The Gift of Water to Struggling Mararui Primary School
05th July 2015
Mararui Primary School is established on a 1.622-hectare plot which was once used as a coffee factory. This was done through the effort of the local community and some valuable support from the World Vision Organization. It is located about 5km off Thika Road and 2km from the Northern By-pass in Mararui village, Roysambu Ward, Kasarani District, Nairobi County. It was taken over by the Nairobi City Council Education Department in 1998 and transformed into a public school. Currently, the school has an enrollment of nearly 900 pupils. Most of the students are children of dwellers of a small village that has over the years evolved into a sprawling slum known as ‘Jua Kali’ and indeed home to many that live in abject poverty.
The school has been experiencing water shortages when the supply from Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company is cut off. This problem is aggravated due to a lack of enough water storage tanks and the existing one has patched sections that leaked from time to time. Our visit to the school impacted us in many ways. The students are made to carry water from their homes to school to provide water for use during the day. Due to water shortages, the school is exposed to water-related diseases and therefore a water storage solution is critical for girls facing hygiene challenges during menstruation
With the help from Kenya Irish Society and Roto Moulders Ltd, Kenya Women, and Children’s Wellness Centre has installed a 5000 Litres water tank which will improve the safety of girls and boys that are faced with gender violations and abuse from adults at the source of water outside the school.
The handover of the water tank to the school was done on Friday, 10th July 2015. The headmistress of the school, Ms. Sanya, the Parents Teachers Association representative Mr. Paul, and the teachers were present to receive this noble gift. Mr. Shem, Marketing Manager of Roto Molders Ltd commented that the company is glad to have contributed to the lives of these children and promised to have the old tank repaired at no cost. Mrs. Sunita, Executive Director of KWCWC gave her gratitude to the school for embracing this project and assured the management that KWCWC will continue to support the school whenever possible. The officials of the school were thankful for the kind gesture.
KWCWC will continue with its efforts towards reducing Gender Based Violence in many ways through Water and Sanitation Health (WASH) programs, training, and sensitizations to the communities.
KWCWC Community Outreach with Aston Villa Football Club Foundation
A Visit to SuperBentoz United Football Club, Githurai 45.
On 28th January 2014
Story by Michael Gaitho
Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre (KWCWC) Community Outreach Program works closely with the community-based football clubs in the informal settlements within Kasarani sub-county. Among the local teams is SuperBentoz United Football Club which comprises young boys and girls ranging from ages 4 – 21 years old from the Githurai region, approximately 1.5 km from the city center. The club started 9 years ago and has presented 2 players to play in the MYSA league ( Mathare Youth Sports Association) at the international level in the Norway Cup Tournament in 2013 and Holland Cup Tournament (2014) respectively.
The COP team provides alternative means of spending their free time thus thwarting the social menaces attributed to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence perpetration. Studies demonstrate that idleness by young people leads to high incidences of sexual abuse in sprawling informal settlements (KWCWC GBV study by J. Otsola, 2012).
Evans Odenyo Onyango, a 22-year-old coach who closely works with the football club asserts that “ engaging the young soccer players creates in them the vigor to play in national and international football clubs”.
On 27th January 2014, KWCWC and the Aston Villa Foundation made a courtesy call to more than thirty (30) young soccer players in Githurai where the Executive Director of KWCWC Mrs. Sunita Nathoo and the representative from the Aston Villa Foundation Mr. Rajeev together with the community outreach staff provided soccer T-shirts from Aston Villa Football Club, goodie bags from KWCWC and other assorted stationaries. KWCWC and Aston Villa endeavored to cordially work to uplift the social lives of upcoming soccer players, create opportunities for their coaches to attain standard international coaching skills, and inculcate life skills in the prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the region.
A Visit to community-based football clubs in Dandora and Kasarani
Within the informal settlements of the Kasarani sub-county, KWCWC has worked closely with the local teams, including Maruri Football Club and Dandora Football club both on the Eastern side of Nairobi County.
Football Match at Dandora Primary School grounds
The COP team provides alternative means of spending their free time in the prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and living a positive life free from peer influence despite the lack of decent playing grounds in the villages.
Dandora FC
KWCWC disseminated T-shirts on behalf of Aston Villa to the young players as a motivation towards upholding positive social cohesion free from social menaces that perpetuate GBV.
Marurui Football Club
The Children of mothers attending psychosocial support post-GBV atrocities also benefited from the child T-shirts as future footballers and as a way of nurturing young footballers at tender ages.