A Canadian school principal has come to the rescue of 220 orphaned children attending a school in Nairobi.
A report by The Sault Star paper in Ontario, Canada, on Sunday, November 7, indicated that retired Korah Collegiate and Vocational School principal Holly Wickett and a group of volunteers have offered to build a new school for students attending Compass School, west of Nairobi.
The school supports orphaned children as well as refugees and accords them access to education.
Wickett told the press that the Kenyan Government was in the process of repossessing the property on which the school stands.
The group, however, was gifted a parcel of land a kilometer away on which construction of a three-room building has already began. The construction of another storey building is still in the pipeline.
A group known as Tumaini Afrika has already pledged Ksh2.4 million (US$24,000) for the school's construction. An additional contribution of Ksh2.6 million (US$26,000) is also expected to enhance the construction of a new home for the school.
“We’ll be carrying on probably for a few years in terms of continuing to build there so all the kids can be serviced.
"The kids are thrilled. They’re so excited that this is going on. They’ll really have a real type of school,” stated Wickett.
The upcoming building will have indoor washrooms and a kitchen to cater for the students who are in grade 1 to grade 8.
Six members from the group had visited Kenya in 2020 and distributed aid worth Ksh 700,000 but pinpointed on Compass School for its major project.
“We’ve realized it’s the neediest of all the places we’ve gone," added Wickett.
A member of the group, which has helped the school since 2014, noted that they are compelled to investing in the children's future following their close relationship.
“You just can’t help but fall in love and just want to do something for the future of these children. Over the years that relationship has just grown deeper and more committed," stated Tumaini member Judith McLeish.
