CANA Primary School
The CANA Primary School is adjacent to the CANA Health Centre in the Mukuru slum. Fully accredited by the Kenyan government, it offers affordable quality primary education to the slum residents. All seven full-time teachers in the school are certified primary or pre-unit education and well-trained in child psychology. Classes offered include nursery (3-4 years old), pre-unit (4-5 years old) and Standard 1 through 5 (5-12 years old). The students learn Swahili, English, Mathematics, Science and Social studies according to the approved national guidelines. CANA hopes to acquire enough funding to open more classes up to Standard 8, the last year of Kenyan primary education.
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In addition to the regular school curriculum, a feeding program is integrated into the school to ensure that all students receive nutritious meals daily. Two cooks in the school work together to provide tea/porridge at 10 am and a hot lunch at 1 pm every day. The school kitchen remains open in the weekends and during the school holidays to serve meals to students from needy families.
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The role of the CANA primary school in the Mukuru slum is pivotal. Before its establishment, many school-aged children spent their days aimlessly roaming the filthy Mukuru streets. Without a proper education, these children would most likely end up working in odd jobs as cheap labourers like their parents, their families trapped in an impoverished cycle. Lack of education also is the cause of many social problems afflicting the Mukuru community. Without any alternatives, uneducated youngsters are forced into lives of prostitution, alcohol and illegal drugs. These activities result in unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions and contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. As a result, the CANA Primary School is more than an educational institution. It is also a community centre that provides proper guidance and counseling to young children, encouraging them to lead a positive and healthy lifestyle. Today, more than 130 young children are enrolled in the CANA primary school.