Kawangware is one of the large urban slums of Nairobi. With an estimated 650,000+ inhabitants it is home to some of the poorest people in Kenya. #1 killer – HIV/AIDS… #1 problem – POVERTY!!!
Ray of Hope Clinic and Community Center
The ROH Clinic and Community Center was co-founded by Florence Muyundo, Dr Gipson, and former NBA player Kermit Washington, founder of Project Contact Africa in October of 2004. The Ray of Hope Clinic focuses on curative, preventive and educational services for people living in the slums. We provide pediatric care, immunizations, prenatal care, HIV pretest counseling and laboratory facilities. Our maternity services are the most popular – we not only give prenatal care but deliver about 40 babies a month!!
Our clinic is supported by the income it receives for services. Some clients pay, some don’t. We receive donor support for rent of our space. Supplies are generous donated through gleaners in the U.S. who collect medical supplies and small equipment from hospitals.
In 2008 the clinic received a grant from Ron Artest to create a laboratory. This seed money has allowed us to provide diagnostic lab services for our clients as well as those referred from other small dispensaries and clinics within Kawangware. (Need picture of Soloman and the lab)
The Community Outreach Project provides home based care for families infected or affected by HIV/AIDS , a HIV support group meets weekly at our facility and our community supplemental feeding program reaches 300 families each month. ( use pics of outreach and feeding program)
Ray of Hope Learning Center
The ROH Leanring Center was established to provide informal schooling HIV infected and affected children living in the impoverished Kawangware slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The program serves as a bridge for these children offering life skills, improving literacy and supporting their transition to the formal educational sector. The Ray of Hope Learning Centre provides two classrooms: one for young children who have never attended school, and one for older children who have had some previous experience with school. 35% of our children are HIV positive. Our sponsorship program supports the education, nutrition and healthcare of our children both at the Learning center and at a nearby primary school.
History of the Learning Center
In October 2006 we launched the ROH Learning Center with the long term goal to transition out of school children from our simple informal school providing remedial education and life skills to a schools in the formal sector. As we walked through the slums doing home based care and visiting our clients we became aware of the large numbers of young children who were out of school. As we investigated this issue we found that children were often left alone as their parents went to seek work. Some had attended school in the past others had not. The biggest obstacle to school attendance was the cost of activities fees, transportation and the cost of a uniform.
We designed our program to address the interrelated obstacles of poor education, malnutrition, and poor health that disrupt children’s ability to learn and develop. ROH Learning Centre requires a strong commitment from the children and their families to ensure success in and out of school. Children are provided with nutritious lunches, school supplies, enrichment services, extracurricular education, and access to quality healthcare and check-ups. Ongoing adult education is also provided to enrolled families to ensure children enjoy a safe and healthy home environment.
Learning Center Sponsorship Program
The Learning Center Sponsorship Program supports children to have a healthy, happy childhood by providing education, healthcare and nutrition.
