A quality education for 150 kids in Kibera, Kenya

Last year 95% of the Fountains of Hope Pupils scored over 250 marks in their end of year exams. To put this in context, if our pupils continue to get grades over 250 marks, they will be supported by Turning Point to go to Secondary School. Compare this to the 50% of pupils Turning Point currently supports in Government schools who scored over 250 marks in their final Primary School exams in December 2015. Already the Fountains of Hope school is having better learning outcomes than the over-stretched and under-resourced Government schools.

When we opened the Fountains of Hope school in January 2014, we started with what we had – four teachers and four classrooms. But our dream was to run a full school providing all eight years of primary education so that we can ensure children receive a quality education and move on to secondary school.

The school closed early for the Christmas holidays in November 2015 for a building project to build new classrooms. Builders and labourers from the local area worked alongside Turning Point staff to do the building which was completed on 31^st December. We officially opened the buildings on 11^th January and were joined by representatives from Turning Point's Kenyan Board of Directors, the school parents and the local community. The children performed poems, memory verses and songs before they went to explore their new school and enjoy a celebratory lunch of rice and stew.

The new two-storey buildings provide 15 rooms including eight classrooms, a creative arts room and an I.T. suite, five offices for various staff and the microfinance programme. There is also a refurbished kitchen and assembly hall that the Mashimoni Outreach Community Church, our long-term partner, uses for their Sunday meetings.

This building project has provided space for us to grow. This year we are offering six years of primary school to 91 pupils and by 2018 we will have achieved our goal of providing all eight years of primary education.