SUPPORTING SACRED HEART SCHOOL, NAIVASHA, KENYA DREAM FOR SOMETHING BETTER
A dream for something better, Wangari Ceclia
Committee Member Chrissie’s Unforgettable Visit
In November 2022, Chrissie and her husband Jonathan spent two weeks in Kenya and made 5 visits to the school to see Wangari, her staff and children. This newsletter will be the first of two reflecting on their visit and will focus on how we have reached our current position and the life and experience of the students.
Incredibly, it is now over ten years since Wangari opened the school to 70 day pupils – teaching them in wooden classrooms with no electricity or running water! Many of you will remember the pit latrines which were washed away in the floods. Gradually the facilities have been improved with the addition of new classrooms, dormitories, accommodation for staff, electricity, solid pathways, and most recently the building of the kitchen / dining hall which has made such a difference. We currently have 82 boarders among the 120 children at the school – 40 of whom are orphans. The achievements of the staff and students has been well documented with many going on to high schools through sponsorship and several to universities. It was so worthwhile for Jonathan and Chrissie to witness first hand the results of all the support so many of you have given to the project over so many years.
The School Day
The school day at the Sacred Heart School bears no resemblance to ones in the UK! All the children in years 6, 7 and 8 are boarders, rising at 0445 and going to bed at 2200. In between they have eleven hours of teaching. Younger children finish at 1630 and, if boarding, go to bed at 2000. Each day an hour is set aside for children who need extra support.
All the children have various chores each day;
- Cleaning – shoes, clothes, classrooms and floors
- Fetching and tethering sheep
- Collecting eggs
- Taking care of livestock
This is so much more than a school; it is a living, breathing community into which Wangari puts her heart and soul every day.
The children are full of joy and gratitude for the opportunity of an education and regular meals. The orphans love their home, and especially the comfort and security it provides, even after they have progressed to Secondary education. Wangari has been clear that every child, whether an orphan or the child of a stable home, will be treated with equal respect and have the same chance to succeed in their lives.
Future Challenges
- Education in Kenya is changing and by the end of 2023, the School is required to add a Year 9. This means an additional classroom and dormitory, plus rooms for teaching Sciences and IT. Wangari sold two cows and twenty sheep last year to get the building work started with walls and a roof, but needs about £9,000 for windows, doors, electrics, plastering, flooring and an external walkway. Wangari has total faith in God’s providence and an unparalleled daily prayer regime, but we’d really like to help raise the funds.
- The cost of food here in UK and across the developing world is a major headache. The prices facing Wangari for the staple food items of maize and beans have more than doubled since last year.
- The most vital piece of equipment at the school is a vehicle. The school’s Honda CRV has clocked up over 250,000 miles (a miracle on Kenya’s roads) and will come to the end of its natural life at some point.
And finally
A huge thank you to all those who have worked, free, to produce this newsletter and our website over the years. Without your technical skills we would still be in the era of the pit latrines!
