The Recada Education Centre school project is situated in a densely populated slum environment, in between 10ft x 10ft shanty dwellings, with poor drainage and limited space for basic infrastructure. Currently the school has a total population of 133 children from pre-primary classes (PP1 & PP2) to primary grade 3 (PG3). The project works with volunteer staff, including a director, an administrator, 6 teachers, and 3 support staff (2 cooks and a watchman).
The school offers formal education according to the Kenya Government approved competency-based curriculum (CBC). In addition, the children are involved in extra-curricular activities alongside other schools, including sports, educational tours and drama festivals. Since most parents leave their dwellings very early in the morning to search for odd jobs to get money for at least one meal, most children come to school hungry and could stay for a whole day without anything to eat. For this reason, the Centre decided to provide porridge for the children, and occasionally when funds are available, vegetables and ugali (made from maize flour). In addition, the children come together every Saturday for Bible teaching. The main beneficiaries of the Recada Education Centre are the highly vulnerable children in the slums of Mathare. The secondary beneficiaries are the parents/guardians of the children who can go about their business in peace, knowing that their children are safe in school. Most children in the slums can easily go to the streets, start abusing drugs, and getting involved in crime.
