MATHARE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (MCDC)
Mathare Valley is a large slum in Nairobi, Kenya with upwards of 500,000 people living in abject poverty. In 1995 Pastors Peter and Jane Nuthu agreed to take over a long vacated KAG church in a part of the slum called Kariobangi. MCDC was started with twelve street boys who came to help to clean up the church grounds each Saturday. Bread and water was given to them and the word quickly spread because for the first time in their lives they had a piece of fresh bread and a cup of clean water along with some water to bath and wash their clothes. Ruby met Peter and Jane (called Mamma Jane) in 1997 and Bob in 1999. They joined forces with them in 2000.
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This shows the inside of one half of the dining hall with its new plaster and paint.There were about 600 kids seated in this photo.
MCDC ADOPT A CHILD PROGRAM
Soon after MIA was finalized in 2001 Bob and Ruby started the MCDC Adopt-A-Child program for the street kids in the Mathare Valley slums. People all over America now sponsor one or more of these MCDC kids. $25.00 per month for K-8th grade and $35.00 per month for 9th through 12th grade provides for the child’s:
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Kenya accredited education Pre-K-12
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Hot nutritious meals each day
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Medical treatment
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School uniforms, including shoes
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A Jesus based Christian education
As of January, 2012 there were 862 street kids in MCDC. Of these, 417 are presently sponsored. The balance of them need sponsors! View children available for sponsorship
MCDC NEW CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION
From 1995 to 2007 all the kids were on a campus built around the church in Kariobangi. In 2006 we bought a three acre plot in Dondora upon which to build a new campus. There were about 400 kids in MCDC when construction began in 2007
As of January 2012:
-The first floor of the kitchen/dining hall is complete and in use.
-Second story of the kitchen dining hall construction has begun and the building is about 80% complete.
-The first three floors of the dormitory building, are complete and in use.
-The water well has been dug and is in use.
-Four new high school classrooms are complete and in use.
-19 boys are currently being housed in a temporary dormitory.
-27 girls are currently in the new girl's dormitory room that they call home.
These represent about one half of the construction project. There are about 350 kids at the old church campus and about 515 at the new campus; even with construction going on.
MCDC DORMITORY LIVE-IN EXPENSES
Future plans for the new MCDC campus includes dormitory rooms for the truly orphaned and other children “at high risk,”. Up until now, all MCDC children had to go back to wherever they stayed in the Mathare slums at night. Two important decisions were made in July 2010.
1) Get a dormitory room set up and running for 20 of the most vulnerable MCDC girls to live on the new campus. The recent rape of two MCDC girls while they were back in the slum at night was the reason for this decision. A new dorm room was opened for 18 high risk girls on July 11, 2010. There are now 27 girls in the room. Some said they had never slept in a bed before! Many did not even have a piece of soap when they came.
2) It was decided not to wait on designated funds to be received but to get these girls to safety now and believe God for the money. Momma Jane is going to need help on this one. If you have an interest, please designate “dormitory live-in-expense on your contribution to MIA.
3) In Nov. of 2010 a new "Boys Dormitory Building" was constructed and presently houses 19 high risk boys.
We know that it cost $94 per dormitory student for the initial purchases needed like pillows, blankets, pajamas, flip-flops and other personal items. On-going expenses are estimated to be about $40/month/student for total live-in-costs. View ways to donate
Copyright 2011 Mercy in Action International
