Starehe Girls’ Centre, located in Nairobi, Kenya, is the only chance some girls get at a quality education. The boarding school was founded in 2005, and offers education to economically disadvantaged girls. The centre boasts an extremely high standard of education, and is meant to prepare girls to continue their studies competitively in university.
Starehe Girls’ Centre works in tandem with Chalice sponsorship to allow girls from poor backgrounds to attend. It also receives our support for sports teams, school gardens, student clubs, and more. “The Centre sets out to not merely provide food, clothing, and protection to girls in need, but to restore them in self-confidence so often injured by earlier misfortune in life,” says Sr. Jane our Starehe Girl’s site director.
Thanks to a number of donations through our gift catalogue, Starehe Girls’ Centre was able to receive a number of important upgrades and essential school supplies this year!
“Currently, the school population is 600 girls,” Sr. Jane says. Due to the increased population of students, there weren’t enough desks and chairs for all of the girls. Donors who chose “stock a classroom” in our gift catalogue helped the centre receive enough new desks for every girl to have their own! This allows the students to work comfortably and effectively in the classroom.
A number of important teaching aids were also provided to educators. Biology classrooms received specimens and diagrams, allowing teachers to clearly demonstrate their lessons. The interactivity of specimen kits also engages students and encourages hands-on learning!
Along with these essential classroom upgrades, new students also received uniforms, pens, pencils, notebooks, and paper to be able to actively participate in class.
Outside of the classroom, clubs and extra-circulars also got a boost. Gym classes received a variety of new sports balls to replace ones that were old and worn, and extra sports uniforms were provided to cover the increased number of students. The school farm was also supplemented with a bounty of new tools, wheelbarrows, seeds, and fruit trees.
“We remain grateful for this support- all of these gifts will really help the girls,” Sr. Jane smiles. “The learning materials will help boost their morale and thus improve their performance in class, and they can now enjoy their co-curricular activities. May God bless you!”
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