What an exciting day it is when kindergarten students ‘graduate’ to the First Grade! Graduation Day at our school in the Tassia Slums is no exception. This event marked the end of the Kenyan school year which will resume in January 2013.

Since the students will be out of school through Christmas, we combined the celebration of the preschool graduation with a celebration of Jesus’ birth! Because of the cost  involved in purchasing individual gifts for 82 children, we opted for several high-quality gifts for the school instead – things like leather soccer balls, jump ropes, dolls, and remote control cars. These are things that these children never have had access to, so it will be a blessing for them to have some playground equipment and some real toys to play with at school!

We didn’t want to send them home empty-handed however, so we gave each of them a lollipop, and a small supply of food for each family (flour, rice, and sugar) to help tide them over during the weeks that school will be out.  We also set up a special fund to assist the neediest of the families, trying to make certain that no one goes hungry over the holidays, just because school is out.

The highlight of the combined festivities was a BOUNCING CASTLE , a PUPPET SHOW, and FACE PAINTING.

These children have never experienced anything like this!

We are faced with many challenges as we look forward to the 2013 school year.  The over-crowding this year has been one of the greatest of these challenges – 82 students and 12 staff members, crammed into one floor of The Pink House. When school resumes, our 4th graders will move up to the newly added 5th grade class, and there will be a new Baby Class coming in.  Enrollment is being capped at 100 for the next couple of years as we try to deal with the growth, and the decision has been made for the Director’s family to move out of the upstairs, allowing the school to expand into that space.  We are trusting God for the additional monthly income to pay for new housing for his family.  God has been faithful in providing for their needs and pouring His blessings out on this family, and we are certain that He will continue to do so.

Thank you to the dedicated teachers and staff for a wonderful school year!  May you come back refreshed and rested as we look forward to 2013!

Love you all!

Mary Catherine