Lowana Study Centre for girls entered into partnership with Reledev in 2016 and undertook their first service project under this partnership in 2017.

The proportion of Kenyans living on less than the international poverty line (US$1.90 per day in 2011) has declined from 46.8% in 2005/06 to 36.1% in 2015/16 (Kenya economic update). Although this is a significant drop, poverty still remains high and most of Kenya’s poor live in rural areas predominantly in the north-eastern parts of the country. While Kenyan’s do enjoy improved access to sanitation, access to clean water remains low. Educational levels, while improving, still remain low; with just over 14% ofadults aged over 25 having completed secondary school.

From the 28th June—11th July 2017, nine young professionals participated in a service project to Kenya where they assisted at the Limuru Mission School for primary school children. The school is located in Limuru, approximately a one hour drive outside of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The volunteers undertook various activities including: distribution of hygiene packs and educational materials (pencils, notebooks), teaching hygiene and English to the children, providing first aid training to all the school teachers, distribution of soccer balls and playing various sports with the school children, undertaking community home visits to families of the school, painting school corridors/classrooms and construction of pigeon holes and book shelves for the teachers, assisting in the preparation of meals in the school kitchen, construction/repair of school notice boards. The project participants successfully completed what they set out to achieve and many found the home visits a highlight of the project, stating that it was an opportunity to engage with the local community.