Fountains of Hope, Nairobi

Based on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kibera is the home to at least 250,000 people, and is the biggest slum in Africa. Most of the residents live in extreme poverty. There are few schools, little clean water, and very little electricity, medical care or toilet facilities. With no government services, schools, clinics, water and sanitation is largely provided by charities and churches. (source)

For children living in Kibera, the difficulty in getting an education is one of the main barriers to them meeting their potential. There are few government schools, and the scarcity means that classes can be as large as 70 children, making quality education nearly impossible.The informal schools run within the slum are chronically under-resourced, and often run by untrained teachers or volunteers. That means that many 10 year olds are unable to read at the level of a 7-year-old, which is a big barrier to their future employment opportunities. Those children that are able to go to school (instead of trying to earn money to support their families) are not able to afford books, food or supplies.

That is why CRY is proud to support the fountains of Hope primary school which provides education for more than 200 children. The school focuses on providing a quality education that develops the whole child and gives them the tools they need to survive and thrive. Each class has no more than 25 pupils and classrooms are spacious, bright and equipped with textbooks and learning materials for all. Children learn to read and write, learn numeracy and employment skills and are taught about health, nutrition and safe sanitation. The school also provides a daily meal, and children can study extra-curricular activities such as IT, sports and creative arts. The children are taught by trained teachers, and there is a pastoral team and social workers on site to support children to overcome their challenges.