The Rebirth of Precious Vision

On Wednesday afternoon, I stepped out of my classroom, children quietly doing maths, and I walked down the hallway, I passed Esme and Mary's room as they were playing charades and having fun. The next room, Michelle and Leti were discussing the planets with their class and finally at the end of the hall Ben was going over Maths with Standard 5 on the board. And for the first time it felt like a real school, no one was screaming or running riot, everyone was learning and enjoying themselves, Precious Vision has been reborn. It was actually quite an emotional moment to be able to see everyone's hard work come together and we truly felt that we were part of something special.

When we first saw the new Precious Vision, it was an empty shell, it had been stripped of everything inside and out, it was filthy dirty and the garden was overgrown. 

The new site for Precious Vision

Over a few days there has been a bunch of helpers, gardening, clearing and cleaning and just putting so much effort into getting the school up and running and a safe and proper school for the children to come and learn. Even some of the older kids helped plant seeds, so that the school can grow its own food. 

Some of the older children at Precious help to create a vegetable patch

They managed to find millipedes, a snake and even a hedgehog!

Hedgehog spotted at the new Precious Vision

Last Saturday and every day this week for an hour after school, we have been scrubbing and painting the inside walls. Simply by just having fresh paint on the walls makes such a difference, it feels so much brighter and such a happier place to be.

GVI volunteers help to give the new Precious Vision building a makeover

When we arrived at the new Precious on Monday morning Madam Jane had the kids singing and celebrating the move to the new school. It was so lovely to actually see the whole school lined up and singing with such joy.

Precious Vision singing on the first day at their new school

A couple of the volunteers that have been working long term on the project have managed to raise money through their friends and family back home, to provide a lunch programme for the kids at Precious. The money they have raised has been able to provide every child with one hot meal a day for the next three years. The joy, shock and excitement on Madam Jane`s face when we told her was just priceless. Food is something we seem to take for granted and a simple meal can make such a difference, being able to see these kids get food for the first time at school is something that they have needed for so long and something we will always remember.

Precious Vision children enjoying their first lunch programme meal

GVI volunteer, Esme, helps the Kindergarden children with their lunch

We`ve had such an amazing time in Mombasa, experiencing the Kenyan culture and especially how people can get on with life while living with so little. We are so proud to be part of such a brilliant project and to have been able to make such a difference in such a short time. We`ve been so lucky to come at such an amazing time, we`ve been able to see and help make big changes. Just being here to offer support, education and a safe place for the children has been unforgettable, even more so as we`ve helped them move, started introducing more routine and started the food programme. We`ve been able to start a structure that can be continued by future volunteers who come to the project, meaning the school will keep running and  keep these children off the streets, safe, educated and happy.

One of the Kindergarden children from Precious Vision

We are very sad that we are now leaving, but are confident that things are only going to get better, especially if new volunteers keep coming and give much needed support!

Esme and Simon, July 2010

The Rebirth of Precious Vision