A single mother, Winnie Adoyo, has shared her struggles of sending her three children to school in Baba Dogo, Nairobi. She often had to make difficult choices between buying uniforms and putting food on the table. Her children, who attend MM Chandaria Comprehensive School, are among the 2,911 learners who have received uniforms through a Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) programme. The programme targets children from low-income households in informal settlements.
The SHOFCO programme has provided uniforms to learners in 12 public schools across informal settlements in Nairobi County. The initiative aims to support 10,000 learners in eight counties across Kenya. Alongside uniforms, the programme provides underwear for boys and girls, and sanitary towels for girls. According to John Okwako, SHOFCO’s public schools partnership officer, the programme seeks to ensure that no child is left out of school due to a lack of school uniform.
Teachers played a crucial role in identifying beneficiaries of the programme, particularly learners whose attendance had been affected by a lack of proper school uniform. At MM Chandaria Comprehensive School, 325 learners received uniforms under the programme. The school’s headteacher, Eunice Koini, expressed gratitude to SHOFCO for intervening in an area that had received little attention in the past.
The programme has also had a positive impact on other schools, including Chemichemi Comprehensive School in Kasarani Sub-County. David Waweru, the school’s headteacher, noted that the institution serves children from the Mwengenye informal settlement, where many families face financial difficulties. He emphasized that uniforms help create a conducive learning environment.
Naomi Kuria, Teachers Service Commission curriculum support officer for Ruaraka Sub-County, highlighted the challenges faced by parents in informal settlements. Many parents struggle to make a living, making school uniforms a lower priority compared to food, rent, and other household expenses. Kuria noted that SHOFCO had also supported schools in the area through sanitation improvements and the equipping of ICT laboratories.
Dr Kennedy Odede, SHOFCO founder and chief executive, explained that the decision to invest in school uniforms was informed by his own experiences growing up in Kibera. He emphasized that uniforms give children dignity, a sense of belonging, and confidence. For Adoyo, the impact of the intervention has gone beyond the uniforms themselves, as she no longer has to worry about where she will get money for uniforms.
The SHOFCO programme has lifted a significant burden from the shoulders of many parents, including Adoyo. Her children are happy to go to school looking like everyone else, and she can now concentrate on finding food and meeting the other basic needs of her three children. The programme aims to continue supporting learners in need, ensuring that they have the dignity and confidence to learn.
Key points
- 2,911 learners in 12 public schools across informal settlements in Nairobi County have received uniforms through SHOFCO’s programme.
- The programme aims to support 10,000 learners in eight counties across Kenya.
- Uniforms provide children with dignity, a sense of belonging, and confidence, helping to address attendance and participation challenges.
