Chidren school

Started in 2002

For the past 10 years, Mary Muthini and her colleague Joseph Cheruiyot have been directingthe Chema Vision School. Apart from being founders, they are both teachers. Mary is an English teacher and Joseph is a mathematics teacher who is also in charge of academics.

In 2009, Mary was working at a local private school when she realized that many otherchildren were missing out on education because they could not afford to pay tuition. Being a mother and teacher with a big heart, Mary decided to start a new school where marginalized children could have a chance for a better future along with a healthy daily meal.

Mary sought the support of her colleague and fellow teacher Joseph Cheruiyot, who also shared the same sentiments. With Kibera having has an influx of homeless children, they envisioned Chema to help these children by getting them to school and providing a nourishing meal.

With the little savings they had, Mary and Joseph rented a building and bought some stationery to get things started. “That is how the ChemaVision School was born. Our next step was moving from door to door looking for children in the slums who could not afford going to school. We were shocked to find children as old as 10 years who had never been to school,” recalls Mary. “We were tasked to convince parents and guardians to let their children come to our school”. Mary and Joseph also knew they had to establish a feeding program for the school. “Food is a very important requirement because you cannot teach hungry children. A well-fed child will concentrate better in class,” said Mary.

“During the initial period, We we bought food from our own pockets. More children would come because of food and the number rose to 45 the following month, and over time the student count grew to 155 children with pupils ranging from Kindergarten to Standard eight (8th grade). “In addition to advancing the children to graduate from high school, the school created employment opportunities for 11 qualified teachers and one cook. With continued employment they can support their families,” said Mary.

Another aspect of the school is guidance and counseling sessions for all the children, with a special focus on girls regarding sexual education. Girls in slums live in abject poverty, lack proper guidance and are sometimes pushed to early marriages and prostitution. “We provide vital information at the different stages of adolescence so girls can take control of their lives,” adds Mary.

Chema Vision School today

230 vulnerable children (95 boys and 135 girls, ages 2 and a half to 15years) Currently, the school is in a rental premise, denying the students access to cocurricular activities outside the school. Our main goal is to acquire a piece of land where the school will have ample space for a conducive learning environment and space.