Return vulnerable children from Kibera to School

In the traditional African society, men were not meant to be found in the kitchen, but Kevin is evidence enough that this tradition has faded over time and men are embracing roles their grandfathers would not have dreamt of.

Kevin is a member of our kitchen staff and has been part of us for a couple of years now. Initially, he only came to help the staff in cooking ugali. Ugali is a staple in many Kenyan homes and it's a mixture of maize meal and hot water. Mixing this combination till it hardens is no mean feat especially when it's for 100 or more people and it needs the kind of strength Kevin brings on board. This year Kevin became a permanent member of the kitchen staff and now helps with other duties apart from his main speciality of cooking ugali for the 140 students at Fountain of Hope Primary School.

What's so special about Kevin? Kevin is not only a member of the kitchen staff but a father to one of our students. His income supports his family and his daughter has the priviledge to see his father put in the work. 

This is just one example of how your support for the feeding programme goes beyond encouraging the students to attend school and pay attention in class but it also benefits a number of households represented by the feeding programme staff and the students.

The new year is always exciting for us at the transition school, we not only welcome new kids to the project but we also celebrate as the kids we had transition to formal primary education.

This year 27 kids out of the 30 chidren have successfully transitioned and Maria is among them. When you meet Maria along the corridors of her new school, Fountain of Hope Primary school, she exudes a gentle confidence. She's calm yet has blended in with the rest despite her being the new kid in Class 5.

She joined us in Transition class last year after dropping out of her previous school due to the inability of her mother to pay school fees. The single mother gets casual jobs in Kibera and therefore has an unstable income and struggles to support her family. These struggles don't show on Maria's face, she's determined to do her best especially now that they don't have to worry about school fees or meals while she's at school. When this photo was taken, it was breaktime and most of the kids were out playing but she came back to class to try work on her assignment before the day ends.

We are excited that children like Maria will receive a chance to join school or reenter the education system despite the financial situations back at home and we will continually share their stories with you , because you are a  part of these life changing moments.