Feature: Chinese support enhances education in Kenya's Mathare slums

Pupils are pictured with newly donated desks at a school in Mathare slums in Nairobi, Kenya on Oct. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

NAIROBI, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Despite her small frame, Genevive Akinyi has the confidence to excel in class, which has earned her the admiration of teachers at her school in the heart of the Mathare slums of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

Akinyi, 13 and now a seventh grader, is an affable and witty pupil at Hanka Education Center, which has benefitted from donations of desks, lockers and chalkboards from Transsion Holdings, a Chinese tech company known for its smartphone brands including Tecno, Itel and Infinix.

On a humid Tuesday morning, her joy was palpable as she gazed at one of the sleek new desks in her classroom. Akinyi expressed her passion for integrated sciences, social sciences, mathematics and languages, all of which she hopes will pave the way for her dream career in medicine.

"We are happy for these new desks. They make us comfortable during study time. The donation from the Chinese company has helped us, and we look forward to excelling in our final exams," Akinyi said.

Located a few meters from a riverbank, the Hanka Education Center is an imposing structure funded by the Dream Building Service Association (DBSA), a non-profit organization founded by young Chinese volunteers in 2014. The facility hosts more than 400 young learners and is one of 15 constructed within the sprawling Mathare slums by DBSA, all of which have benefited from programs sponsored by charitable entities, including Chinese firms.

Esther Dodo, the head teacher at Hanka Education Center, highlighted the pivotal role that support from DBSA and Transsion Holdings has played in improving the lives of children in the Mathare slums. Dodo said that the support has helped boost the cognitive abilities of children, the majority of whom come from poor households in this informal settlement.

"The provision of food has enabled our learners to concentrate better in class, while the donation of desks and lockers has fostered a positive attitude among the pupils," Dodo said, adding that before the donation from Transsion Holdings, many students sat on the floor during lessons or squeezed into rickety chairs.

For parents like Esther Akinyi, a mother of two enrolled at Hanka Education Center, said better learning facilities have motivated her children to arrive at school early and stay longer. Having lived in Mathare slums for nearly a decade, Akinyi has witnessed changes in the lives of children who have attended Chinese-funded schools.

Located on the edge of Mathare slums near the recently rehabilitated Nairobi River, Changqin DBSA School sees upper primary pupils flipping through textbooks as they prepare for upcoming exams that will determine their entry into junior high school.

At this learning facility, DBSA and its partners have been providing free meals, including porridge, eggs, green grams, rice, meat and fresh vegetables, to young learners since 2019, significantly boosting their morale and academic performance.

The provision of essential learning tools such as desks, chairs and blackboards in Mathare slums is part of the Africa Hope Campus Plan, a public welfare initiative launched by Transsion Holdings and other partners, implemented by DBSA.

So far, 14 schools, including daycare centers and primary and secondary schools in Mathare slums, have received these critical learning tools, benefiting 2,409 students, according to Transsion Holdings.

Pupils do their classwork on newly donated desks at a school in Mathare slums in Nairobi, Kenya on Oct. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Pupils do their classwork on newly donated desks at a school in Mathare slums in Nairobi, Kenya on Oct. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)