Hope in the Mathare Slum
In 2006 I met a man in the Mathare slum named Benedict. I asked him if the kids in the slum had any hope of a future. He replied, “knowledge is power”.
At that time the Nairobi Rotary Club sponsored a sewage project in the Mathare slum. I was excited to meet my fellow Rotarians at the site. When I arrived, I was surprised that I was the only Rotarian there. I wondered why would I end up there when nobody else in the club attended. But then I met Pastor Benedict Kiage, and I knew that the Holy Spirit had connected me to this man who was the principal of the Mcedo School.
Later someone told me that sometimes humanitarian groups will sponsor projects, but a lot of times they don’t like to go into the slum. Judging by the dirt and smell of the slum, I totally understood their perspective. But God’s Spirit moved me with compassion for the people of Mathare and we decided to intentionally visit there and bring visiting mission teams into this area to give them the proper perspective of what kind of living conditions some of our fellow man were living in. Pictured is Trisha, leading a mission team from the Lighthouse Christian Church from Washington State.
At that time, the Mcedo school was divided up into individual classrooms scattered throughout the shanty homes made of dirt floors, mud and stick walls, and corrugated metal roofs. The kitchen was in a small separate room, blackened by the lack of proper ventilation. The lunch was to be carried to individual classes in plastic containers that sometimes were spilled or stolen on the way. Pictured are the original kitchen and eating areas.
Despite the meager hope that I saw there, Pastor Benedict had a calm confidence that God would provide all of their needs to make a difference for these kids. Through the years, we have seen them grow from the scattered rooms, to a building made of cement and stone and just recently, an additional complete building of classrooms with prefabricated metal pieces imported from China. Through the years we have done countless projects with the Mcedo school. One of these projects was a library, where our family painted a mural with the bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We have seen this literally come to pass over the last 8 years.
Years ago, God blessed them with a stone building so they didn’t have to meet in separate rooms all over the slum. It was a drastic improvement for the school, but they still had to sit in classrooms and eat on the dirt and there was much more to be done at the school.
in September 2014, two wings of new classrooms were built from a prefabricated design from architects in China. The buildings were completed in less than one month. No more sitting in dirt. No more having rain leak water in the classroom. No more spilling food on the ground.
This year while sitting with Pastor Benedict, we remembered the humble beginnings of the school when we had first met. He bragged about how the community is now desiring to get their kids in the school because many students have performed well in their exams and some have gone on to excellent Colleges and Universities. He reminded me that through providing knowledge for these kids, they have obtained hope of a better future for themselves and their families. Knowledge truly is power.
Later I reflected that his words rang true. But I wondered if it was truly academic knowledge that had got them here, or if it was his faith in knowing God. Sometimes it is not only what you know, it is who you know.
