For the children of Kibera, one of the world’s largest slums, the only way out is through education. The Children of Kibera Foundation is dedicated to helping these children receive a quality education. The Red Rose School is our major project serving orphans and vulnerable children of elementary school age.

Education in Kenya is technically free for students from nursery age through eight grade. In practice however, the public schools are dramatically and incredibly overcrowded. The schools in Kibera are especially overwhelmed. A typical public school first grade class has 85 students and 1 teacher. Children share desk space and take turns sitting because there is not enough space for everyone. Books, while treasured, are virtually non-existent. In every way, the public schools and the children therein are struggling. By the seventh and eight grades, many students give up and drop out. With the challenges facing the public school system, many children, especially orphans, are refused admission.

The Red Rose School was opened to offer children, all of whom are poor and some of whom are orphans, a place to learn. Red Rose receives no government funding. Families who can afford to pay something make incredible sacrifices to keep their child in Red Rose and out of the public school alternative. Children who cannot afford to pay tuition rely on the of The Children of Kibera Foundation and on the generosity of donors.

In 2007 through the donations of wonderful people, Children of Kibera Foundation fully sponsored 35 children. We also paid teachers’ salaries, built and furnished a new classroom, provided new uniforms, created a library, built a computer lab out of donated laptops and helped the school add a third grade. In 2008, after the election turmoil, we know that the need for our help will be even greater. Many families who could pay tuition have lost their business due to looting and fires. Many others have lost their homes. Please consider helping.

Through the Children of Kibera Foundation, simple gifts make extraordinary differences. Here are some examples of the power of your donation.

$10 = buys 5 pairs of new, red uniform socks
$35 = provides 1 new uniform including a red sweater, a white shirt and a dress for the girls or khaki slacks for the boys
$85 = sponsors 1 child for three months of school
$100 = buys 5 pairs of good, leather uniform shoes (a real scarcity)
$250 = sponsors 1 child’s tuition and meals for a full year
$500 = pays the school’s rent for 3 months
$1200 = pays the salary of one teacher for a full year
$2500 = builds a new classroom at the school
$5000 = pays for 3,000 meals (or food for 100 kids for a month)
$10,000 = a leadership donation towards the purchase of the school’s land
$30,000 = Secures the school’s future by purchasing the school’s land, which is currently rented

To learn more about the Red Rose School, check out their blog at http://redrosechildren.blogspot.com/