The Mustard Seed Project

The Mustard Seed Project charity is close to the heart of our Holy Trinity family as Rita (one of its founders) used to teach at our school and we have supported it for many years.

Whilst on holiday in Kenya in 2008 Rita and her husband Geoff visited a small school run by two young men for poor children in Mgongeni, in Kisauni in Mombasa. Although education in Kenya is free for primary school children it is only available to people who can pay for uniform and books. This school only had two small rooms, one room had 22 children aged from 2 – 6 seated on the concrete floor whilst another six older children were cramped together at two old and broken desks but the children were happy and tried hard with their learning. Rita and Geoff looked at these two young men who were sharing what little they had and knew that they couldn’t walk away. They didn't know what they were going to do at this time but they did know that they had skills to help and turning away was not an option.

Rita and Geoff went back the following year and bought new tables and chairs but they wanted the school to have a new building. In 2010 they moved to a different building whist fundraising to build a much bigger school. In 2014 the first phase of the school was completed and we were delighted to hear from Rita and Geoff in January 2021 that the rest of the school has been finished!

The Mustard Seed Project also supports the local community and has helped:

• children to have porridge for breakfast and a meal at lunchtime.
• a well for clean water
• mosquito nets were obtained for every family in the community
• set up a sport's association and are supporting two adult football teams and a boxing club. We are also supporting a youth football team, volley ball and basket ball.
• small public library within the school which is used by four other schools.
• a health clinic for the children and their families
• adult education classes provide basic literacy skills in English and Swahili

Although the school itself is finished, there are lots of things The Mustard Seed Project need to help with:

• Continuing the feeding programme - £6 per child per month
• Money for soap - £20 per month
• Money for books, paper and pencils
• Money for toys for the youngest children
• Money for uniform and shoes for the poorest children - shoes cost £10 and uniform costs £10

Several of the children in school had suggested ways in which we can help support with these, including the auction of a signed photo of the England cricket team, and a sponsored read, both of which we did. We hope to offer further support in the months ahead.