LOL M.A.D. – KIBERA SLUM KENYA

 

In late October 2016, Life Out Loud took a life-changing trip to Kenya with a few good friends.  The purpose of the trip, was to visit SHINE ACADEMY school in Kibera Slum in Nairobi, Kenya.

Taking in the “very worst or the worst affected kids”, Shine Academy is more than a school.  It’s a refuge for 200 kids from violence, rape, abuse from surrounding people (and from their very own fathers and mothers in some cases).

Scroll down to see photos, videos and more details on our work for Shine Academy.

Kibera slum is the 2nd largest slum in the world and the largest in Africa.  It has approximately 2.5 million inhabitants and is ravaged by extreme poverty, diseases (AIDS, Typhoid, Cholera, Tetanus, Hep A & B, Yellow Fever, etc.), and also horrific hygiene due to a lack of clean water.

20% of Kibera has no electricity, and in most areas it lacks basic services.  For example, according to researchers, 1 latrine (hole in the ground) is shared among 50 shacks.  Once each is full, the waste gets transferred into their river.

On top of this, the Kibera community faces massive social problems.  According to research, over 50% of the population are unemployed, and 50% of girls aged between 16 to 25 years old are pregnant (in most cases–unwanted pregnancy).  Cheap drugs and glue sniffing are also an increasing problem.  A large number of kids are abandoned; and for a lot of those who aren’t, their homes are unsafe.

Catherine Whiting Martinez & Javier Martinez founded their grassroots charity IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN in 2008 to try to make a difference in Kibera.  Shine Academy, (set up by Impoverished Children in 2010) aims to help as many of these children as possible using education to try and break the cycle of poverty.

In the past 6 years Shine Academy has grown to care for over 200 beautiful children, operating & growing through the generosity of donations and help from Catherine & Javier’s family & friends.

At Shine Academy these children have a SAFE PLACE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER, 2 NUTRITIOUS MEALS A DAY, A UNIFORM, MEDICAL CARE & COUNSELLING, ACCESS TO EDUCATION and most importantly of all LOVE.

We started a fundraising effort 10 days before we left Thailand for the school.  We brought along the generous donations raised, 100% of which went towards essential purchases for the school and the children.  Here are some examples:

– New first aid kits and a huge supply of medicine for children, Kids panadol etc etc…
– Roughly a years worth of water purification treatment.  A massive stock was purchased of toilet paper, disinfectant, cleaning products, sanitary pads that will last for approximately the year… and many more

Huge plastic drinking water storage containers and large Rat Proof lockable storage lockers to protect stocks and supplies in the school.

-Deworming tablets for the entire school for October/January 17/April 17/August 17

• Repainted all the walls around the school and of the outside of the main building

Painted the walls of the outdoor sheet metal roofed classrooms which will significantly drop the temperature for the kids & teachers there (~75 children in a pretty small area!)

And many other purchases and various “renovation work” for the school including:

• Massive supply of arts and crafts materials including chalk, glue, pens and pencils, crayons, sellotape, scissors & blue tack
• Toilet & Plumbing inside the school was fixed by Josh & Damian (There were a few horrific days up to their elbows…)
• Fixed the eaves of the front outdoor classroom to stop courtyard flooding
• Fixed all the drains of the school
• Kitchen Sink of main kitchen repaired
• 5 New Blackboards for the classrooms were made and mounted
• A ton of new plates, cutlery & cups were purchased
• 33 new pairs of shoes needed by kids
• Massive supply of exercise books, including maths and art.
• Over 200 brand new reading books, with multiple copies so classes can read in groups

As a result by the time we left the school we had spent just over USD$5,330 of the amount raised, leaving over USD$7,200 still to be used by Catherine, the Founder and Headmaster of the school to continue the amazing work there under extremely difficult conditions.

For full information and updates about this fund-raising campaign and its donations, please visit this page: https://www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/shine-kids–2

It has been a VERY tough year since our visit for the founders, teachers and the kids. Ongoing violence and the political instability and rioting that comes in an election year made for one of the hardest years Shine Academy has ever faced.

We are committed to following through on what we started with our visit and do what we can from our side to help the founders and the kids of Shine Academy.

With more exposure comes more people able to help them continue their thankless job of helping as many children as possible escape the poverty cycle and truly dangerous life in the slum by giving these kids EDUCATION….

More updates, photos and videos are to come.  Follow our project updates and our journey by subscribing to our website.  Browse posts, photos and videos on social media platform using #LOLMADkenya hashtag.  Help spread the words and raise awareness for Shine Academy and its amazing kids with truly beautiful souls who deserve better lives.

To support Shine Academy, please Like their page to raise awareness and connect with what these beautiful people are doing despite enormous odds and extreme personal risk.

For now here are some of the images from our time at Shine Academy in Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya.

The children almost broken by the world become the adults most likely to change it.

Frank Warren

We have one precious life: do something extraordinary today, even if it’s tiny. A pebble starts the avalanche.

K.A. Laity

The future must be seen in terms of what a person can do to contribute something, to make something better, to make it go where he believes with all his being it ought to go.

Frederick R. Kappel

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend; that would be giving as the angels give.

George MacDonald