Between our two schools in the Nairobi Slums there are 24 teachers and 2 cooks. I can never mention these teachers without feeling a deep sense of gratitude and respect. All of them have a deep commitment to Jesus and by his grace, they have done outstanding work in a difficult environment. Our kids have lack a lot of luxuries, but they have excelled academically and in sports. Most of our teachers have been working for WorldCOMP now for over 10 years or more for a salary of less than $75 per month. They have stuck with us for several reasons. Let me mention a few: First of all, the unemployment rate in Kenya is around 30 percent so many of them came to us as volunteers just to keep their teaching skills up and never wanted to leave. Then there is the environment that most of the public school teachers have to work in; in a few words, it’s an high pressure, performance oriented, harsh environment where one is hard pressed to find love. For a number of years WorldCOMP was only able to provide food to feed the kids and teachers every day. In the past few years we have been providing a small stipend of $30 per month to supplement their small salaries with the school. As God supplies we hope to do more.
Lillian has been with WorldCOMP since she was a child. She is the daughter of John and Mary Idagiza, the founders of our outreach to the desperate children in the Kibera Slums. She literally grew up in the Kibera Slums. Even as a young girl, Lillian had a heart to serve and to teach children. She started teaching preschoolers even before she reached her teenage years. She recognized at an early age that she was called of God to invest her life in the education of children. Her story is truly a faith story. Her determination has been an inspiration to us all. Living in absolute poverty herself, she has had to trust God all through her educational journey for the resources to achieve her educational goals. She is now the Headmistress of our Kara Kibera School and has a Masters Degree in Education and School Administration. She oversees the education of 250 children. She trains teachers, manages our facilities and sees that all her kids are well fed and cared for. Lillian could be teaching at a prestigious school anywhere in Kenya, but she has never wavered in her commitment to teach children who are living in desperate situations in the slums of Kenya. Lillian is truly a gift from God and she has lifted hundreds of children from the depths of ignorance started them on the road to a successful life.