About Ruben Centre
Ruben Centre is a faith-based organization striving for an empowered and just Mukuru community by providing quality education, health, financial and social services to children and families in Mukuru community.
The Ruben Centre is a non-profit, charity organization run by the Christian Brothers African Province. It is one of eight Christian Brother’s project sites across Africa, and offers educational, health and community development programmes to the residents of one of the largest slums in Nairobi (known as both the Ruben Slum as well as Mukuru community).
History of Ruben Centre
The establishment of the primary school in 1986 saw the beginning of what is now known as the Ruben Centre. Sister Mary Killeen, a Mercy Sister was the founder of this school. In 1992, the management of the school was handed over to the Japanese NGO African Education Fund (AEF). In 1995, the first class of KCPE students completed their primary education. However the AEF withdrew after six years, leaving the school and fledgling clinic they had established in a precarious state. Sr. Mary Killeen continued again as the Administrator.
In 1998 the first Teachers Service Commission teachers were employed, and the school was registered as a Kenyan government school. Vocational Classes for Carpentry and Dress Making and Tailoring were also started. In 2000 the Christian Brothers responded to Sr. Mary’s invitation to administer Ruben Centre, as it became known. In 2001, Br. Bob Aron the first Christian Brother Manager initiated some developments, including drainage, playing field and toilets. However the most significant new development was the building of a police post by the Christian Brothers, bringing with it improved security and a new confidence within the local community, concerning the Centre’s permanence. In 2003 the very primitive clinic was replaced by a new modern Clinic, which offered more services. Also that year, the Kenyan government initiated free primary education and this ushered in a huge expansion in the student population. Since then the Ruben Centre has extensively grown and to date we have eight operational programs.