Karatina Special School, Nyeri District, Kenya is a boarding school tending to the needs of “mentally handicapped” individuals. It has 121 students, 13 teaching staff, and 15 support staff. The school addresses students’ life and vocational needs, emphasizing training for productive roles in society following students’ matriculation. It admits students from 9 to 25 years of age.
Facilities include classrooms, offices, boys’ and girls’ dormitories, a kitchen, a dining hall, vocational workshops, gardens, play areas, and stockyards. The facilities are about 40+ years old. The fundamental structures are made of cinder blocks and appear to be solid.
SNCCF and The Global Uplift Project (TGUP) will work together to renovate the school and provide means for improvement of quality of life and academic achievements for children and their support staff.
These initial projects are that have been funded by SNCCF and work is planned to start on July 15, 2023:
- New roof for girls’ dormitory. The current one is leaking.
- Commercial washing machines for clothes, linens, etc.
- Drying lines for clothes. Currently the clothes are spread on bushes.
- Water catchment (gutters, tanks) on boys’ dorms (requires facia replacement)
- Repair of counter and drying racks in the kitchen
- Perimeter fencing to protect against encroachment by people/animals
- Painting of most buildings
- Bead stock needs replenishing
Status: Complete
Brenda Birrell from Global Uplift Project visited the school after the projects were completed and sent her Karatina School Trip Report, showing the impact of our contributions.
We at SNCCF are proud to have participated in the Karatina Project to improve the quality of life for 120 special needs children and their support staff. We believe in our Mission – To assist Special Needs Children with resources, environment, and support to maximize their opportunity to transition to productive, self-sufficient, and fulfilling lives as adults and to make a difference in the lives of those who need our help.
Today, I am pleased to provide the Final Report on the completion of the improvements that SNCCF made to the Karatina School for Special Needs Children and Young Adults. I wish to express my gratitude to our CFO Chip Koehler for planting the seed of this Karatina Project and introducing the Global Uplift Project (TGUP) organization to SNCCF. Robert Freeman, the founder and CEO of TGUP, shined the light on our path and helped us participate in the Karatina Project that has made 120 special needs children happy. My special thanks to the TGUP Team Robert Freeman, Brenda Birrell, and Cathy Dwulet who have completed over 300 similar projects in many countries throughout the world.
SNCCF looks forward to continuing our collaboration with TGUP on future projects for special needs children everywhere in the world.
You can help us to continue on this path we are on and be part of our team that makes a difference in the lives of our Special Needs Children all over the world. It is amazing how far a small donation can go in faraway places that need our help.
Sincerely,
Zia Oboodiyar, Founder and CEO
Special Need Children Center Foundation (SNCCF)
Future projects Being Evaluated
We believe by enabling the so-called unable we have made a small change in our world. We wish to invite all our friends to join us in this mission and help us to further improve the lives of those who need help.
- Playground equipment
- Musical instruments and equipment
- Woodworking equipment
- Boys hygiene material
- Certain physical therapy equipment
- Development and publication of a book to be authored by children in Karatina Boarding School for Special Ed students and with the support of their dedicated teachers.
Please donate to our foundation to support these programs and others like them.