Near one of the largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya, is our affiliated project, the St. John’s Community Centre. Serving roughly 450 school-age children, the Centre not only supports them in their education but assists them, and their families, in their overall development — especially when it comes to their health.
“The goal is for these programs is to help support the development of the entire community — not just the students who attend the school.”
“As a primary and secondary school, Children Incorporated supports a large number of these students — nearly half of them are enrolled in our sponsorship program,” explained our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet.
“The Centre focuses on preparing children for their futures after graduation by offering them practical training and instruction. The students learn basic curriculum as well as skills that will help them acquire jobs if they are not able to go on to higher education due to cost restrictions.”
Helping children with more than just education
“Additionally, the administrators at St. John’s are very concerned for the health and well-being of the children as well as their families,” said Luis.
St. John’s serves a large number of children near one of the largest slums in Nairobi.
“Through their on-site medical center, they provide assistance to HIV positive parents and children, as well as programs focused on early motherhood, dropout prevention, small business entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment. The goal is for these programs is to help support the development of the entire community — not just the students who attend the school.”
“Unfortunately, without resources from the government, operating these programs is very difficult, but St. John has partnered with numerous non-profit organizations, local and international, such as Children Incorporated, to accomplish their goals,” said Luis.
Our special funds at work
“For example, we provide nearly 2000 mosquito nets to all Children Incorporated affiliated projects in Kenya every year, including to families at St. John’s, thanks to our Mosquito Net Fund. This is important, as it assists in the prevention of malaria, dengue, and other mosquito-borne illnesses, which are prevalent among this population.”
“We have also been able to provide one pair of new shoes to each child at the beginning of the school year over the last few years, thanks to donations to our Shoes and Socks Fund. We also provide school lunches for over 200 children every day thanks to our International Feeding Program so that the children get proper nourishment. Through their monthly contributions, our sponsors ensure that students have books, school supplies, uniforms and their school tuition payments are made. Thanks to their sponsors, the school’s attendance is better, and students in our program are receiving higher grades than those without sponsors,” said Luis.
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How do I sponsor a child in Kenya?
You can sponsor a child in Kenya in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Kenya that is available for sponsorship.