Nia | Projects

Projects

St Monica's Nursery School
Nairobi, Kenya

St Monica's nursery school is located in Kibera, Kenya. Kibera is Africa’s largest slum housing 100,000 orphaned children who do not receive basic food or education. The school educates 76-90 children living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, and others from poor families.

The history...
The school was started in 2004 by a group of women all living with HIV/AIDS. These women selflessly used their own money to set up a nursery school in order to help local underprivileged children who could not afford state school. There was no government body or charity assisting the school in funding.

The school
To maintain the running of the school parents try and pay minimal school fee’s but this is not guaranteed. To pay for school necessities including food, books, water and teachers salaries the women rely on fundraising within the local community and their own incomes.

How Nia Children’s Foundation helps...

A majority of money raised by the women is spent on feeding the children; many of these children do not get fed at home and what they eat at school is all they will eat for the entire week. Recognising that food is the most important expense we have worked alongside the school and Kenyan suppliers to set up a scheme to send food supplies to the school each month and these monthly food bills are paid for by us. We also provide the school with desks, chairs and educational materials including books, pencils etc using the same scheme.

Recently we have been working with Wanjis Food Industries who produce special porridge and maize mixes which are rich in vitamins and nutrients essential for the health of these children. This is a vital step in ensuring that not only are we feeding these children, but feeding them food filled with vitamins and minerals which will improve their health.

The structure of this scheme is very simple but the impact of this funding has made a huge difference to the children. The children regularly attend school, they are fed properly and are much more healthy and active in class. They have so much more energy and can focus on studying.

Volunteer Foundation
A charity called the Volunteer Foundation have recently been established and are also now assisting the school. They have funded an extension to the school including a fourth classroom, kitchen, toilet and office. Looking forward the Foundation will also help fund the salaries of the teachers and train them to become qualified. Please click here for more information on the Volunteer Foundation.

Our second project...

In mid-2012 we will be taking on our second school; Viara Education Academy located in Nairobi, educating 160 children aged 3-12 years. We will support the school with the same scheme of providing the children with food supplies and educational materials each month. This school is double the size of St Monica's and will need extensive fundraising efforts to ensure we can continue to provide both schools with food supplies and educational materials for the years to come.

Our future aims...

We would like to take on a new school to support every two years. To do this we need your help...

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