Everything Under The Sun: A Small School In Nairobi Offers Big Dreams

Some of the children at CCEC work with tablets.

Even in some of the poorest and most forbidding parts of the world, where children are found, there will be school. Most of the children in these parts of the world face serious deprivation every day. Yet, where there is a school and education available, there is hope. Such is the CHEERY CHILDREN EDUCATION CENTRE (CCEC), located in Kibera slum, part of Nairobi, Kenya.

Kibera is one of the largest slums in the world, home to approximately 1.5 million people. The children who live here are some of the most vulnerable anywhere; many are neglected or abandoned. Make no mistake, these children are at high risk for illiteracy, illness, lack of hope, sexual abuse, and continued generational extreme poverty.

It is this small school, CCEC, where there is hope in abundance. This school provides needed humanitarian assistance, helping the children meet their survival needs. They provide nurturing, a feeling of family, that vital education, life skills, and character education. But it's the hope that they can have better lives that is key.

School in Kenya is not a free option. Even when the government provides free tuition to all primary schools, the children still can't attend without paying school fees, buying uniforms, and bringing their own food. Even then, there might not be enough desks and supplies; many classrooms are overcrowded. So, without CCEC, there is no hope, no opportunity, no chance of moving out of the generational cycle of poverty.

CCEC has three programs for children. They reach down to the very beginning and provide baby care, caring for the babies of parents and guardians who cannot provide enough food and other essentials. In order to work, these same parents and guardians would otherwise abandon these very youngest. The nursery program provides care for older children just able to begin school. This program utilizes volunteer teachers and staff to provide the care. The primary program keeps children on grade level through eighth grade.

This school program needs continued contributions to keep the programs going. Frequently, various organizations learn about the school, and mount drives to get needed supplies and moneys to meet the children's needs. A one-person kindness generator is Gabby's Acts of Kindness, which launched a March donation drive.

A wonderful day - workbooks have arrived!

Gabby is a young girl, who lives in the United States and likes to share her acts of kindness with the rest of the world. She wrote about her contribution to CCEC, "In December, I learned about the Cheery School in Kenya. The story broke my heart. If the school didn't raise enough funds they would need to close. I couldn't imagine not being able to go to school. I love it, we learn so much, and we enjoy every moment of it. We all helped raise funds and they were able to rebuild. Since then we have skyped with them and sent videos from school. I was so touched that I emailed the Principal of the Cheery School, Jairus Makambi to ask him how I could help more...I will be collecting unsharpened pencils and blackboard chalk until April 1. Once all the donations have been received we will get it over to them in Kenya...Thank you for helping to spread kindness and make a difference in 2017. Gabby" I wish you the best in collecting for this deserving school.