We provide quality education in the heart of the slum
The Challenge
In the few government schools that surround Kibera, a child will share a classroom with 50 to 70 other pupils. In the small non-formal schools run within the slum, a child can share a textbook with 6 other children. Class sizes may be smaller but often the teacher is not trained. As a result, many 10 year olds in Kibera are unable to read at the level of a 7-year-old.
It is also very rare to have opportunities for arts, drama, music or sports and many talents go unnoticed.
Our Approach
At the Fountains of Hope school, we focus on quality and aim to develop the whole child. Each class has no more than 25 pupils, our classrooms are spacious and bright with enough textbooks and learning materials for all. Our pupils enjoy a free feeding programme to keep hunger at bay so they can concentrate in class and grow healthily. Our children study the national curriculum and take extra classes in discipleship, I.T., sports and creative arts.
Because we work with children from difficult backgrounds, our social worker and pastoral team are vital to our work. We help children to overcome their challenges by building their self-esteem and confidence.We let them know there is always someone on their side rooting for them.
Our Impact
Lydia is a shy but ambitious 14-year-old whose heart is as warm as the steaming morning chai served at the Fountains of Hope School. She likes nothing more than to hear her four siblings giggling as she shares stories from her day at school. But life isn’t easy for Lydia as her parents are both addicted to alcohol. When social workers visited their home they found the two parents passed out on a single mattress in an otherwise empty room. Lydia and her siblings are largely neglected by their parents.
Lydia joined Turning Point through the School Transition Programme and now attends the Fountains of Hope Primary School. Lydia’s shynessis being gradually replaced by confidence.She recited a memory verse at the opening of the new Fountains of Hope School buildings in January 2016. She is now in Class 6, the equivalent of Year 8 in the UK, and is benefiting from the friendshipsshe is building with her class mates. These more settled confidence-building surroundings are helping Lydia to perform well academically and she regularly finishes in the top five in her class’s exam results.
The care she receives at Turning Point and the new friendships she has made are making a big difference to Lydia. Our prayer is to continue offering Lydia and all the pupils at Fountains of Hope plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. We want to see them build their confidence and reach their full God-given potential.
