"I have never taught anywhere where you get a cheer on arrival!"

I don't think I would have chosen to go to Nairobi but because the original SMILE placement fell through that is where God put us - and I'm so glad he did! I went out to Kenya with Kate Wilson and Hannah Cunliffe. Together we saw so many answers to prayer within such a short space of time - somewhere to live, projects to be involved with and encouragement and support from so many people. 

THE RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHILDREN'S CENTRE

Riverside is a project set up and run by local people who attend Riverside Baptist Church in the slums of Kawangware. The school is made up of children living in the slums, including Sudanese refugees and a handful of street boys who actually live in one of the classrooms. The building is basic, a tin shack with dirt floors, no windows or electricity. The only furniture is a few benches. The school has about 150 pupils but no trained teachers.

I worked as a volunteer teacher in the school for two days a week alongside Kate, teaching English and Art. We also set up an After School Bible club which we handed over to group of ex-street boys from the Light and Power Centre (see below). The children were great to teach and especially enjoyed painting and crafts: it was common to see them turned into little tribal warriors with potato-printed faces. In the Easter holiday Class 6 decorated the classroom walls with bright designs and pictures.

Resources at Riverside were scarce, so we had to buy books and materials for the lessons. We also bought an exercise book and pencil for every child (previously, they had been sharing them) and a first aid kit. Thanks to the support of people back home, we were also able to pay for the floor to be concreted. My home church now has strong links with Riverside, supporting them prayerfully and financially. 

Teaching there was extremely rewarding: I have never taught anywhere where you get a cheer on arrival and a round of applause when you leave! It was also exhausting: Kate and I were teaching up to 80 children all going crazy with pots of paint in the Nairobi heat! 

(click here more information on Riverside) 

THE LIGHT AND POWER CENTRE

Lunchtime at the Light and Power Centre (Click any image to enlarge)

The Light and Power Centre is run by three local Christians in the slums of Kawangware. Mary Ann is a trained teacher, Augusto is a social worker, and Morris is the project leader. Their aim is to provide care and rehabilitation for street children and those who come from particularly deprived families. 

With Kate and Hannah I went to the centre twice a week: mornings were hearing children read, teaching small groups and playing outdoor games, afternoons were craft activities. 
Every Thursday the Centre opens its doors to street children who come for a meal, play games and wash their clothes. One Thursday I went with Augusto to collect the street children: it was an overwhelming experience to scramble over the rubbish tip where they live. The children we met were so high on glue they were unable to walk and talk properly. 
The Centre is a hive of activity, with its educational and craft activities, the welding workshop, a small farm and a busy outdoor kitchen which provides daily meals for 200 children. The older boys at the centre also run an excellent Bible club, which features a puppet show, now being shown at other local schools including the Riverside Baptist Children Centre.

The Light and Power Centre is so much more than a school: it's a little community offering purpose and dignity to the children and teenagers who go there. It was great to see the love of Jesus being shown there in a practical way. 

(click here to go to the SMILE pages)

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Crosslinks magazine April 2003 index