The Girl's & Boy's Schools of Meru, Kenya Africa

Sister Chris, who spent three years in Kenya and returned last summer, spoke first and told members that in 2000 it was Fr. Francis Riwa (pictured below), an ordained priest, who was credited with getting impoverished boys in Meru off the street, give them an education and a home so they could eventually make something of themselves. Meru is a very poor city in Kenya near the equator.  The St. Francis Boy's Home was eventually built and is in full operation to this day.

 

Work expanded to include girls as well many of whom had been abused physically and sexually, she said. They began by attending a makeshift school that started "under a mango tree". They were brought meals from the boys school daily just one mile down the road from where they were gathered. Due to the violence in this area, Fr. Riwa undertook to build a school for them which also served as their living quarters. It later accepted young girls who were orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic there, or from very poor homes, or from homes where it was too violent to live.

 

In 2004, Fr. Riwa established the St. Clare Centre for Girls (K through 12). The first group of seniors will graduate this year. Sister Kathryn continued the presentation by showing photographs of the female students particularly who were benefitting from the work of Fr. Riwa in Meru. All of the girls carry out normal household duties, retrieve drinking water, wash clothes, gather firewood, etc. Their only way out of poverty, she said, was through education. Typically when they start school, they know only their native language and are taugh to speak English by the time they graduate. They also learn Swahili. The girls read their English Bibles every day and attend church services on Sunday! Liesure time includes reading, singing and tribal dancing and playing various board games. She said that she was amazed at how positive these girls were inspite of all that had happened to them.

 

It was about four years ago, Patty said, that the club heard that Siena Heights University had a connection with schools for boys and girls in Meru, Kenya. Just this year the club met with president Sister Peg to explore the possibility of establishing a scholarship fund that would be given to a student there wishing to further their education there.

 

Sr. Kathryn said that her heart was still in Kenya and that she would not soon forget the students she worked with. When she and Sr. Chris arrived home late last year and at the urging of a colleague, persuaded Sr. Peg to grant a scholarship to one student from the school for one year which she did. An anonymous donor also came forward and pledged room and board for one student for four years (that is $36,000). Because of this generosity, then, SHU will be accepting one of the femal graduates from St. Clare's Girls Center in Meru, Kenya Africa into their Freshman class this fall!