In November 2010, Bill & Paula Stevens of National Bee Supplies visited Mombasa Kenya at the end of a family holiday. Aware of the acute needs of the area, as many tourists are, they went laden with gifts for local children to help with schooling, such as pens, pencils and solar calculators. These small gifts are very warmly received by the local youngsters who are hungry for education and the chance to get ahead in life.

After discussions with locals they were taken to a small primary school nearby, who unlike other schools closer to the hotel, does not receive the regular visits and donations from tourists wanting to help.

Maweni School has 170 pupils from the local community run by volunteer teachers and a cook. Sixteen of the children are resident within the school as they have no family at all.

There are four classrooms, all in a very poor state of repair with only one having simple desks and benches. In the other three classrooms the children do their school work on the floor. Even the floors are in poor condition with large holes in the ancient concrete.

Food is prepared over an open fire once a day in a small building that was provided by donation by British visitors. For many of the children this will be their only meal of the day. Food is paid for mostly by donations from tourists.

The school receives no funding from any government source as it is not a requirement to attend formal schooling up to the age of seven. Despite their hardship, the children queue to enter the school every day recognising that through education a better life is possible.

After visiting the school few times since the Maweni School Appeal charity was set-up in August 2011 to help.

Whilst we make the necessary preparations to commence the building and associated works for the Maweni School, we are working together with Dave Cox and the Charity Kids in Kenya. Dave and his wonderful band of contributors and workers are constructing a school in the village of Kikambala. Also digging wells for the villagers to have FREE drinking water. Funds contributed for Kids in Kenya will be used for the Kikambala school.

Funds contributed for Kids in Kenya will be used for the Kikambala school.

kidsinkenya.co.uk

What we have achieved so far:

We have already been able to make some immediate changes as follows:

•    Money has been provided to ensure all the orphans now sleep in beds with mosquito nets for all.

•    Funds has also been provided for the purchase and installation of play equipment. Six swings a slide and a roundabout will be installed late in December. The entire Village will be able to use out of school hours putting the school at the heart of the community.

What we aim to provide:

Some of the much needed and achievable projects we have identified will have a profound effect on the entire village community, the children and the volunteers who teach them.

•    Levelling of the school yard. The name Maweni derives from the rocky coral like ground on which the village and school is built. Most of the children do not own any shoes.

•    Connection to running water; a ‘government’ tap is two hundred yards away. Water is collected in buckets from there.

•    Connection to electricity, only a generator for extracting salt water from a well for kitchen use.

•    Provide desks and benches in the three classrooms that have none, with a cupboard for teaching supplies and books

•    The provision of a large room or hall with tables and chairs so the whole school can have meetings, assemblies and of course be used a dining room. One of the pictures show the kids making the shape of the proposed room where it would be built if successful. It could of course be used as a community resource as well.

•    School uniforms would further enhance the childrens undoubted and obvious pride in their school and their community. Most of the children have very poor clothing available and are totally reliant upon hand me downs from siblings and tourists. Shoes and or flip flops would be a bonus however difficult to keep up with as childrens feet grow so quickly.

The above list which is by no way complete if it were to be provided in the UK would be a very tall order, however the costs of provision locally is very reasonable indeed. We propose to purchase all items from known sources in order to manage costs, and obtain the very best value for the school.


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