School Children Locked Out: Urgent Need In Kimilili

UPDATE: Link problem fixed. The PayPal button will let you donate directly.

Lia Hadley, spokesperson for the Community Breakthrough Support Mission in Kimilili, Kenya:

Hello. Greetings from Kimilili. Over two hundred pupils reported back this year for the new school year. We opened the school last Monday with a ceremony, only to stand before locked doors on Tuesday. Our landlord decided to close us off from the facilities. Unfortunately, he has a severe problem with alcohol and sloth. After much discussion with the CBSM guardians and community leaders, we have finally accepted the fact that the only solution we have for our dilemma is to relocate and build a temporary school on another plot of land. Fortunately, a community member has offered us a plot of land rent free for this purpose until we can find the funding for purchase of land and build our own school. We have negotiated an emergency loan in order to buy building materials. The community members have generously offered to help with the labour. The result of all this activity is that we will push forward with all earnestness to create a New School Building project. Our goal is to move into our new school at the beginning of 2010. Anyone want to help? Just get in touch with me. Thank you. We would be thankful for any advice.

In case you haven’t been following. CBSM is the same group who had their school burned down by rioting in Nairobi in February , 2007. The Kenyan Army relocated them to temporary housing in Kimilili. They were trying to build a permanent building when the landlord pulled this stunt. Here is the situation:

• Classes are not being held.
• Teachers are not being paid.
• New school site has been found, rent free.
• The new temporary school will cost at least $1500US

Money sent to Kenya has a way of shrinking, but Lia has a PayPal account that will aggregate small donations so they can be combined to do the most good. Larger donations can go through Barclay’s bank. That information is here. If anyone has questions about using either of these services offered there, please direct them on to Lia Hadley at (cbsmkenya (at) gmail (dot) com)

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Tags: Africa, Community Breakthrough Support Mission, Kenya, Kimilili, Nairobi, PayPal