Each year, the Christ's Gift Academy primary school educates 260-270 children (Nursery, Pre-Primary and Grades 1-8) and employs ~40 Kenyans; including teachers, cooks, grounds crew and office staff. The school provides each child an opportunity for an education based on a Biblical worldview and attempts to meet many of their basic physical needs including 2 meals a day, uniforms, shoes, medical assistance and food distribution during the holidays for all the orphans. Approximately 80% of the students are orphans.
What makes CGA unique from many other schools for orphans is that the students do not live at school or in a group children's home. The children all live the community with relatives or guardians. The Kenyan-led CGA Leadership Team believes that in a rural area such as Mbita, children receive the best long-term care living in a family setting rather than an orphanage or group home. Additionally, this keeps family connections which are a strong part of Kenya culture.
CGA is a private school teaching the Kenyan academic curriculum while supplementing additional Christian teaching and principles that shape the students' character. Teachers are required to uphold high morals and values. Each classroom is no larger than 30 students to ensure every child receives quality attention.
CGA provides the following for each student:
- A quality education based on a Biblical worldview
- 2 meals a day
- All school supplies such as pencils, pens, exercise books, textbooks
- Uniform and shoes
- Medical assistance for orphans
- Food distribution for the orphans' families during school closings
- Social workers that regularly visits each home to do assessments and to work with the parents/guardians to ensure the child's needs are being met.
- Widowed mothers are invited to be part of a support group which meets regularly to encourage one another.
- On occasion additional provision might include a new mattress,
blanket, mosquito net, sports shoes, book bags or socks.
