The Bishop Hannington Academy under construction

Some background

In 2020, I launched an appeal to build a classroom for Bishop Hannington School in Mumias, Kenya. I am delighted to say that the classroom was successfully built. Indeed great progress has been made with the construction of other classrooms too. My appeal this year is for a toilet block for this same school.

Why this project?

The appeal follows a personal request from Bishop Joseph Wandera. I first met Joseph in the Hague, when he was in the Netherlands studying for a research degree. We renewed our friendship on a Holy Land pilgrimage a few years ago. It was a particular pleasure to meet him again at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury last summer. He is pictured with me here at the Christian Aid stand in the resources tent. So this appeal is one way of carrying forward the missional intentions of the Lambeth Conference. Mumias is a predominantly Muslim area. This region of Kenya is affected by extremes of weather induced by climate change.

The story of Bishop Hannington Academy

In 2013 the Kenyan government introduced a policy of free primary education. This led to big increases in the numbers of children enrolled in schools. All the evidence suggests that improving primary school participation rates is a key factor in development and wellbeing. However, the number of teachers did not increase, and as a result, classrooms were congested. Aware of this challenge, the Anglican Diocese of Mumias established the Bishop Hannington Academy as their contribution towards better quality primary education in a Christian context.

Building on success

Back in 2019, the school had just two classrooms with three teachers. As we can see from the photo above, there has been a lot of progress since then with new building.

Because the school is growing, the diocese now needs to install a purpose-built toilet block. The United Nations-sponsored World Toilet Day on 19 November leaves us in no doubt as to the crucial importance of providing good hygiene facilities.

We have already helped Dr Wandera to build a classroom for the school. This year’s appeal gives us the opportunity to provide an “ablutions block” for the girls and boys, to give them toilets and the possibility of better hygiene while they are at school. This is particularly important for girls. ‘Days for Girls’ (which featured prominently at the Lambeth Conference) stressed to us all the importance of proper hygiene provision if girls are to manage at school. Better hygiene means a better education. Better education will change their world.

The cost of the project

Bishop Joseph has provided detailed estimates for the project. It will cost 2.4million Kenyan Shillings, which is about 20,000 Euros, to build a new ablutions block. That is very good value by Western European standards! Our Advent Appeal will therefore be a very tangible expression of support for the Diocese of Mumias’s mission to educate primary school children.

To donate to the Bishop Hannington Toilet Block Appeal please send money via your chaplaincy treasurer to Nick Wraight (nick.wraight@churchofengland.org) in the Diocesan Office.

Drawing of the planned ablutions block