Mama Ngina School is located in the heart of Nakuru, Kenya. This was our first project and came about when we were informed that children were fainting in the classrooms because they hadn’t eaten. We had to do something. We began by improving their outdoor kitchen area and then completed an inside kitchen facility. We also installed a Jiko (an industrial-sized stove and cooking pot). Now the children eat nutritious lunches. We provide the entire meal for many orphans and have improved the meals of hundreds more just by building a facility that can accommodate all of them. The grandmother of one of these orphans told us that she could not provide for her grandson. She said he wanted to attend school but couldn’t because he often fell asleep or fainted in class. Since we have been involved, he not only began attending school but also caught up and finished his primary education and is on to secondary school. With tears in her eyes, she thanked us, saying he is now able to dream of a bright future, one she could have only wished for him.

The schools in Kenya are very overcrowded and often have very poor facilities. A law was passed that allows all children to attend school for free as long as they own a uniform and a pair of black shoes. Kenya is also a country with an incredible amount of orphans due to the huge AIDS epidemic, many other diseases, and the internal conflicts between tribes. Orphans have a difficult time attending school, not only because of the uniform requirement, but also because they lack any regular substantial food source. They often have to use their days looking for anything that can fill their stomachs. We want to make a difference in orphans’ lives, and that is why What Matters Ministries and Missions decided to reach out to as many schools as possible in Nakuru, Kenya.