Gituamba — People

This is Gituamba

Putrid water trickles down cracked and uneven streets that are flanked by shacks selling fruit and veg. There is a thick stench leaking from a nearby sewage pipe, smashed so its cargo of rotting human excrement might flow onto the adjacent fields and fertilise the food crops.

But in spite of the dirt and poverty, the lack of food, education and healthcare, there is hope. This is Gituamba.

Though Gituamba faces many challenges there is a determination to ensure that the future is more prosperous than the present. The people of Gituamba have a determination and positivity that is infectiously inspiring. We are fortunate to be working with some of the community leaders and helping to serve their vision.

Did you know?

Just 8% of children from Gituamba attend secondary school
11 years is the average reading age of adults in Gituamba
Casual labour is the career path for the vast majority of people living in Gituamba
The Nairobi River acts as the local water supply, washing facilities and drainage system

Our work in Gituamba

We are involved in an expanding portfolio of projects, all with our leading partner, Uzimatele Ministries, a locally based organisation who run a school, church, children’s home and widows empowerment project.

Scholarships

Now in its seventh year, our scholarship programme provides children with the opportunity to study at secondary school. The children who benefit would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition, accommodation, food and ancillary costs.

We work with the students to ensure they maximise their time at school wringing it for every opportunity. We continue to work with them after school and help them to make the important first steps towards employment or further education.

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Gituamba Primary School

We are really excited to be partnering with the local primary school and all of the opportunities that will come from it. We intend to make our work with the school central to our community engagement. We will be working with the school to:

Train teachers
Develop a feeding programme
Provide school resources
Provide access to clean water
Provide nutritional and healthcare
Provide sanitary provisions
Develop the syllabus

This work is all supported through our #CoffeeFreeFriday campaign.

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Holiday Programme

In Gituamba, school holidays are not eagerly anticipated like yours might have been. They are long and, for the young people who have no toys or possessions, they are boring. It is not long before some turn to drugs and/or alcohol. We support a holiday programme that not only keeps young people entertained, it invests in their future. We do this by organising community activities such as a clean up or talent show. We also invite professionals from nearby Nairobi to talk with the children about their career and explain how their progressions. When it comes to employment and careers, its hard to imagine what you haven’t seen! We also organise day trips to national parks or places of interest.

Vocational Training

We have partnered with the St Kaziko Vocational Training Institute to provide an alternative to school. Some of the young people we work with were unable to attend primary school and so lack the required grades to go to secondary school. Some are a little too old for secondary school. Either way, we don’t think that should be the end of their story or potential. That’s why we developed a vocational wing to our scholarship programme. Young people gain vocational and practical skills that open the door to employment opportunities.