This video was created in 2017.
In 2007 a Kenyan NGO called Orphelins Sans Frontières, East Africa, started KRC with funding received from the French Embassy. The objective of KRC is to support these informal schools by improving schooling conditions for the children and help them to access educational materials, provide ongoing training support for teachers and ultimately to empower the local community to provide this.
There are only 3 government-funded schools in Kangemi with a capacity of 6.000 children. As a result, a number of non-state “informal” primary schools have opened up with very limited resources often having to rely on community members to volunteer as teachers. Those schools are made of basic tin sheets and have no proper school furniture and equipment. Most schools have no or very limited teaching and learning material. Over 15.000 children have no other schooling option. The Kangemi Resource Centre aims to build the capacities of informal schools particularly through teacher education and access to educational resources.
From wherever you are, you can support us by fundraising to enable us to run and extend our programs. Create your own event: a dinner party, a sports competition, a concert, etc. Have fun and contribute to a good cause!
Use the fundraising platforms: start a GoFundMe.
Be our ambassador, talk about us and raise awareness amongst your friends. KRC believes that investing in education is the key to ending poverty.
Support our projects: if you want a better world, help people living in developing countries to access education.
Link your school or learning institution to KRC or to one of the informal schools that it supports. This is a great opportunity to get an insight and better understand what life and learning are like in a low-income area of Nairobi. This is a chance to connect with new people and feel part of a global world.
Get in touch with us so that we can help you set up a partnership with a local school.
KRC has a wonderful and committed team of 10 permanent employees who work together with volunteers to serve the community.
Hilda takes care of KRC daily admin and finances. She is a dedicated and trustworthy member of the team.
Esther coordinates KRC operations with a great efficiency and commitment. She is passionate about community work and education. She has adopted KRC as her second family and home.
Anna is a renowned and experienced educationist. She has KRC at heart and shows an incredible dedication to the cause.
Dorsila is our top financial and technical advisor. She ensures KRC processes are efficient and meet high accounting standards.
Peter is a journalist who has been KRC old friend. He provides technical guidance using his long experience with NGOs’ work in Kenya.
George is an educationist who is actively involved in humanitarian world in Africa. He has provided guidance to KRC since inception.
Alix is our Belgian founder who had the vision 15 years back. She is a teacher and the mother of 4 children. She has been heavily and passionately involved in KRC until she left Kenya in 2017. Since then, she oversees KRC and fundraises to keep it running and growing.
Kangemi Resource Centre and Mama Africa are financially supported by the Kenyan NGO Orphelins Sans Frontières.
The French Embassy, The Swiss Cooperation, The Italian Embassy, The Belgian Embassy, Trocaire, Generation Europe Foundation, Philipson Foundation, SkyJuice Foundation, Médecins Sans Frontières, Caritas International, The Order of Malta, The Diplomatic Spouses Association, The German Church of Nairobi, Computer for School Kenya, Oxford, KLB publishers and Text Book Center, International School of Kenya, Peponi House Preparatory School, the Lycée Denis Diderot, Access Kenya, Nestlé Equatorial African Region, Safaricom, Basco Paints, Airtel, the Comrads, la Communauté Catholique Francophone de Nairobi, Suas Ireland, Smart Cook, DOT.
Kangemi Resources Centre 2021 – designed by Tanguy FAVRE
Alix, a Belgian teacher living in Kenya, takes over the Kenyan NGO Orphelins Sans Frontières East Africa (OSFEA) and starts Mama Africa sewing workshop originally to help underprivileged women to pay their children’s school fees. Fighting poverty through education is her conviction…
With funds from the French Embassy, OSFEA opens, in a 3 roomed tin building in Kangemi slum, a small School Resource Centre that offers a library, a computer room and teacher training to support 57 informal schools. The objective is to improve schooling conditions and build the capacities of informal schools.
The Resources Centre is a success. Needs are growing…To make the project sustainable, OSFEA invests in the purchase of a plot of land in Kangemi to build a permanent Centre thanks to funds raised from European foundations.
OSFEA starts developing feeding programs to fight malnutrition amongst school children.
The construction of the Kangemi Resource Centre is ongoing: a 1000 m2 building that will host a library, an audio-visual room, a computer room, a kitchen, a playground, a nursery room, adequate classrooms and offices, and of course Mama Africa workshop. KRC aims to empower the community and does the job!
The needs and demands are expanding and diversifying…
Esther, a passionate Kenyan social worker, joins the team to help Alix in the day-to -day management.
KRC opens a Day Care/Early Childhood Centre where working parents can safely and affordably leave their young ones.
To improve school children health and wellbeing, KRC starts a dental health promotion & care program and, through the NGO MSF, reproductive health education.
Kangemi Resource Centre has become a community project providing education and essential services to Kangemi residents, targeting particularly the 13.000 children and 800 teachers of the informal schools. The Centre relies on local community participation and is supported by a number of donors, sponsors and volunteers.
Every day, over 250 children and 50 adults benefit from KRC services.
Thanks to the Swiss cooperation, OSFEA initiates the sack garden project in Kangemi schools to supplement school lunches with vegetables and promote urban agriculture and the perspective of food self-sufficiency within the community.
Maji Safi Kiosk, a water distribution kiosk, opens at KRC through the support of Siemens Foundation and the Australian High Commission, to allow schools and community to access drinking water at minimum cost and become aware of water, hygiene and health issues. Community entrepreneurship training is also offered to the youth through the Youth Banner NGO.
A group of Girl Guides leaders is created by KRC and holds meetings to empower young girls. KRC intends to promote scouting values and create scout groups within Kangemi schools.
Kidogo social enterprise partners with KRC to support, develop and formalize “baby care” centres in Kangemi.
A water delivery tuktuk 3 wheeled moto carrier is offered by Suntory Beverages Ltd to deliver water to all Kangemi schools.
KRC launches campaigns for safe water, hygiene and hand washing in school. Thanks to Suntory Beverages Ltd, selected schools receive water containers, dispensers and hand washing stations.
SUAS Ireland partners with KRC to launch Fast Forward education program in 30 informal schools. Teachers are trained in teaching using connected tablets.
KRC launches into environmental education thanks to Tetra Pak support. The objective is to encourage youth to adopt green actions. Selected schools receive sorting bins in order to recycle the waste.
A KOKO, alternative environmental friendly fuel distributor is set up in KRC.
The Centre is refreshed and repainted with bright colours thanks to Suntory Beverages Ltd. KRC is more busy and lively than ever!
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, KRC closes for 4 months before partly reopening in July. The Kenyan school system stops for almost 1 year. To respond to food insecurity, food packages are distributed to the most vulnerable local families. Reading clubs are organised in children’s homes to compensate for the lack of schooling.
A borehole is drilled at KRC thanks to Caritas! Water becomes available in unlimited quantities!
KRC launches “Post Covid-19 safe return to school” in Kangemi. The goal is to enhance hygiene and health and wellbeing education within Kangemi informal schools.
BE 10 210047156604
Communication: P1233/OSF/ Kenya
Tax deduction from 40 € for Belgian residents – Caritas retains 8% of the donation as an administrative cost.
Orphelins Sans Frontiere
6428750038 at Commercial Bank of Kenya- Westlands Branch
Swift Code: CBAFKENX
Although KRC is partly self-sustaining through the participation of all its users, funds are always needed and much appreciated for new projects or to extend existing ones.
pays for 1 school textbook for the library
pays for 1 distribution of porridge to 200 school children
pays for 1 sack garden with vegetables
