A charity group announced plans to construct a Grade nine classroom at a school in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums at a cost of Sh500,000 as part of the efforts to support vulnerable children in Nairobi.
The move aims at addressing infrastructure gaps facing community schools under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The announcement was made on December 8 during a tree lighting event hosted by Lazizi Welfare Foundation in Nairobi, which was attended by pupils from Nifikie Christian School.
Under the CBC system, learners are required to transition to junior secondary after Grade 8.
However, many schools in informal settlements lack the facilities needed to support the new level, leaving learners vulnerable to disruption.
Lazizi Welfare Foundation project manager Steve Raburu said the planned classroom, estimated to cost Sh500,000, would enable students to continue learning within their community.
“Without junior secondary facilities, many children are forced to leave familiar learning environments or drop out altogether,” Raburu said.
“This classroom is intended to ensure that learners from this school can transition to Grade 9 without interruption.”
The proposed facility is expected to serve 33 learners, with capacity to accommodate future cohorts.
Nifikie Christian School director Stacy Kefuka said infrastructure constraints remain one of the biggest challenges for low-income schools implementing CBC.
“CBC has increased pressure on small community schools that were not designed to host junior secondary,” Kefuka said. “Support from partners has become critical in ensuring children do not lose access to education simply because of where they live.”
She added that the school serves more than 300 learners and relies on partnerships to sustain feeding programmes and access to learning materials.
The tree lighting event marked the end of the school term and offered pupils a rare opportunity to participate in an off-campus activity.
Organisers said the event was intended to expose learners to experiences beyond their immediate environment.
Lazizi Welfare Foundation has been operational for two years and implements programmes in education, healthcare and community development in different parts of the country.
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