Chinese volunteers change the lives of Nairobi's slum kids

Mildred Mtola's determination to succeed at school had been plagued by a lack of facilities in a rundown neighborhood.

But the 14-year-old class-eight pupil is praised by her teachers and relatives for her impressive academic performance in Chang Rong Light Center, a primary school built by Chinese volunteers in Nairobi's Mathare district.

Located at the heart of Kenya's second-largest slum, the center, which was rebuilt last year by a group of young Chinese volunteers, has become an oasis for disadvantaged children seeking better education and emotional solace.

One of 304 pupils studying in the center, Mtola was ecstatic as she recalled how the new building has transformed her academic and social life.

"We are studying in a conducive environment and have waved goodbye to the stress of a leaking roof and overflowing sewage," she said. "The new school has transformed our lives."

Mtola was among the pioneer students at the former Mathare Light Center that was established in 2008 to cater for the academic needs of poor and neglected children.

"Whenever it rained, all the class rooms were flooded thus making it difficult for us to study. The Chinese well-wishers have ended this nightmare and we are enjoying the ambience of the new classrooms," Mtola said, adding that she hopes to become an air hostess when she finishes school.

Yin Binbin, the Chinese volunteer who launched the project, said he was shocked by the terrible conditions when he first visited the former Mathare Light Center.

"It was made of iron sheets and lacked basic facilities such as desks. The center was adjacent to a leaking sewer that exposed children to grave health risks," he recalled.

Yin then started an online fund, and together with several other Chinese volunteers, they brought in local workers, who built the new school in just over 30 days.

"The school has eight classrooms," Yin said. "With a better educational environment, we hope the students can realize their dreams in the future."

Now the school's principal, David Matinde and his administrative team have been overwhelmed by requests from parents desperate to enroll their children.

"Since the construction of the permanent structure last August, enrollment has shot up from 230 to 304 pupils," Matinde said. "We have recruited highly qualified teachers who are impressed by the modern facilities here."

The Chinese volunteers have won admiration from children and the wider Mathare community for donating money to set up the new school.

"The volunteers are famous here in Mathare and everyone associates them with their noble deeds. They are safe whenever they visit this neighborhood, where they have left an indelible mark on the lives of disadvantaged children," Matinde said.

Besides supporting the construction of permanent classrooms, the Chinese volunteers have also donated 400 books and other educational material. "The donations have helped the lives of the pupils," Matinde said. "Most of them come from poor backgrounds and can not afford to buy expensive text books."