Testimonies -

SUCCESSFUL STORY

Thank you GEM Wellington School Family UAE ( Jonathan Lucus, Laura Emily, Furrah Clark, and Meera )

Education is light and one of the keys to escape a lifetime cycle of poverty in our communities.
We believe that under no circumstances should any child, the future generation, be subjected to an undesirable school environment. In the communities we are serving, it is heartbreaking that children have had to struggle to choose between getting their right to education and maintaining safety. Without proper classrooms, they are forced to study in unstable, unstructured classrooms that are unable to sustain the rainy season, while sharing the few available resources with many other classmates.

When GEM Wellington School family from United Arab Emirate (UAE) visited us under the leadership of our brother and friend- Jonathan Lucus, it was unfortunate that they witnessed the bad state our school was in, despite our tireless efforts to make it as presentable as possible with the available resources and options at hand. The burden was heavy and having to balance between improving the structures of the school against providing quality education for our children was devastating. The school was at the verge of closure which indeed would affect majority of our children who solely depend on our free education and meals.

John’s team was able to construct two(2) classrooms. The children could not be more grateful, depicting joy through tears and huge smiles. The 2 classrooms are almost complete, with only the floor, Corridor, Paintwork and Furnishing with desks remaining. This gives our unprivileged children Hope. Hope makes it possible. And Hope keeps them moving.

The effects of the Coronavirus have not left us behind as well. With the government implementing various directives to curb the fast-spreading virus, it has, through the ministry of health and education demanded the following:

a) Washing points where the student has to wash hands. (we are in need of a minimum of 15 water containers)
b) Extra classrooms for social distance.
c) Soap or sanitizers enough for the students.
d) Masks of over 2000 in number.
e) Enough toilets for the students.

Our 5-year vision plan includes training the students in Marginalized rural areas and urban slums, especially girls, to be self-reliant on the CBC. We expect to make our school acquire an international status, whereby our students will be able to travel all over the world either in academia or in the sports arena. We also expect to enroll over 5000 students from the community with an intentional goal to reduce the rate of illiteracy amongst the less privileged. This is the change we want to impact on our children and strive to model them to becoming the role models their communities need.

KYLE’S STORY

Kyle is from Kenya, one of the beneficiaries of the School, active member and club leader of UCESCO Panthers Rugby Club. Cathy Keyla is 17 years old and is in grade ten. She is the firstborn in a family of three-headed, she is an Orphan and resides in Children home.

“Now I am happy I will continue to pursue my dream. This is the only school that gives me hope and makes me feel I have a family. Many thanks to Jonathan with all GEM Wellington family UAE for your continued support to our School from clothes, food, and now to constructing two beautiful classes for us. May our might God bless you So much John, Furrah, Laura, and Meera. There was too much dodging for lessons because of the state of the School which looked poor but now our School looks beautiful”.

“Now, the School has 3 new classes almost complete, I also hope that the Kitchen, latrines, and library will be improved with more comfortable and desks and studying areas, playground, and more books for revision. I am also praying one day, our School can have a school Bus, especially for UCESCO Panthers Rugby Club for competition. I always feel sad when I see only us walk by foot to compete with other schools, the only day we are lucky is when we use public transport. I sometimes ask God “Why us?”. When I grow up I want to help many girls like me who have lost hope to have hope and to acquire Education. Education is the only best gift you can give us to help us from exploitation and abuse, physical and psychological health risks, unwanted pregnancies, and early marriages. Thank you UCESCO management, our School teachers, Directors who go the extra mile to deep into his pocket to support me when I am in need of something urgently especially as a girl. God bless you all”

This is how the School looked when John and his team visited us :

Here is how it looks now, the 3 new classes in the progress remaining final finishing , floor, painting and furnishing with new Desks for social distance and comfortable for learning for our children.