TEDDINGTON COUPLE’S MISSION AT MOMBASA SCHOOL (News Special)
While most holidaymakers head to Kenya for the white sandy beaches, one Teddington couple recently returned from a radically different kind of African journey….
Chris and Carla Bowden, residents of Teddington, have just completed a stint of volunteering at the Nyota Ing’arayo Primary School in Mombasa.
They took jigsaws, which the kids had never seen before, played football on debris strew ground and read stories.
Here is their remarkable story:
By Chris and Carla Bowden
Tucked away in the Kongowea district, the school serves 308 students—ranging from three-year-olds in kindergarten to twelve-year-olds in Grade 8—providing a vital lifeline in an area significantly impacted by poverty.
For many families in Kongowea, daily life is a struggle.
While tuition in Kenya is free, parents must still fund uniforms and food—a daunting task for households without running water. Thankfully clean drinking water is provided at the school which was financed by an Austrian couple who paid for the complete installation of a desalination system.
Nyota Ing’arayo (which translates to ‘Shining Star’ ) steps in to fill the gap.
The school provides breakfast and lunch daily, usually consisting of ugali, a traditional maize cornflour staple. Remarkably, the cost of feeding the entire school—over 320 children and staff—is just £800 per month, a sum largely dependent on European donations.
The greetings and smiles from the students were so welcoming and infectious. The excitement these kids generate is truly amazing, even though they have so little.
The school is more than just a place of logic and literacy; it is a community hub.
Open on Saturdays and throughout the holidays, it provides a safe space for children to play, with many choosing to stay until 6 or 7 pm when the Principle, Brian, locks up and goes home.
The school’s heart beats thanks to its Principal Brian Mutunga. Known to his European friends as “the child whisperer,” Mr. Mutunga is celebrated for his gentle manner and tireless work to keep the school running.
We were introduced to the project by our friend Richard, a UK-based volunteer who has dedicated over 12 years to the school.
When the school’s land was put up for sale last year, threatening it with closure, Richard and a group of donors stepped in to purchase the plot.
Richard now runs the UK charity Nyota Ingarayo, supporting the school and its alumni.
We met a couple of the alumni that have special needs and have been sponsored through the UK charity enabling them to continue in education.
One was a young girl of 15 who was born HIV positive, has impaired vision and a baby daughter primarily looked after by her mother. The other was a 15-year-old boy who is suffering from elephantiasis and nearly lost a couple of fingers last year. The charity funded his hospital treatment as well as his schooling.
We brought out second hand clothes, puzzles and games that could be used in the new puzzle room that the charity has built.
The room has several desks where the children can learn in a different setting than the traditional classroom. Carla spent hours helping the children solve puzzles and make jigsaws – some of the children (aged 8-11) had never seen a jigsaw before. The delight on their faces when they completed their first jigsaw was only matched by the delight when they saw all the second-hand clothes on offer.
During our short stay, we were thrown into the deep end—literally.
We took 33 eight-year-olds to the beach, but since none of the children or the teachers could swim, we were the designated lifeguards! It was exhausting but incredible.
They also organised a trip to a nearby wildlife park.
Despite living in East Africa, many of these “inner-city” children had never seen Kenya’s famous wildlife. We witnessed the pure joy the pure joy of the children singing all the way to the park to feed giraffes and watch crocodiles.
Back at school, I (Chris) took to the “pitch”—a vacant, rocky plot of waste land littered with debris—to referee football matches in 35°C heat and oppressive humidity.
I was dripping in sweat just walking around. Meanwhile, some of the kids were playing in woolly hats and jumpers, completely unfazed.
They are obsessed with the Premier League—mostly Arsenal and Manchester United fans—and the games are fiercely contested!
Sometimes kids with very little are the happiest you will ever see.
Driven by the bonds they formed, Chris and Carla are already planning their return trip to the Nyota school next year to continue supporting this truly special “shining star” of a school.
You can read more about the charity and get involved here:
NYOTA ING’ARAYO (SHINING STAR) CHARITABLE TRUST – Charity 1183102