At Associació Solidària Elimu Àfrica we believe that dreams are built with hope, effort and trust. Our first big dream is now a reality: St. Elizabeth Integrated Learning Centre, a home and school in Nairobi (Kenya) and a project that symbolises the power of education to transform lives.
A school born of hope
In Ruai, a humble neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of Nairobi, among dirt roads and simple houses, a group of children goes to class every morning; some have to walk several kilometres to get there. While the new building is being completed, some lessons take place in makeshift shacks, and there are not enough desks, books or materials. But there is something far more powerful: the desire to learn.
The school, also known as St. Elizabeth Integrated Academy, was founded in 2008 by sisters Presides and Jane Kakui in the Mbotela neighbourhood of Nairobi. They started with just seven children, after the violence that followed the 2007 elections, with a very clear idea: that the school should be a refuge where children could learn and dream again. Its motto is Arise & Shine, and today it is run by Jane Kakui.
The school is shared by children whose families pay fees and by children who have no home and live at the school itself. Our support goes to these children: we want them to have a safe place to sleep, eat, study and grow.
This is where our collaboration began. We want to help finish building the school, a safe space where children can grow up surrounded by knowledge, respect and affection. These new classrooms will offer not only education, but also dignity and protection. They will be a place where every child can dream without fear, under a solid roof and with an open future ahead.
A project with a soul
For us, this school is much more than a brick building: it is a construction of hope. Every window installed, every wall raised and every book that arrives is a promise for the future. Behind this project are the teaching experience of Presides Kakui and Teresa Gelabert and the conviction of Santi Marcé and Ponç Llaneras: four people who, from Mallorca, have joined their talents to shape a common cause — bringing the word “Elimu”, education, to where it is needed most.
We know that our contribution is small compared with the size of the challenge, but we also know that every action counts. Education is a quiet force that multiplies opportunities, breaks chains and changes destinies. When a child learns to read, to write or to dream, they begin to build their own future and that of their community.
Looking ahead
Our goal is clear: to finish this school and make sure it can run on a stable footing. We want it to be a lively place, full of laughter, books and learning — a place where, every morning, the sound of children’s voices reminds us that a better world is worth fighting for.
That is why we will keep promoting solidarity initiatives, building partnerships and working transparently, so that every contribution reaches the place where it truly makes a difference.
At Associació Solidària Elimu Àfrica, we believe that solidarity is contagious and that education is the best legacy we can offer.
This school under construction is not just a project; it reflects what we can achieve when we join hearts and hands.
Because, in the end, building a school is building a future. And that future starts today.
You can follow daily life at the school on St. Elizabeth Integrated Learning Centre’s Facebook page and see where it is on the map.
We want everyone to be able to see how the project is progressing and what is done with each contribution. Transparency is very important to us: on the Transparency page you will find the association’s accounts and annual balance.