NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 12 – The Chinese business community in Kenya donated more than Sh6 million to the MCEDO Beijing School located in the capital Nairobi’s Mathare informal settlement.
The donation of Sh6,832,400 was made by the Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA) through its chairman Li Changgui in a ceremony graced by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Dr. Zhou Pingjian.
The donation will help the school meet food supply for children as well as renovation, officials said.
Ambassador Dr. Zhou assured that the school whose construction was funded by the embassy in 2007 will always get support for its development and operations for the well-being of the children.
“So going forward, what I can assure you is that no matter if it’s China as a government or the Chinese Community, as Kenya friends here, we will do everything we could to ease association with our Kenya friends because we always understand when China is in need, when the Chinese people in Kenya are in need, Kenya friends and Kenya government are always there for us,” he said.
Ambassador Dr. Zhou said Kenya will always and China relations continue to grow stronger and stronger by the day for the mutual benefits of the two countries.
“Your priorities are our priorities. This project is just one of the projects that China has partnered in along with its Kenyan counterparts,” Ambassador Zhou said, “The items we are donating today are an expression of the Chinese community’s care and support for students from less fortunate backgrounds.”
The KCETA Chairman Li on his part assured continued support for the school.
“KCETA will continue to visit the school regularly, to understand the needs of the school and its students, and to provide assistance within its capacity to support the school’s educational cause as always,” he said.
Mcedo Beijing School in Nairobi was funded construction by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in 2007, however, a few years later, the teaching resources and venues of school have been severely insufficient.
In November 2012, Kenya China Economic and Trade Association organized the Chinese member companies of the association and other Chinese-funded institutions in Kenya raised a total of approximately 54.468 million Kenyan shillings for the Expansion Project of Phase II. As a result of the “Expansion Project”, student enrollment has increased from 200 to 526.
After ten years, the school has been severely damaged. In order to improve the teaching environment of the school, Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association donated 61,343,588.4 Kenyan shillings today for the renovation and maintenance of the school.
The “Expansion Project” and the “Renovation Project” of Mcedo Beijing School has renewed awareness of the importance of education in Mathare’s slums. After graduated from Mcedo Beijing School, many students have reached senior school, and technical colleges and even completed university education then started working to support their families independently.
