wanting to help during this transition period. One who was a volunteer in the past, has offered to organise and provide equipment for our new science laboratory. This is a wonderful opportunity for us. We are in the process of buying land for a playground, another new requirement and another volunteer has offered to bring in equipment to give the land a smoother and much more useful surface, as it was rough ground. We are still in the process of raising money for the land as it is in three seperate but adjoining plots. We have paid for one plot so far. The owner is very keen indeed for a quick transaction for all three plots. Our school is in an urban area and land is very expensive. We have another volunteer willing to offer services too. Our Founding Trustee and another of our Trustees spent a month in our school last September and our Founding Trustee and one other will be going out in February. There is so much more still to be done but all the hard work is worth it just to see the smiles on  faces.

We are so lucky to have the support of parents. They are poor but want the very best for their children, a chance to escape the poverty in which they live. Our teachers are always enthusiastic, very hardworking and very keen to learn. In return MSP wants to give the children, parents and teachers the very best we can. The changes to the curriculum and status requirements have needed extra funding and our efforts at the moment are focused on raising money for the rest of the land for the playground. Our children deserve the best we can give them and it is you, our donors, who are able to change lives for the better. Please continue your support, or join us if this is the first time you have heard about us. The smallest amount can help to change a life. Thank you for your donationtions and for your time if you are reading this. You make a difference.

As previously stated there have been a lot of changes in the Kenyan education system which means that The Mustard Seed Project (MSP) has a lot of new criteria to fulfil. We are so lucky to have such enthusiastic and hard working staff in our school in Mombasa and MSP always wants to do the very best it can to support them. Staff, children and parents very much want our school to have Junior/Secondary status. This would mean that we keep our children for another year. At the moment children are with us from 3 (Nursery) to 14 but would stay to the age of 15. New rules are having a considerable impact but we have high hopes of fulfilling all requirements. One of these is that the school should have a playground. It is an urban area and land is expensive. However there are three small plots which the owner is very keen to sell to us at a fair price. We have managed to raise the money for two of the plots and are working very hard to raise enough to buy the third plot so that the playground is a good size and meets the new requirements. It will of course be much more than just a playground and will be used for sport and many other outdoor activities. It has already made a huge difference to the school to have such a useful outdoor space. We are only renting the land at the moment but the owner is very keen to sell. 

There are other criteria, some of which are easier to fulfil than others. We must now have a science lab and although we have a suitable room we need to buy a lot of additional equipment. We have also been told that the doors, which open inwards, need to be changed to open outwards from  classrooms. Solvable but incurring more costs. Rules have changed for staffing too. Although we always have excellent exam results and all staff had the relevant teaching qualifications this is no longer enough and future appointees will be graduates. We have just appointed a new graduate teacher for Science/ Maths. She will be a great help to Amos who is a member of the school leadership team and is in charge of Maths/Science. MSP has carried out a lot of staff training, face to face and remotely, but now we will pay for two members of staff (initially) to upgrade their qualifications by studying for a diploma. We cannot afford to pay the fees for more at the moment but hope to be able to do so in the future.

An exciting piece of news is that two of our Kenyan Trustee are also to be appointed to the UK Board of Trustees. We are very much looking forward to them joining our meetings on zoom. One is a Headteacher of another school and our School Manager and the other lived in the UK for eight years so has a good understanding of life in both countries.Two UK Trustees are going to Kenya for a month in September 2024, One is a Founding Trustee and she will also be going to Kenya in February 2025 for a month with a new Trustee who has been recently appointed. They are all very much looking forward to being in school and will be working very hard  while they are there. Our new Trustee is a recently retired secondary school teacher and has experience of working in Africa, though not in Kenya. She is full of enthusiasm and very keen to help MSP succeed in its aims. Everyone who goes out to Kenya is allowed an extra suitcase and into those go lots of equipment. The suitcases for the September trip are already packed with reading books, toys, toothbrushes, reading glasses for adults, sanitary towels and school shoes. All that has been achieved is of course only possible because of our wonderful supporters. Please continue to support us or become a supporter. There is so much to do and we cannot succeed without you. Every penny is put to good use and every penny makes a difference to a life so thank you.