Kariobangi

Greetings from Kariobangi!

Dear friends, I trust that God has kept you well. It is exciting to partner with you as we do the great transformational work that God has called us to do in the Kariobangi community. Receive warm regards and love from the students and staff at the Kariobangi school. You mean a lot to us!

Veronicah Kalekye Mukula
Head Teacher, Kariobangi

Hope Transforms: A Success Story

Mark* is a Grade 7 student at Kariobangi Center. He lives in the Githembe area of Kariobangi with his loving Christian family of six. He is the second-born among four children, lovingly raised by both parents.

During regular school visits to monitor student attendance and well-being, our team noticed that Mark was often absent or would excuse himself during the day due to illness. One day, he went to the social workers' office complaining of stomach pain and asked to call his mother. When she was contacted, she shared that Mark often suffered from stomach aches and had been receiving treatment for ulcers.

After repeated complaints, we decided to follow up more closely. It was recommended that he receive counseling support to help him express himself and cope with emotional stress. We organized group sessions with the Grade 7 students, where we discussed the importance of emotional expression. It became evident that many students, including Mark, were not free to open up about personal issues. We encouraged them to seek support from trusted adults, including parents, teachers or social workers, when facing challenges.

Over time, Mark became more comfortable visiting the social workers' office. However, we noticed a slight change in his walking posture, and he appeared to be in constant pain. We requested that the mother take him for a medical check-up at MOHI’s medical clinic, but before she could do so, his condition had worsened. He was sent to another hospital, where doctors discovered he needed emergency surgery.

The social worker and the class teacher visited him in the hospital. The doctors confirmed that the issue was not related to ulcers, as the family had thought. We thank God that the surgery was successful, and today, Mark is back to school: healthy, happy, and full of life. He has demonstrated incredible resilience and personal growth. He now serves as the leader of the Grade 7 students and plays an active role in encouraging his classmates to speak out and seek help whenever they face challenges.

Mark and his family expressed deep appreciation to the Kariobangi fraternity for their continued prayers and support throughout Mark’s journey to healing. Special thanks to Mark's classmates who sent him special messages of encouragement while he was in the hospital.

*Name changed for privacy

• We are very proud of our music team for competing in the Kenya Music Festival and finishing in fourth place at the regional level.
• We thank God for the opportunity our school had to take part in the Day of the African Child event, organized in partnership with local community leaders.
• This term was filled with exciting moments, which included an engaging debate between our 7th and 8th graders and a memorable school talent show that showcased the creativity and skills of our students.
  
  

• We were excited to have a team from Antioch Christian Church visit us this term. They conducted VBS for over 600 students, which was focused on trusting God. The students had a great time doing crafts, Bible lessons, dance and also enjoyed the yummy snacks. The Antioch team also had transformative home visits in the Kariobangi community.

• Thank God with us for His unfailing love and help this far. We are grateful to him for supportive and loving partners and to all the stakeholders for their immense support of our school. 
• Pray for the sponsorship of our students who are not yet sponsored.

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