by Katie Ouma, GBHT Director, Nairobi
Lydia, GBHT’s first preschool teacher, with our preschoolers.
There have been few opportunities for young children to attend preschool in Kibagare. We have been praying for the right time to fill this gap, and have decided – in a leap of faith – that the time is now! Our first task was to convince community parents of the need for and importance of early childhood education. So, we started with an invitation-only meeting with parents of potential students.
“When do you think children should know their colors?” Sonny asked these parents. “Age 5”, one parent answered. “Age 7,” another parent suggested. I walked our son, 2 years old, up to a mural on the wall and asked him to identify the color. “Blue,” he responded.
The parents were shocked that a child so young could know his colors. Many adults in Kibagare have thought that preschool age children are too young to learn, so they have been ignored as students. And that is exactly why we decided to open a preschool!
We know full and well the impact and importance of early childhood education – especially for children in disadvantaged communities like Kibagare. We also know that we are equipped to fill this gap in Kibagare, in terms of staff and facility. So, GBHT has opened Kibagare Hope Center Preschool! We have started our first class with 15 students, ages 3-5, all of whom are eager to learn. At the parents’ meeting, the parents were ecstatic and so thankful that their child was chosen to be a part of this preschool. We are grateful that GBHT will be able to teach these children and to share the love of Christ with them!
We have asked the parents to pay a small monthly fee for their child to attend preschool. This fee in no way covers the cost to operate the preschool, but it is instead a way to make sure the parents are fully committed to their children attending the school. We are praying that God will help us meet the financial needs to operate this preschool. We will be applying for grants and seeking other avenues of support. GBHT’s long-term goal is to have a school in Kibagare for children from preschool age through 6th grade. This would be a huge step in helping stop the generational cycles of poverty in this community. We have started small with this dream and vision in mind. If you would like to help give towards the operating costs of the preschool, you may do so here with a tax-deductible donation to our general fund.
Thank you for your continued financial and prayer support of the work that GBHT is doing in Kibagare and with children living on the streets of Nairobi. You are making a difference in the lives of children who matter!