A Little History
We have heard the phrase, “Education is the key” many times, and here at Juanita Stewardship Foundation, we believe this to be true. Many people ask how we came about the idea of building a school in Kenya. The answer to this question can take us all the way back to when the executive director, Jacinta Chengecha, and the Director of Operations, Patrick Kabiro were still high school teachers in Kenya.
From those days, they have been instructing young minds and helping them acquire an education that is helpful in life. The idea of Juanita School came about around 10 years ago when Patrick and Jacinta met one of our Board of Trustees, George Hutchings. George was familiar with Kenya and had been doing charity work there including digging wells for clean drinking water. They discussed the need of education in Kenya and how young boys and girls don’t move on with their education after primary school due to different reasons. It then became clear that building a school in rural Kenya, where the post-primary school students would be able to attend and attain a secondary education would positively impact that community and society as a whole.
By forming a great bond with George Hutchings, who also introduced them to many other people including C.P. Foster, who have made this project possible, Patrick and Jacinta were able to actually start making this dream a reality. After being in the United States for a few years, they had saved enough money to buy a piece of land in Kenya where the school would eventually be built. The land was there but the school was still an idea until George introduced Patrick and Jacinta to the Gibbs Family in 2015. The Gibbs Family graciously supported the project by donating $20,000 which physically started the project by helping dig a well with clean water on the property as well as get electric power connected in such a rural area. Jeremiah Gibbs also went to Kenya that same year to see the property. The entire Gibbs Family is also planning a mission trip to Kenya from January to April 2020 where they will be helping around the school when it opens on January 15 2020. You can get updates about this trip on their Facebook Page. Jeremiah will be helping out as an instructor in the school while Sarah will be volunteering at a local clinic in the area.
The Construction Begins
With clean water and electricity, the actual school project was able to commence. After drawing up the plans, construction began in 2016 when a certain section of the land was fenced to contain the main building.
Laying down the Foundation
After the wall fence had been put up, it was time to start the main building construction which would have the administrative offices as well as the classrooms. The building foundation was lay down before too long. The original plan was to have a four-floor building but for now we only have two floors. We will continue building the additional floors in the future.
Main Building Construction
Construction of the main building was finally underway and the project was truly becoming a reality. Hundreds of people would come to the construction site each day each with a specific task to make the day successful. The construction site had become a source of employment for the community as well as a way for people to earn money selling foods or other goods to the people working at the site. After a few months, here were some pictures from the site of how the construction was progressing. The first floor was almost complete and we were ready to move on to the second floor.
Here is a picture of Jacinta also working at the construction site. She is shoveling sand from the truck to be used in the construction.
2nd Floor Construction
We moved on to the second floor construction and everything was flowing well. We eagerly looked forward to the how it would turn out. The workers’ enthusiasm did not fade whatsoever and construction moved on with many people coming to the site daily. It was after a few months when the construction of the second floor was almost completed.
Roofing Begins
It was time to install the roof after the second floor construction was almost complete. While installing the roof, the windows bars and the windows were also installed in the building.
Current Update
Improvements are still being done inside as well as outside the building. The interior rooms including the classrooms and laboratory have been painted as well as some of exterior with a little bit more painting needed. We are also planning to do some landscaping of the area surrounding the school. At the moment, the second floor of the main building will be used for the dormitories but we are planning to have another building specifically for that in the future.
We have recently received funds for the purchase of 10 sets of bunkbeds and mattresses from the leadership board of a Pennsylvania church where C.P. Foster introduced our project to Pastor Becky. We highly appreciate everyone’s effort and assistance in helping to make this project a success.
Here are the latest pictures from the Juanita School construction site in Munyu, Kenya. You can visit the official school website at juanitaschool.org to register for admission or apply for a position in our upcoming school.
