Kenya: Water, Nutrition and Education at St. Juliet School in Kibera

St. Juliet Education Centre was founded in 2000 as an independent school — right in the heart of Kibera, where great dedication meets difficult living conditions. 16 teachers educate children and young people, many of them having grown up in the deprived neighborhood themselves. The school is officially recognised by the authorities and offers curriculum-based teaching, but receives no public funding. All costs are covered by grants and private donations.

School as an anchor in the Slum

For the children and young people, school is far more than a place of learning — it is a safe space, a place of retreat and a social anchor. Many come even during the holidays, as home is cramped and the streets of the slum are not safe.

Securing Water, Preventing Floods

Kibera lies in a low-lying area and regularly suffers from flooding — a problem intensifying with climate change. The project therefore implements concrete protective measures: a 150-metre drainage channel will shield the school from future flooding. At the same time, a greywater treatment system will be installed in the school’s WASH centre. Gutters and two 5,000-litre rainwater tanks ensure supply even when the public network — as so often — fails.

The project places a special focus on menstrual hygiene. Many girls in Kibera simply do not have access to hygiene products and therefore regularly miss school when they have their periods. Once a student starts missing school frequently, they fall behind. What may seem like a small issue can determine their educational path. As part of the project, female students are therefore provided with hygiene kits containing sanitary pads. In addition, a pilot project using reusable pads is being launched—a sustainable solution.

In addition, hygiene training sessions are being held for students and teachers, and regular cleaning campaigns are taking place in the community. The school’s WASH committee is being expanded and strengthened to ensure that the knowledge and structures remain in place beyond the project’s duration.

From School Garden to Plate: Strengthening Nutrition and Livelihoods

In Kibera, school meals are the most important — and sometimes the only — meal of the day for many children. The project equips the school kitchen with 20 tables and 80 benches so that children can eat together with dignity.

Students and their teachers are also being trained in climate-friendly kitchen gardening and hydroponics. Two exchange visits to schools with exemplary hydroponic systems provide practical inspiration. The focus on kitchen gardening and food preservation is intended to strengthen the school community and extend into the neighbourhood. Households headed primarily by women are expected to benefit most from the training. A newly formed nutrition committee, along with health and nutrition campaigns, round out the initiatives.

In addition to nutrition, the project also focuses on sustainability and income-generating opportunities. Students, women, and youth are trained in briquette production and provided with the necessary equipment. Other participants learn soap-making to strengthen their economic independence.

Modern spaces for effective learning

Quality education requires a quality environment. Four classrooms and an office are being renovated and will subsequently be powered by solar energy. This ensures reliable lighting, independent of the unstable public power grid. Additionally, a digital learning corner with five tablets is being set up, providing students—who, unlike their peers in the Global North, do not have their own cell phones—with access to the digital world. Professional development for teachers, as well as the development and distribution of teaching materials, round out the initiatives.

Much Achieved in Previous Projects

Our first activities at St. Juliet Education Centre began during the Covid pandemic, when the need for support was particularly great. arche nova then focused on water and sanitation. On a nearby plot of land, a new WASH building was constructed with toilets and washing facilities as well as a waste incinerator—including for menstrual hygiene products. The school community benefits from this both directly and indirectly, as people from the neighborhood can use the facilities for a fee.

Trish Kageha Chamb, a student in the graduating class, summed up what these investments mean in concrete terms in a speech to the school community:

“It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention that having flushing toilets—which has now become the norm for us in our slum setting—has allowed us to feel equal to the children who live in the well-known housing estates.”