School in the Furunzi Slums — Malindi Bring Life Academy
Malindi Bring Life Academy is a Bring Life Mission school in the Furunzi slum area of Malindi, Kenya. Here, more than 250 children from low-income families have the opportunity to study in a safer and more organized environment.
This is our active project in the Malindi area, providing children with access to education, clean water, school infrastructure, and daily support.
How it started
I first came to Furunzi in 2017. At that time, the area was filled with mud houses, narrow footpaths, and extreme poverty. I was visiting to preach the Gospel, spend time with families, pray with people, and encourage them.
One day, inside a small hut with no windows and no doors, I found what people called a school. Around 150 children were sitting on the dirt floor, trying to learn in very difficult conditions. Many looked weak, sick, and were coughing. Yet even in those circumstances, they still wanted to learn.
In that moment, I understood that help was needed there and then. There was no need to start something new somewhere else when there were already children here doing their best to get an education under impossible conditions.
That is how this work in Furunzi began: first meals, help for children, simple lessons, prayer, and consistent care for those who needed support most.
The first stage of help
At the beginning, the help was simple but essential: feeding children, supporting their learning, providing clothes, offering basic care, and visiting the school regularly. Over time, other missionaries joined this work and helped serve the children of Furunzi.
Eventually, this grew into a full school project in the Malindi area — a place for children from the most vulnerable families in the community.
Construction and development
In 2018, based on advice from local builders, we put up the first new structure using wooden poles and metal sheets. It seemed like the fastest and most affordable solution at the time, but within a year the building was damaged by strong winds and heavy rains. That experience made it clear that the school needed a stronger and more lasting foundation.
In 2019, we built a more durable classroom out of iron and concrete. This became an important step in the school’s development.
In 2020, we poured a concrete floor and added a veranda so the children would have shelter from both rain and intense sun.
In 2023, we built a proper kitchen with a stove, making it possible to prepare daily free meals more efficiently and in better conditions. That same year, the school was connected to the city water supply. Before that, children and teachers had to carry water from far away, and it was not always clean. Now the school has running water for drinking and cooking.
In early 2024, new toilets were built with separate, more comfortable sections for boys, girls, teachers, and guests.
Throughout 2024, the school continued to grow. We built five spacious classrooms for Grade 1 through Grade 5, as well as a staff room with a library. For the safety of the children, the school grounds were secured with a strong fence and gate.
We also added a playground, improved the school grounds, completed painting, and equipped the classrooms.
The situation today
Today, more than 250 children ages 4 to 13 study at Malindi Bring Life Academy.
The school is active and continues to grow. For many Furunzi families, it is a chance to give their children an education and a real opportunity for a better future.
Malindi Bring Life Academy is a Christian school in Kenya where children from low-income families have the chance to learn and grow among their peers and qualified teachers.
What has already been built
Today, the school already has:
- 5 block classrooms
- a staff room with a library
- a kitchen for daily meal preparation
- a cooking stove
- a large toilet block with separate areas for boys, girls, teachers, and guests
- running water on the school grounds
- a playground
- a fence and gate for safety
- improved grounds and equipped learning spaces
What is needed now
At this stage, the main focus is no longer on building new classrooms, but on the stable daily operation of the school and the gradual transition to a fully charity-supported model.
The school currently has:
- 6 teachers
- 2 administrative staff members
To keep the school running consistently and fully support the team, $910 per month is needed to cover salaries.
Another important part of the school’s work is the free feeding program for children.
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The next stage of development
The next practical steps for the school are:
- build two shade structures: one over the children’s area so they can use the playground and gather during hot weather or the rainy season, and another to expand the shaded area near the kitchen
- install tables for meals under the shaded area
- rebuild the stove used for cooking
- drill a water well, because government water supply is often unavailable due to technical interruptions
- expand educational screenings and learning activities using a projector and screen
Why this matters
Today, Malindi Bring Life Academy is no longer just an idea — it is a functioning school where more than 250 children are already studying.
We are grateful to God for how much this place has changed over the years. But for the school to remain stable and continue growing, ongoing support is needed: for teacher compensation, infrastructure development costs, and maintaining the foundation that has already been built.
By supporting the school, you help preserve and strengthen a place where more than 250 children are already learning every day.
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Support Malindi Bring Life Academy.
Your donation helps keep the school running, supports the team, and provides children in Furunzi with a safer place to learn and grow.