In Dandora, a blighted neighborhood adjacent to the municipal dump of Nairobi, Kenya, providing an education for a child can create stability for the entire family. With 40 percent unemployment and 80 percent of the population living in extreme poverty, education provides hope for improving lives in this community.

St. Monica’s Sister Parish, Holy Cross Dandora, is home to St. James Primary School, and for the last 12 years St. Monica’s Holy Cross Africa Ministry (HCAM) has provided scholarships for students in need. Once we sponsor a student at St. James, HCAM Education Fund is committed to sponsoring each student through high school. This year, four more of our sponsored students graduated from high school!

Many poor parents must choose between putting food on the table for the family and sending a child to school. Sometimes they must choose which one of their children will go to school, while a sibling stays home because they cannot pay the fees. When the HCAM Education Fund provides school fees for a child living in poverty, it means increased investment in families and the entire community.

Holy Cross Dandora also provides adult education in the community with a professional tailoring school. We currently sponsor six women in the 3-year program to become professional tailors. We have also provided funds for specialized sewing equipment so the students can train for better jobs in the textile and garment industry.

This year HCAM Education Fund is sponsoring 40 students in primary, high school, adult tailoring school, and one young woman who is studying medicine at Kenyatta University. We have also funded musical instruments for the nursery school, new sports equipment, teaching materials, and field trips for every class at St. James.

With your help, we can change one life, one family, and one community through the gift of education for one child.

We are so grateful for the generosity of the St. Monica community. HCAM has made a huge impact in the lives of families in Dandora through our direct involvement in any successful programs. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Kenya as they pray for all of us at St. Monica daily.

If you’d like to contribute and help send a child to school or help a young become a tailor,

Click HERE to donate the the HCAM Education Fund

Every contribution will make a difference!