KANGEMI KIDS DAYS – A Break from the Slum

The Kangemi Kids Days offer children a break from their often very difficult daily lives in the slum.

The response to our first Kangemi Kids Day in December 2024 was very positive from both teachers and students. We therefore decided to give more students from the Love School, the Bethel Community Development Center, the Bethany Joy School, the Prosperity Junior Center, and the St. Christopher Fisher Academy such an eventful day in 2025. Six groups visited the Kitengela glass factory, and four other groups spent the day at the mango farm.

The students, almost all of whom were leaving the slum for the very first time, were welcomed at the OSEKI RETREAT by Irmgard and Maggie. They entered a world so different that they marveled at it and dived into it carefree. They took in the vastness, the quiet, and the feeling of being in a place they could never have imagined. It was a great joy for everyone – a moment of realization that life can be more than what they had experienced so far.

After a hearty lunch, they set off with our local staff member, Madam Maggie, as the children affectionately called her, for the Kitengela glass factory. First, they had to cross an adventurous and exciting suspension bridge. On the other side of the gorge, they visited the glass factory. There, they watched how works of art were created from molten glass, and their eyes shone with admiration. They were quite amazed at everything that can be made from recycled glass and listened attentively to the staff’s explanations.

For some groups, we hired a self-defense trainer who gave them a karate lesson in the garden.

The students who visited the mango farm learned a lot about growing vegetables and had great fun with the animals.

The response was overwhelming. The best part was seeing the children’s genuine joy. But the teachers who accompanied the students were just as thrilled:

One teacher wrote: “Crossing the big suspension bridge, spotting monkeys in the trees, and experiencing the magic of glassmaking made this trip unforgettable. Thank you, Nyendo, for this exciting and educational experience!”

“On behalf of the Love School Centre, we are infinitely grateful to Nyendo for this special trip! It was a unique learning experience, and we hope for more opportunities to explore the world outside our school. Thank you, Irmgard, for making this possible!”