First Steps into Mji wa Huruma
The first team to visit the Huruma
Nursery School was in Feb. 2005. Over
the next 6 years I have made 3 visits to follow up with the school. In 2012 we sent the 2nd NACC Team
and continued with 2 more teams in 2013 and 2014.
What we found in 2005
was an impoverished community called Mji
wa Huruma.
Huruma is classified as an “informal settlement”, which means slum. The people have been living on government
land since the late 70’s or early 80’s when they were displaced by an up market
housing estate. There are approx. 5,000
people living on this land, which is not more than 7 acres in size, in small
shacks that are usually made of tin and whatever scrap materials they are able
to salvage from the local estate’s garbage.
There is no room for farming. All
of the land is covered with residential shacks and very little else other than
the Nursery School, a high school started in 2006 by a wonderful Kenyan woman
plus and another school that started up approx.. 3 years ago..
The people lost their coffee plantation jobs at the time of resettlement
and have never recovered economically or socially. The guess is that the unemployment rate is
90%. The people are a homogeneous community in that they are almost all Kikuyu,
so they do not have the friction that comes with people of multiple tribes
living together, but because they virtually lack resources, Most of the people
are infrequently employed in odd jobs, mostly in coffee, house cleaning,
gardening and unskilled construction. A
few are able to supplement their diets by growing a few vegetables if they have
been fortunate enough to know someone with a little bit of land to allow
them. The only other noteworthy activity
in Huruma is the efforts of New Dawn toward youth education, work empowerment,
and community health. All of New Dawn’s
efforts are infused with evangelism and discipleship.
The
School in Feb. 2005 – Notice the broken fence and play equipment, muddy/dirt
play area. Many children did not have
uniforms, shoes with little or no classroom supplies. Only one teacher was getting paid.
Huruma Nursery
School.
The school comprises of 3 “classrooms” with a total of 85+
children. They are in groups of 3-4 yr.
olds, 4 yr. olds & younger 5 yr. olds and a Kinder group of older 5 yr.
olds and 6 yr. olds. The children are taught Bible and Christian songs along
with their regular studies. The staff includes a Director who started in Jan.
2014, three teachers and a cook.
The Nursery school exists completely on donations from NACC, a newly created Sponsor Program and
sometimes special outside gifts because the parents do not have enough money to
even feed and clothe their families.
Parents are asked to pay the equivalent of .50 a week, but often that is
too much.
A little student with a cup of watered porridge (Feb.
2005). Her hair is reddish from mal
nutrition.
The three teachers
are paid through NACC’s mission budget and Sponsor Donations. NACC’s mission budget & Sponsors also
funds the food, transport and the cook who makes sure that 85 children get a
morning snack and lunch each day. We
also send extra funds for much needed school supplies and uniforms. Our coordinator, Hellen
Wairimu, buys the food each week and delivers it to the school
and oversees all the funding and needs.
The vision of the
school is the same as Head Start – to help kids who would otherwise have no
chance to go to school to be prepared for entrance into grade school. Our goal is to empower the parents and staff to
run the school well in its vision to provide Christian transformation to the
children and community through quality early childhood education
Ten Years Later
With the 2012, 2013 and 2014 team we
have been able to bring improvements to the school that include:
Sponsor Program with 44 children presently sponsored
Two nutritious meals a day
New Uniforms and shoes each year
- School supplies, books and improved classrooms inside and out
- Salaries for 3 teachers, cook and Coordinator
- National testing for Pre-unit students
- Improved Kitchen facilities including a new Instove with 2nd one to be installed early this year.
- Cement tiles in play area to keep down dirt
DREAMS
- Create non-profit "Huruma Opportunity Partnership for Education" (HOPE) so that we can continue to expand the school and upgrade the education for each child.
- Continue to improve the staffing by adding teachers as school grows
- Grow the school to go through Standard 8 (grade 8)
- Continue to improve the school facilities that will include more classrooms, improved latrines and kitchen and water supply
- Improve nutrition and health care for each child
- Finding a playground suitable for the children
- Parenting and skill classes for parents
