Background & History

Background Information of this Program?

Dr BT cooper united Methodist school is one of the united Methodist projects in Nairobi district of the East Africa Annual Conference. It was established in 1997. Dr. B. T. Cooper United Methodist School is managed by a school management committee consisting of church members, parents and members of the community.

The committee members are experienced the areas of social work, education, among others.

History

Dr BT Cooper United Methodist School is a United Methodist Institution under St. Johns United Methodist Church Kayole. It is located in Kayole-Soweto Slums east of Nairobi City approximately 20km from the city. Having been established in 1997 as a nursery school with one class operating inside the church hall and has since grown into a full primary school with the name St. Johns Visionary school and later changed to Dr. BT Cooper united Methodist school in honor of the late Dr. BT Cooper from Sonrise UMC in Indiana who Joined the Lord and had helped to raise funds that constructed temporary classrooms which were later demolished in Dec 2008 following the land dispute with a private developer. This put us into the current situation where we are on rental premises at USD 6000 per year as we pray that God opens a way for us to buy space and build a permanent school for the children to learn. The school has 240 students with 200 being orphans and vulnerable children from the community. Sizeable proportion of the population in these slums lives in absolute poverty with most people earning and spending less than one USD per day. It is this situation that community appreciative the work being done by the school in trying to uplift the living standards of the community around the school. The school is also serving 30 refugees students from Democratic Republic of Congo who were members of the United Methodist Church. These children also need food, clothing, shelter and education so that they don’t feel isolated.