14 Jan (PART 3 OF 4) PHOTOGRAPHING FOR ORPHAN OUTREACH IN NAIROBI KENYA – Interview with Patmos student Latifa Achieng and mother Milka

[This is the third in a four part series from my time in Nairobi Kenya, photographing for Orphan Outreach in the Mathare slums.]

From my interview with Milka Adhiambo and her daughter (and Patmos student), Latifa Achieng 

What does it mean for your child to attend Patmos school

I feel that it is good for my child to be in Patmos because sometimes when I am is down sick, I do not have money and I am grateful that my child is given school fees and school uniform and food (through child sponsorship).

What changes have you seen in your child since she they began attending Patmos School

I appreciate my child being at Patmos, initially when she joined patmos she did not know how to read but now she knows how to read and I really appreciate the kind of changes that are taking place in her life. 

What dreams and goals do you have for your child 

I would like for Leila to grow up and be a teacher in the future, that is her greatest desire and goal. Thank you.

What has your child been taught  since she started at Patmos  School

To sing and recite poems and to read the bible and have good handwriting 

What prayer needs do you have?

I pray to be able to move back to the countryside from where we came. 

Daughter 

What does it mean for you too attend Patmos School?

I enjoy going to school at patmos because I learn in a good environment and I have my school fees and uniform provided. And I get food. 

What is your favorite subject?

Math

What would you like to be when you grow up? And where would you like to use this profession?

I want to be a doctor so I can treat so many people that are sick, starting with my family. 

What have you learned from going to school ??

I have learned so many bible stories…. about Jesus, moses, David and Naomi, I have learned from them all. 

Who is your favorite teacher and why?

Teacher Marcie because she gives me enough homework and assists me in doing some of my my homework at school. 

What is your prayer for your family?

That they may live well, be able to make a living and be in good health. 

What is your prayer for your country Kenya?

I pray for my country to have peace and to not have violence like we did in our previous general elections, that we will be free from Carona so that people will not be sick. 

Thanks to child sponsorship and generous donors, Latifa Achieng attends Patmos School and has a chance to break the cycle of poverty that grips those who live in the Mathare slums.

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Mathare slums, where Milka Adhiambo and her daughter Latifa live.

I invite you to learn more about Orphan Outreach and consider sponsoring a child at at Patmos School in Kenya

Patmos School

Located in MATHARE SLUM, NAIROBI

Patmos School offers more than an education to students in grades pre-K through 8th grade in the Mathare Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. It provides Christ-centered counseling, nutritious meals, medical care, and safe haven to orphaned and vulnerable children living in one of Africa’s largest and poorest slums. The goal of Patmos is to break the cycle of poverty that pervades the community.

The children attending Patmos Junior School face unspeakable conditions; they are the victims of gross poverty, crime, violence and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Unemployment is high in Mathare Slum, and 80% of people survive on casual jobs. As a result, many young children are left unattended during the day while parents are seeking work. The public schools are severely congested and most people cannot afford to send their children to private schools. Patmos provides a safe haven and opportunity for orphaned and vulnerable children to have access to a Christian education, healthcare, and two meals daily. 

Orphan Outreach partners with Patmos, providing strategic planning, best-practice expertise, and support for staff salaries, food, curriculum and books, school supplies, and more. We have also assisted with the purchase of both classrooms and property so that more children may be served by the ministry. Support is provided through sponsorships and church partnerships, and mission teams offer teaching, mentorship, and community outreach to the families of students. 

Patmos School was started in 2007 by Headmaster Richard Wanjala and a group of dedicated local community members residing in Mathare Slum. Mathare is considered to be one of the largest and poorest slums in Africa. It is home to more than half a million people, of which 300,000 are children.