Visit to Kambe Timboni School (part supported by the Kenya Fund)
Last month I visited Kenya and stayed with our former minister, Rev. Charles Makonde, in the village. The school now has 300+ pupils now and I could see how much of a difference our feeding programme has made. The villagers instigated the foundation of the school and many families find the feeding essential if they are to send all the children to school. Now older children don’t have to stay at home to look after younger siblings and a well-nourished child studies more easily. Some of the older children speak very good English (their third language) so that I was able to talk to them. They have great targets for the future, that some of them will achieve, and many of these want to help support their parents who have struggled to keep them at school.
On a Friday the children have a lunch of rice and beans but on other days they have ugali and maize. At their midmorning break they drink a “porridge”. To give an idea of costs – I bought a 90Kg sack of maize harvested by the villagers for KS3000 (to raise funds for the church) which is about £24. The school uses 30Kg a week. Unfortunately, because of more unfavourable exchange rates, it is becoming harder to provide this money. The villagers bring firewood, for cooking, to the school as a contribution to costs.
I also had a meeting with the Church Wives. They were so welcoming and I felt immediately at home. They sent their greetings and presented me with a very heavy basket of produce that they had harvested.
Charles is held in very high regard there with many coming to him for advice and support.
I can only give a brief report but please have a word with me if you want to know more. If you want to see where the school is, go to Google map Kambe Timboni Primary/Junior School, Kilifi County, Mombasa.

Cas Mitchell