Gathaithi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Centre and Gathaithi Primary School

April 2019

Gathaithi Orphans and Vulnerable Children Centre continues to care for and support children who are orphans or whose relatives are quite challenged either socially, economically or physically.

Each day, they continue to feed 86 orphans and vulnerable children; breakfast at 6am and porridge at 11am.  Lunch is served at 1pm and could be a mixture of maize and beans (called Githeri) or Ugali and rice. Both meals would be served with beans, cabbage, potatoes and fruits.  For dinner, the lunch menu is repeated, and on weekends, the children enjoy chapattis, meat, eggs and bread.

The school provides writing/reading materials as well as uniforms and casual wear for all 86 children.  The home provides shelter for 28 orphans living with HIV (and/or) jiggers.

As 2018 came to a close, the school prepared their goals and objectives for 2019 which included extending their income generating dairy farming project, installing gutters on the 16 buildings to harvest water and to continue to visit jigger infested families in the area.

Recently, they planted 42 Children’s gardens with vegetables that the children tend to, which provide the home with a great source of food rations.  They have also started worm farming! This provides organic fertilizer which is then used in their greenhouse.

Gathaithi Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Centre and Primary School, is located in a very poor area just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. The school services 800 students, many who are orphaned or vulnerable. The community has created a centre to provide nutrition and shelter for these children using unused buildings owned by the school.

Our Kenyan Kids provides support to Gathaithi in several ways:

• Feeding Program –  Funds are given to purchase beans, rice and basic cooking supplies on a regular basis. A greenhouse has been built, funded by donations from the Maitland Garden of Hope, which enhances Gathaithi OVC’s aims to become self-sufficient in food production.

• Jiggers Project –  Jiggers are bugs that are similar to ticks, that bore into the feet of the children, particularly those who have no shoes and walk barefoot. With lack of medical supplies at the school and poor parental knowledge, students are at risk of losing toenails, and later amputation without corrective treatment. Medical supplies for the treatment of Jiggers have been purchased for the school, disinfectants for the homes and shoes for affected children.

• Buildings – The kitchen floor has been upgraded to meet a minimum standard, a leaking asbestos roof has been replaced, and basic improvements have been made to the dining area.

• Books – Books have been purchased for the school.