History of Peter’s School and Women’s Center in his own words:

“The school started with tuition from one child who had no opportunity to get to school, that was 2007. Then in December there was an election. Violence [broke out] where many people were killed and property looted. So in 2008, I got two more kids, they become 3 in January.  [Peter had been teaching in another school, but he quit when he saw the need of these vulnerable children. He had only been earning $30/month.]

We met in a room which was not cement, so when it rained, it always flooded. So I used to wake early in the morning to get water out and the floor became so muddy, but I used to teach in such a room.  I used to teach these kids alone and in the evening.  I used private tutoring of high grades for a fee to support myself.  

Before the end of 2008 the number had gone up. Some kids were living with their grandparents because their parents had died of HIV AIDS.  There were no desks, and kids used to sit on the floor when eating their lunch.  

So one day there was a lady who was a believer. She brought me to tutor her son.  He was in grade 8 going to do final primary examinations, so after tutoring, her son did very well. [So] she offered to cement that room for me.  Then another neighbor donated a blackboard to me.  I still have that blackboard.

One of the students I was teaching was doing very well and speaking good English so people started bringing their children to the center due to good work being done.  So when children started being many it was hard because I used to wash those [that] pooped in their clothes and wash toilet. I fetched water from about 60 yards from the building. It was hard work. But I thank God for He enabled me to do all this silly work.  Sometimes I even didn't have food to eat after teaching.

In 2012 I got a volunteer who had come to volunteer at another placement but my friend just convinced him to pay my school a visit.  He was very much touched, and he donated 4 desks.   In 2016 because I was alone and I couldn’t manage to hire a teacher, I just accepted 65 children.  In 2017 I managed to get a woman who was willing to help.  By then the numbers just increased by a few kids and I had 70 kids.  From onwards the number went to 80. Sometimes a teacher will just quit without informing me.  Then I struggled alone with 80 kids.  Can you imagine that?  I had another woman who stole my books because I was not able to pay her salary.  That was a very big setback.”  

Women’s Empowerment Center

“The women’s center was started early in 2019 in the month of March.  After doing my own observation and unwritten research I discovered that most women who brought their children to our school were illiterate, and had no skills, they just in abject poverty. So I decided to look for a way to help them. I realized that they needed education and skills on vocational training. So through IVHQ through NVS [volunteer placement organizations] we came up with women empowerment program. They were looking for someone to work with in Mombasa, so they visited different groups of women trying to find out the group that had smart objectives for helping women. I was interviewed with official from IVHQ and finally our women group qualified. Then through volunteers, we have managed to set the program. Volunteer called Laura from Mexico raised money and rented a room for the women and bought materials for salon and women started to learn how to braids, before that we were meeting under a tree. Gabrielle from Colombia rented for us another room for dress making and bought 5 sewing machines. Women are now being taught how to make dresses . And many volunteers have come and made an impact through teaching women many different things. The teachers who teach are two, and they're paid.”