Johearty Community School

Hi, my name is Mark Purves. I am a retired French Teacher at Secondary and Primary levels. After retirement, I played a small part in helping to establish 2 primary schools in Uganda in some of the poorest areas of the country, serving orphans and children of those families.

I thought those days were long past but somehow I have found myself linked to this school in Kenya through people I know to be of great integrity. This is important because there are many such projects set up mainly as income earners for their founders.

The man who founded this school is totally different. An orphan Himself, Jotham had an extremely tough start to life. Eventually he was taken in by a foreign missionary family and given the care and support by them to get an education. He understands the value of an education that others gave him at their own expense.

He has since devoted his life to serve God to do the same for the children of the poorest families, orphan children, street children of this area of Kenya. He has a big vision for them, and faith in a big God who is already doing great things in their lives.

He takes no income from the school, rather works extremely hard selling the fish he catches from lake Victoria to help pay for the staff and supplies.

As a result he has a high engagement of support from local families who otherwise could not get an education for their children in schools more focused on schools as a business. With this local support, the school has grown to 180 children and is increasing in demand. It is one school parents can afford, and so want to get behind.

He is a visionary man of integrity, and has asked me to help establish a primary French course in the school because of the opportunities such a skill will equip his children to be raised up to be leaders in and beyond his nation.

Any funds that you can give will be strictly accounted for with transparency and integrity, and will go fully towards whatever of the following will be a priority:

Most pressing needs

1. To finance the relocation of the school to their own plot of land they have just been able to buy thanks to a recent donation.

2, To help them move, rebuild permanent structures, classrooms, an office, proper toilets, clean water storage and distribution.

3. To have a contingency fund ready to purchase further adjacent land as it becomes available.

3. To help pay for high quality staff and to retain them.

4. To help feed the children well, and having enough land to grown their own food.

There will be longer term projects that will unfold as this foundation is laid. Residential blocks, a secondary school and a chapel for the school and their families to worship God in.

I am very grateful for anyone who can give to to this either as a one off or a regular donation, no matter the amount.

Mark Purves