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St Charles Lwanga Secondary School and Children’s Centre is located in Ruai, Nairobi Kenya. The school is supported by Inverness County Cares (ICC), an Inverness County, NS based volunteer group and Chalice Canada, an international aid group based in Halifax. The school is involved in educational partnerships with several international groups and they also receive assistance for essential needs from other global supporters.

This month we will focus on an agriculture worker at the school. Thomas was a student leader (head boy) at St Charles Lwanga School who demonstrated great potential. Shortly after graduation from Form 4 (Grade 12) he was hired at a factory and was advancing in his position. Unfortunately he was involved in a workplace accident, which resulted in the loss of the thumb and index finger on his right hand. He is from an impoverished family with no father present and his mother has passed away. He is responsible for the care of his 7-year old brother who lives with him. In 2014 school headmaster, Br Kennedy hired him to take care of the school grounds and garden and this provided him with enough money to rent a small room for himself and his brother and to pay his brother’s school tuition and personal needs.

Thomas’ life and prospects brightened when he became involved in a Kenyan program introduced by a Go Global, a Vermont non-profit partner of St Charles Lwanga and by the University of Vermont.  With their encouragement, he was trained in a program which will lead the St Charles Lwanga School and other affiliated schools, toward sustainable agriculture.

Thomas was introduced to permaculture by The Permaculture Institute- Kenya and trained in basics of permaculture in a two-week Permaculture Design Course.   He will continue to partner with Permaculture Institute-Kenya based in Nairobi.

Permaculture is defined as: the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems, which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. Graham Bell, The Permaculture Way.  

He is presently traveling near the area of the proposed new St Charles Lwanga School where he is working with Mr Jeremiah ad sharing his knowledge and agricultural skills with the residents of Rodi a community near HomaBay and Lake Victoria. He is educating the children and adults of these communities and is working with them to build garden plots for vegetables. This coming January representatives of University of Vermont will work with him to expand his learning and involve more local people and students in this program. Thomas will provide agricultural leadership at the much anticipated, future St Charles Lwanga School. This new school will be located in a fertile agricultural area near Lake Victoria.

http://lwangachildren.com/

https://invernesscountycares.com/

St Charles Lwanga School is always interested in volunteers wanting to work at the school. Contact numbers are available on our webpages.

Thomas watering trees.

Classes with community members.

Thomas in brown shirt in center

Thomas  teaching

Thomas

St Charles Lwanga School (SCL) progress facilitated by Inverness County Cares (ICC) and Chalice during 2016-17

• SCL received a monthly budget to cover simple and healthy food and nutrition for the students.
• ICC reached its $60,000 fundraising goal, which was matched by Chalice Canada.
• ICC member, Betty Jane Cameron, a nurse/midwife and music teacher, spent six weeks at SCL mentoring, teaching music and organizing ground work for a school safety policy.

• ICC member, Rev. Duncan MacIsaac, then parish priest in Inverness and Broad Cove, spent ten days at SCL, celebrating Eucharist with staff and students as well as counseling and mentoring.
• While in Kenya, Betty Jane and Fr. Duncan participated in a school evaluation day with representatives of Chalice and SCL with a vision of future development.

• ICC and Chalice contributed to the funeral expenses student of Stanley Wanjala, who died in March 2017.
• Forty-three students graduated from SCL and three merited scholarships to continue with university studies.

• ICC requested and received a formal Child Protection Policy from the SCL administration.
• ICC continued to work co-cooperatively with students at Dalbrae Academy who fund-raised for SCL
• ICC and Chalice representatives met twice to plan and develop our partnership to best help SCL.
• Much needed new toilets and wash areas were built at SCL and the older ones upgraded.
• ICC and Chalice budgeted $1500 to have preliminary planning drafted on developing a new space and rural school for the SCL students.
• ICC, outside our regular fundraising, solicited sufficient funding to purchase five acres of land. The new school property of ten acres will cost of $30,000.
• ICC members and associates provided scholarships to SCL graduates for further studies.
• ICC and Chalice continued to fund infirmary medications, school uniforms and supplies including textbooks, pens and pencils, lab supplies and fees associated with internet and telephone access.
• ICC has developed its own website (invernesscountycares.com) as well as the SCL website (lwangachildren.com), keeping both current on a monthly basis.

• Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga built a new chapel for the SCL students.

Inverness County Cares members and Chalice. Back row left to rt Peter Gordon, John Gillies, Charlotte Rankin, Ted Van Zutphen, Fr. Duncan MacIsaac, Sehne Connel, Fr Pat Cosgrove. Front: Colleen MacLeod, Hermina Van Zutphen, Jenna LeBlanc, Betty Jane Cameron, Mary Anne MacKinnon, John MacInnis.

Tuesday October 24th, a group of Inverness County Cares members traveled to Halifax to meet with Chalice to discuss their partnership through which support is provided to the St Charles Lwanga School in Ruai, Nairobi.

Friday Evening October 20^th, a number of Inverness County Cares members traveled to Bethany, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Martha in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. They brought with them a number of talented performers who put on a concert for the sisters in appreciation of the Sisters’ donation to the St Charles Lwanga Secondary School in Ruai, Nairobi, Kenya. It was a lovely evening where ICC members were able to convey to the sisters their gratitude for their generous donation. The evening started with a presentation by Betty Jane Cameron and Colleen MacLeod updating the sisters on the events at the school over the past year. The sisters viewed a thank you video made by Vyulence Kagea and Claire Whitney, two students from St Charles Lwanga School. The concert followed with performances by Sarah MacInnis, Ben and Harvey Van Zutphen, John Donald Cameron, Cathy Hawley and Ian Cameron. Fr. Duncan MacIsaac also gave a short inspirational talk about his experiences at the St Charles Lwanga School. Tea and snacks were served by the Marthas as all took advantage of the opportunity to exchange stories and chat.

For best viewing of slide show click on picture, then advance by arrows on the side.

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