Hi, my name is Richard McCarthy and for many years I have been involved with a group of Irish people in fundraising for Gatoto Primary School, which is located in the Mukuru slum of Nairobi, Kenya.

It is with great sadness that we are launching this urgent appeal. In recent weeks the Mukuru slum has been devastated by torrential rain. The floods which have arrived with the rain have caused destruction of homes and loss of life.

With the onset of the floods, many of the children in the school have seen their homes destroyed and their little possessions swept away. The risk of disease is of imminent concern and there is an urgent need to replace the lost essentials of the community and provide them with access to safe shelter.

Gatoto Primary School is currently funded entirely by voluntary contributions and receives no state funding. Irish people have been amongst the leading contributors internationally.

We are hoping to raise €15,000 to provide immediate and essential supplies to this devastated community. With your help we can continue to show the children of Gatoto and their families that they have the support of the Irish people.