director’s News- June 2023

Into the month of June, and I find myself wondering where the past four months since my return have gone. Recently, I had the great delight of helping facilitate an incredible journey for two members of the Ruben Centre staff from Nairobi to Ireland. Ms. Belinda Kamundi, the Head of Ruben Health Centre and a passionate advocate for safeguarding, and Ms. Grace Kyuli, a dedicated teacher with nineteen years of service at Ruben Centre, attended the Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) Conference.

The EREBB Conference, a seven-day event founded on the wisdom of shared gatherings, aims to develop the vision of educational communities worldwide, including Kenya. Inspired by the teachings of Jesus, gospel values, and the spirit of Edmund Rice, the conference participants are united in their commitment to global solidarity and transformational education for justice and liberation. Belinda and Grace, like the disciples of long ago who were sent out two by two, returned full of stories, both great and small. This week, they will present a report at the monthly Centre meeting for project leaders, and we eagerly anticipate their ideas on how the Ruben Centre staff and organization at large can embrace their vision and ideas for a better world.

During my daily walk around Ruben Centre, I decided to pop into the Vocational Training Centre at the weaving unit. To my delight, they were in the midst of delivering 250 sarongs (Kikoi’s) to Sundown Hotel. The weaving unit has been doing excellent work and has now received several orders from various hotels, bringing in good revenue.

Continuing on, I found myself in the maternity unit where the nurses are busy planning for an important upcoming event. It has been five years since the inception of the unit, and I can't help but feel immense joy for the progress we have made. We have successfully delivered over 5,200 babies, marking a significant milestone for the Ruben Centre's maternity services. This milestone acknowledges the dedicated efforts and hard work of the staff, volunteers, and supporters who have contributed to the success of the organization.

As we enter the second term of the school year, one of our challenges has been ensuring that parents of our 3,229 students pay for the two meals cooked for their children. The cost is Kes. 250 per term per child, which amounts to only AUD 6 cents a day thanks to the generous food subsidization by our friends at Team Pankaj Kenya. This challenge arises from the history of free food provision by the UN WFP (World Food Program) for over fourteen years and the belief that government schools don't have fees. Unfortunately, it took nearly two weeks of a locked kitchen and hunger to obtain the necessary funds, enabling the school teachers to allow others who can contribute any amount. At present, most children are now receiving their meals.

Recently, I attended a Year 7 Sub-Committee meeting of the school's Advisory Board. Year 7 marks the first year of the newly created Junior Secondary School. However, the political will did not align with the good educational planning for this transition. In January, Government Primary schools across the country were unexpectedly tasked with hosting Junior Secondary students until dedicated schools are built. This decision put enormous stress on the primary school's physical and human resources. Ruben Centre was allocated only nine teachers for 482 students, resulting in larger class sizes as three junior classes were consolidated into two.

Teacher Rachel proudly leads the largest class in the entire school, consisting of 126 Grade Two students. I enjoy bringing visitors, especially teachers from Australia, into her room and listening to their debriefs. While the British sing "God Save The King," here we love to say, "God Save The Teachers and kids.” On June 16th, Ruben Centre is planning to celebrate "The Day of The African Child," a day created by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to commemorate the tragic event in 1976 when South African police killed hundreds of school children marching for their right to education. All thirteen projects at Ruben Centre are dedicated to serving children, and each project has a good reason to celebrate. Stay tuned for a detailed report on the day's events.

Ruben Centre appreciates the interest shown by visitors from near and far, as we understand that our ongoing existence largely relies on the goodwill of individuals and organizations. In line with this need for support, we invite all of you to continue following us on our website and social media pages. Your continued support and engagement will help us make a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.

By: Br. Frank O’Shea

Edits: GB

Photos: Benson Kagwima