Kibera is the largest slum in Africa, located on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Heavily polluted by human waste and garbage, estimates vary, but up to one million people are believed to live crammed into an area of only 2.5 square kilometres, in wood and sheet metal shacks.
10-year-old *Gerrard has a chronic illness. His father died from AIDS when he was two, and his mother, also HIV positive, is ostracised by the rest of the family. They now live in the slums of Kibera, scraping a living and unable to afford essential medical treatment.
However, when Gerrard reached school age, he was accepted into Spurgeons Academy, a school supported by Global Care. He receives a free uniform, two meals a day, and a top quality education. Free of charge. He also receives frequent help with medical care and extra feeding. School has saved his life. Read his full story…
10-year-old *Gerrard has a chronic illness. His father died from AIDS when he was two, and his mother, also HIV positive, is ostracised by the rest of the family. They now live in the slums of Kibera, scraping a living and unable to afford essential medical treatment.What are the challenges?
Extreme poverty and high unemployment – most families survive through casual labour. There is a high risk of violence – with law and order partly maintained by gangs and vigilantes. Poor housing, poor sanitation and little access to electricity are the norm, with frequent fires from illegal electricity hacks. There are few opportunities for a quality education in Kibera.
How is Global Care helping children in Kibera?
We know that education for Kibera’s poorest children is the best way to lift them out of povertyCitation. At the edge of Kibera, right next to the railway line which marks the outer boundary of the slum, lies Spurgeons Academy.
Spurgeons Academy: A Place of Safety
Spurgeons Academy is a school for the poorest and most vulnerable of Kibera’s citizens. But it’s much more than just a school. As well as a quality education, the children receive two meals a day, loving care, medical support and creative opportunities.
Spurgeons Academy provides pre-primary, primary and junior high schooling for over 350 children – all affected in some way by HIV/AIDS. For over ten years, from pre-kindergarden at the age of three, to the end of junior high, aged 14-15, students at Spurgeons receive an excellent foundation for a brighter future.
Our key focus is essential schooling, but there are also extra-curricular activities, including football and gymnastics. Some children go on to secondary education, others have an opportunity for vocational training. All students receive wrap-around care, at school and reaching out into the home and family.
What can you do to help?
Why not sponsor a child at Spurgeons? £25 a month gives a child all they need to enable them to learn and succeed – and not just for themselves. Their whole family benefits, and in turn the future of their community is transformed.
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