MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Gatoto Secondary School Project

The Dream:

To build a secondary school in Mukuru Slums in Nairobi. My visit to the school in 2004 left massive positive imprints on my heart. I was inspired by the children who were so grateful to be given a chance for a better life through the vehicle of education. Many studied by day and begged by night, to help themselves and their families survive. However after Class 8, many of these young potential leaders, due to an acute lack of funds, drop out. They couldn't afford to pursue a secondary education and continue the dream. Remember for many, the only food they get all day is at the school.

That is why I committed one hundred per cent to raising the necessary funds to give them back their future. You can help too. As little as €5 a month can make a major contribution to a child’s secondary school education.

Send cheque marked "Gatoto School Fund" to Kevin Kelly, Polleeney, Furbo, Galway, Ireland.

Set up standing order:

Gatoto Ireland Account Details:
Bank: Permanent TSB
Branch: O Connor Square, Tullamore
Name: Gatoto School Fund Limited
Account details: 88281848
Sort Code: 990721

Note: Gatoto School Fund is a registered charity in Ireland that raises funds in support of Gatoto Primary School. Company. Number: 354476 Charity Number: CHY 15077

Latest News

September 2007 Newsletter released

About Gatoto Secondary School Project

Background:

Gatoto is a community-led primary school in a shantytown of Nairobi, where the average income is less than $1/day. Gatoto provides high-quality holistic education to 900 students for a total cost of less than $70/year per child. While some of this cost is covered by the $8/year school fees, the majority is provided by outside donors, including the local community.

Despite the challenges of living in the slums, the children consistently perform well in academic and co-curricular activities.

Even with its very limited resources, Gatoto manages to score extremely well in standardised tests. In 1994, Gatoto scored dead last in its Division in academic results. Today, the school is ranked in the top 10% of schools in Nairobi (out of approx 1,500) by academic results. Furthermore, the amount of children sitting the Kenya Certificate Of Primary Education (KCPE) has steadily increased since the school began. In 2001, 50 students sat the KCPE. This compares with 41 candidates in 2000 and 36 in 1999. The school has collected the award for the best results in the KCPE exams of a community school in its Division (out of 18 schools). Additionally, the school has made significant advances the retention of students.

The three significant reasons for the vast improvement in academic results are the food program, improvements in the qualifications of the teachers, and a donation of basic school text books.

Visionary Team:

The school is run by the Head and Deputy Head teachers, Betty Nyagoha and Joseph Aloo. Joseph was hired in 1997, while Betty has been with the project since the start. Both are heavily involved with the long-term vision and development of the school, as well as fundraising.

When Betty was a little girl, she used to "admire and envy her teachers" and always dreamt of working at a school. In 1989, she got a job teaching Home Science in the Rift Valley Province. In 1993, she moved to Mukuru in Nairobi and started a business selling beans. In 1994, her business was doing well, making $200/month, when she decided to apply for the Head Teacher position at a newly formed school. Although the position only paid $10/month, Betty decided to take it (and a huge pay cut) because she "wanted to see the children have a future." Since the project began, she has dedicated all of her time and energy to Gatoto, generally working 10-12 hour days, 6-7 days a week. She is a major reason for the survival and success of the school.

School Ethos:

Gatoto hopes to create the future leaders of tomorrow in a variety of areas, from business to politics. We will reach this goal by providing our students with a holistic education, combining top quality academics with opportunities to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities. Furthermore, we strive to instil the values of honesty, hard work, perseverance, and social responsibility in our students. Finally, we believe that the unique background experiences of our students, although often difficult, give them a valuable perspective into the true issues facing Kenya. All of these factors combine to help Gatoto create valuable and productive global citizens.