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The story so far...

Furaha Primary School was originally housed in three mud classrooms; the floors were bare, rough stones and earth on which the children stood or sat, the only concession being an old sailcloth laid on the floor of the room for the youngest pupils. There only educational tool was a dilapidated blackboard that had to be shared between the three classroom. There were no ablution facilities, and the water source was an exposed well from which water was drawn with a rope and bucket.

Since the Furaha Community Project was established by founders, Liz and Martin, donations have provided sufficient funds for:

• a pump and cover for the well
• four permanent classrooms
• a toilet block
• proper seating and tables for the classrooms
• the employment of a fourth teacher
• medicines and food

Because of Kenya’s political climate the price of food has risen considerably; making even staple foods unaffordable for the poor. For many of the children that attend Furaha the school lunch is often the only meal they receive in a day; therefore the Furaha Community Project is also trying to raise sufficient funds to help provide the children of Furaha, and their families, with staple foods that will enable their subsistence. Unlike British people Kenyans do not have the luxury of a national health service. Medical fees are beyond the means of Furaha pupils, so sick children are left untreated unless the community project is able to step in and cover the necessary medical expenses.

Furaha also provides health and hygiene education for girls aged 11 to 16. If the girls attend these classes, they are allowed to play for the centre's three football teams. Girls' football is big in Kenya. In December 2006, their 1st XI finished 3rd in the Coast Area League and reached the final of an adult ladies' cup competition only being beaten in a penalty shoot-out by a team containing four Kenya Internationals. We are desperate to seek separate funding for this branch of the centre's activities so that we may focus on providing specifically educational facilities.

The school is still very much in need of our continued financial support. The next phase of the Project is to:

• build a cook house
• install electricity to the classrooms
• build a watertight store room for school equipment and foodstuffs
• provide a workroom come staff room for the teachers.
• install a drainage system to prevent the repeated flooding of classrooms during the rainy season.
• There is also the issue of ongoing operational costs including books, writing materials, food for school lunches, and teachers salaries (which was previously only paid when money could be raised, usually by tourist donations)