School Construction in Kenya

About two years ago, Stu and Linda Ross, The Outreach Foundation’s Mission Staff in East Africa, sent an urgent plea for help to friends in the U.S. and UK. The Rosses had been asked by Rev. Peter Kenyanjui, former PCEA Deputy Moderator, to visit the Ngure Primary School because the school was in critical condition and needed help. The school building was falling down and had been condemned by the local authorities. There were huge cracks in the walls, and the school board was fearful that the walls would collapse and the roof would fall on the children. There were 640 children attending the school at the time. If it closed, all those children would not have a school to attend.

The area is very poor. The resources to solve the problem were simply not available. Soon after visiting the school with Rev. Kenyanjui, the Rosses held a meeting with a local Member of Parliament, Lewis Nguyai, who had also called the Rosses to talk about doing something with the school. After the meeting, it was agreed that Lewis would find money to construct the foundation and The Outreach Foundation would raise money to complete the school. Although problems of this magnitude in Kenya normally take a long time to resolve, the foundation slab was ready in six months. In the meantime, The Outreach Foundation had raised almost enough money to complete the five classroom block that was needed. By November of 2011, the building was finished. In February of 2012 a team from West Point, MS painted the whole structure. The completed block of classrooms was ready to hand over to the school board on February 22, 2012.  The school block looked beautiful compared to the dangerous, dingy, mud floor building it replaced.

We want to thank all those who sent gifts for the Ngure project and for other school construction in Kenya this year. Schools are an important way to evangelize, encourage, and develop a nation. Churches and particularly our global partners including PCEA Kenya are making a big difference. These students now have a beautiful, safe place to study. The headmaster said he expects an increase in the test scores because of these improved facilities. We could not have done it without your support in gifts and prayers. So, we thank you. And as we would say in Swahili, “asanteni sana.”
 
Stu and Linda Ross
East Africa Coordinators