In the heart of Kibera slum, the New Hope School has emerged as a transformative force since its inception in 2004, proving to be a vital educational hub for the community.
The school, which was started through the sponsorship of New Hope Church with only 68 pupils, later transitioned to a Community Faith Organisation, that has experienced remarkable growth, currently with an enrolment of 700 students and 20 teachers.
It is committed to providing quality education while also addressing the unique needs of learners in the informal settlement, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive despite their circumstances.
With the installation of modern computer labs, New Hope School has become a centre of attraction for school children, thanks to the support from the Turing Trust Organisation and its implementing partner, Habitat for Humanity Kenya, which identified the technological needs and equipped the school with computers.
The sprawling Kibera slum is one of the largest informal settlements in Africa, located within Nairobi and home to nearly 1.5 million people.
In such an overcrowded environment, essential services such as clean water, reliable food, shelter, quality education, and electricity supply are scarcely available.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the school, a team led by Neil Gilchrist, Chief International Officer Turing Trust, along with Country Director Koome Kiragu and Phoebe Mwangangi from Habitat for Humanity, underscored the importance of the visit as they evaluated the school's current digital resources and needs.
The visit was intended to ascertain how the school administration has effectively been utilising the 20 computers donated and digital equipment from the Turing Trust organisation to meet learners’ educational needs, ensuring pupils fully leverage technology during their learning sessions.
Turing Trust Organisation, a key donor providing digital learning equipment for pupils in Kenyan schools, is a global charity organisation dedicated to providing IT resources and training to schools across Africa through its implementing partner, Habitat for Humanity Kenya.
The programme, of which the school is a beneficiary, aims to ensure underprivileged children from rural areas gain access to technology and acquire essential digital skills, just like their counterparts attending better-resourced schools.
Gilchrist expressed his satisfaction with the utilisation of computers while encouraging pupils to continue leveraging digital resources to enhance their education and gain a competitive edge globally.
He pledged to continue supporting the school with tech equipment to transform the lives of underprivileged children in informal settlements who are eager to improve their education.
He implored the administration to safeguard digital resources, highlighting their importance in education and reminding pupils they are privileged to have such equipment, which will significantly enhance their learning experience.
Gilchrist urged teachers to identify software approved by the Education Ministry in Kenya that aligns with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for installation on the computers.
He said integrating these learning tools will facilitate easier learning for the pupils.
Turing Trust Country Director Kiragu urged learners to embrace digital literacy and fully utilise computers for research and assignments, saying ‘the donor’s greatest joy comes from seeing learners actively using these resources.’
Kiragu encouraged pupils to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the equipment.
“The computers we give are not for beauty; they are there to be used,” Kiragu said.
He encouraged the school management to team up with Habitat for Humanity Kenya to fully utilise the computer equipment to enable other schools to benchmark in the future.
Kiragu highlighted the significant opportunities that come with the donation.
“This is the way to go; the purpose is to transfer knowledge, Habitat for Humanity Kenya would be thrilled to see students actively use computers,” he said.
Phoebe Mwangangi said the greatest joy for Habitat for Humanity Kenya is seeing schools effectively utilise the computers provided by donors to transform the children’s lives.
“We are here to support you as Habitat for Humanity Kenya, and we look forward to more partnerships. We are happy to see the computers working well. We trained teachers two weeks ago, so we are pleased to see Vincent Muritu teaching pupils,” she said.
She urged the school administration to safeguard the computers against theft and ensure they remain in good condition.
According to Festus Muendo, the headteacher of New Hope Academy, the school has served as a powerful testament to the resilience and hope that can flourish in the face of adversity.
With a strong emphasis on quality education and community development, Muendo said the school has demonstrated meaningful change that is possible and achievable when the right resources and support are in place.
Founded by Pastor Simon Kuria of New Hope Church, the school gained first support from the New Hope initiative, which came to promote equal education and fight poverty in slums by addressing social challenges.
Muendo said education projects and food programmes, which include meals and porridge for learners, have increased school enrolment and contributed to reducing crime and other social vices among school-going children.
“Many of the schools in the slums are operating in dire straits; children attending these schools lack food. When you manage to feed them, you reach their heart,” Muendo said.
“The FBO, like the New Hope initiative, has undertaken a feeding programme to ensure more pupils come on board; they later started sponsoring many children at the primary, secondary, and university levels.”
Muendo expressed gratitude to Turing Trust and Habitat for Humanity Kenya for their significant support in equipping labs with computers, enhancing the quality of life for pupils facing daily struggles.
“Many learners are now conducting research on their assigned questions and engaging in drawing and design, which empowers them to be more innovative,” he said.
The presence of the school in an informal settlement has been instrumental.
Muendo said key projects like Biashara Project have been empowering women with children enrolled in the school to do beadwork, where they work for 15 days, then get paid, and through the process they are able to support their families and children in the school.
In an effort to tackle school dropouts, crime, and prostitution in slums, Penda project has rolled out a sponsorship programme in the school for bright but underprivileged pupils, supporting their education from primary school through to university.
“Right now, we have more than 1,000 students who have benefitted from the programme; we have 77 in universities and 384 in various secondary schools across Kenya, among others,” Muendo said.
To partly address the issue of school fees, the headteacher said the school launched a ‘Book Fund’ allowing students to pay Sh1000 per term to access books whenever they need.
He said the school prioritises the health of the pupils and has employed a nurse to treat sick children, allowing them to maximise their time in school.
Muendo said the institution is planning to roll out a programme to involve the community to come and use their digital hub, especially during holidays, to learn digital skills, which will help open opportunities in the digital space.
As a result of these efforts, Habitat for Humanity Kenya has enabled many learners to pursue higher education and break the cycle of poverty that has eternally plagued the area.
“The success stories coming from New Hope School highlight the profound impact that dedicated educators and a supportive community can have in transforming lives,” Muendo said.