St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School’s 20th Anniversary!

St. Aloysius Gonzaga began its 20th academic year in January 2023. In January 2004 St. Al’s began its mission by welcoming 56 students, all promising AIDS-affected youth from devastating poverty, who would not be able to access a secondary education without the scholarship we provided. The 2020 school year will end in July 2021, which was extended due to a 9-month break. We now have 865 high school graduates and 350 who have gone on to complete their college studies.

We are pleased to share our 20th Anniversary Impact Report!

School of Hope Foundation Launched 2017!

Founded in 2004,  St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School  provides an education for 280 high school students from Kibera slum who would otherwise be unable to attend school.  St. Al's serves impoverished, academically-motivated students whose lives have been impacted by AIDS, and other vulnerable children from Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The school’s motto is “To Learn, To Love and To Serve” based on St. Ignatius Loyola’s saying “in all things, to love and serve.”

School of Hope Foundation was formed in 2017 to provide fundraising and operational support for St. Aloysius.

Two students share their day-to-day experience:

“The power of the youth is the common wealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in the society can match with the power, the idealism, the enthusiasm and the courage of young people.”

-Kailash Satyarthi

Dormitory Campus Construction

Constructing a dormitory campus will greatly enhance St. Al’s students’ academic opportunities and achievement. The dormitory campus will provide a safe, conducive environment for living and studying. It will allow for greater access to libraries, computer and science labs, teachers and peers - as well as providing students with reading light, running water, and three meals per day. Phase 1 of the Dormitory Campus construction, which includes the security wall, the Music Hall and the Volunteer and Staff Building, is complete. Phase 2 includes the Girls and Boys Dormitories, each with 30 dorm rooms and 3 recreation rooms. We hope to open the buildings for student living by the start of the 2025 school year. However, construction of the next phase has been paused as a result of a lawsuit brought by some neighbors challenging the title to the land and a recent ruling in the Kenyan Supreme Court regarding land rights. Kenyan counsel has been engaged to represent the school in this dispute.

 ASHA Award

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School/ School of Hope Foundation with the support of the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus (USA Midwest Jesuits) was awarded a $550,000 grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program. This award is to fund construction of the girls’ and boys’ dormitory buildings. This funding will support implementation of American best practices shared by the Kenyan people to enhance academic achievement, youth leadership development, and STEM learning, as well as ADA compliant and energy efficient construction. ASHA provided three grants in the past for the construction of the current school building. We are so grateful for this partnership and for this support from ASHA and the American people!

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

After 14 years of support from the Midwest Province of the Jesuits, School of Hope Foundation was created as a US-based non-profit to provide fundraising and administrative support for St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School. 

BE PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL

Every year St. Aloysius receives visitors from the US to take part in the annual celebration. The experience is one of spiritual and cultural discovery that is enriched with the support of a Jesuit Chaplain. The 2020 pilgrimage was cancelled due to the pandemic, but the next celebration will take place in June 2021.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL?

School of Hope Foundation celebrates the progress of St. Aloysius Gonzaga and the successes of the students with many stories and photos. Check out our collection and sign up for our e-newsletter below if you want this in your inbox!

Images of Kibera slum