In August 1996 during a holiday in Mombasa, Kenya, we came across the building in the photograph above. It was a school for 130 pupils! We decided there & then that we wanted to help.

Since 1996 we have returned to Mombasa at least once a year and always at our own expense. With support from friends at home, we were gradually able to pay for the construction of 7 more classrooms. Then in 2005 a couple from Bury in Greater Manchester went to Mombasa with a team of 12 builders from England & Ireland and built a new 2 storey block with 4 new classrooms. They also completed all the building work on the other classrooms.

In 2008 we began to feed our younger children with a porridge breakfast. Many of them were coming to school hungry! Then in 2009, thanks to a donation from The Saga Charitable Trust, we were able to extend our feeding programme to include a maize & beans lunch for our five older classes. We are now committed to feeding all our children with one meal every day.

We provide a free education for over 300 children ranging in age from 3 to 15 years. Consequently we have to raise £25,000 a year. This pays all the teachers’ wages, purchases equipment, buys all the food and generally pays for the maintenance of the school.

Many of our supporters have visited the school and seen for themselves the progress that is being made

In 2008 Stone Outward Girl Guides made a second visit to Mikoroshoni. We now have a Guide group of our own at school. In July 2010, five of our Guides and Joshua, our Headteacher came to England to join in the celebrations for 100 years of Girl Guiding. This visit was entirely funded by the Guides of Staffordshire.

In May 2009 Nita & Elizabeth, two teachers from Rochdale spent 2 weeks at school working with KG3 & Standard 1 to improve their reading skills. In February 2011, Elizabeth made a return visit to continue her work.

At the end of 2010 Julie & Graham Williams, who are both International Triathlon Athletes, gave 30 of our children swimming lessons in a local hotel pool.

Our latest news is that The Saga Charitable Trust has made a very generous donation which has enabled us to have our own well which now supplies us with clean water. Prior to this we had to buy all our water  for cooking & drinking. Saga has also funded the building of four new toilets which the Health Inspectors said were urgently needed for so many children.

Thanks to individual sponsors a few of our pupils have been able to go on to Secondary School and one or two are lucky enough to be sponsored at College.

Since Joshua became our Headteacher at the beginning of 2008, his hard work & enthusiasm is proving to be a huge asset to the future progress of Mikoroshoni.

‘The Friends of Mikoroshoni Primary School’ still need many more supporters if the school is to continue to develop. If you would like to make a donation or join our £30 a year Gift Scheme then please contact us – the details are given below.