P.C.E.A. Projects
Background
In 2006, 8 members of our congregation visited Nairobi, Kenya. As well as visiting the Seed of Hope charity, which members of our Junior Church and Bourock Friends Group support, they visited the local Presbyterian Church, P.C.E.A. Kibera Parish. They met with the then minister, Rev. Samuel, some elders and members of their congregation. Following this visit, we were inspired to establish a partnership between Barrhead and Kibera, and so set up the African Partnership Committee. This committee oversaw the fundraising to help establish a Secondary school in the grounds of PCEA Silanga.
Six members of PCEA Kibera visited Barrhead in 2008. As well as experiencing many firsts; first time leaving Kibera, travelling on a plane, experiencing snow (at Xscape!), a castle at Edinburgh and the seaside at Largs and Millport, this visit gave us the opportunity to strengthen our partnership.
Silanga Secondary School
These are the original school buildings:
Construction of the new secondary school at Silanga began on Monday 6th April 2009.
The new school was dedicated on 25th July 2009, and open ready for the new autumn term.
Below are the students using the new science equipment.
The photo below shows PCEA Silanga Centre as it is today. The Sanctuary is the building towards the right, with the cross on its roof. To the left are the classrooms of the Secondary School. The building facing, in the centre, is the library and original Science Lab.
The photo below shows the rest of the site; this time the Sanctuary is on the left, the Nursery School building is next and the new Science Lab is on the right, nearing completion.
The building below is the V.C.T. centre – which stands for Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre. It is a small office, part of the OVC Program and open to the whole community. It is an initiative adapted from the Kenyan Government to raise
awareness of HIV/AIDS. The VCT is a means of helping members of the community to get to know their HIV/Aids status, and to receive counselling.
Counselling before and after testing is mandatory.
PCEA Silanga are liaising with Government Health Officials in order to receive official approval. Mercy M. Bauni, the current OVC Programs Manager is also a Community Health Worker and will be working closely with Gilbert Ochieng, who is
a Nurse by profession and who is in charge of the Child Development Centre at Silanga (A Compassion International supported project.)
The VCT centre is situated at Silanga and is part of the project that The Church of Scotland HIV Programme are currently supporting. For details of Church of Scotland’s projects visit:
Thanks to the tremendous support at our recent Auction and Balloon Race events, we were able to complete the fundraising for the new toilet block and water tanks ahead of our goal! The money to begin construction was forwarded to the Kirk Session of PCEA Kibera Parish Church during July 2011.