KENYA — COVID-19 is a global pandemic and has caused worldwide upheavals. But for a small Christian preschool in the slum of Nakuru town in Kenya, a government shutdown of schools countrywide has not prevented the small staff of 8 Christians from continuing to care for these precious little children. GNA Kenya reporter Tony Were brings this story on how they are defying the pandemic to make sure the little angels have something to eat and get a little bit of education even while they continue to live in very deplorable conditions.

This precious little prayer at Prince of Peace Primary School has not rung out for several months since the school was shut down due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. The school is located in Nakuru town which is the 4th largest urban area in Kenya and is located about 160 kilometres West of the Capital City of Nairobi. This slum school was started in 2017 as a means of reaching out to the poorest children who may never have had the opportunity to get an education.

Benjamin Mbatia is the Founder and Director of Prince of Peace Primary School. He himself grew up in the slums and was privileged to get sponsorship for his education. He is now a University Lecturer and says that his difficult childhood in the slums inspired him to start this pre-school school which is founded on Christian values.

These are children who come from very deplorable backgrounds and so, being at home, they’re exposed to so much danger. In the standard situation that happens in the slum, the insecurity there. You also understand the nature of the homes they live in. There could be child abuse. These children could easily go back to bad behavior.

In 2020 when the COVID-19 Pandemic first hit the country, these children missed out on 9 months of schooling. Fearing for their wellbeing, Benjamin and his staff have been making their way through the slums on a weekly basis to check up on the children and make sure they have something to eat.

Our members of staff visit the children at least once a week to do two things. One is to assist the needs of the situation. The food news particularly and also to offer them some basic tuition.

With the recent government directive that learning is scheduled to resume in all schools, Prince of Peace is rushing to put on final touches to the building of new classrooms so that they will be ready to accommodate these little troops when they come marching back through these open gates again.

Read more news on Slum Ministry and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Missions Box.

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