On October 1, residents of the Dagoretti Corner settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, were evicted from their homes by the Kenya Railways Corporation and the Kenya Power & Lighting Company government agencies, despite the presidential moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The eviction left more than 3,000 people homeless, reports Amnesty International.
After the eviction, aimed at turning the land over to the railroad, the Kenya Power & Lighting Company demolished that houses that sat along the power line without even giving the residents time to pack their belongings.
Among the buildings demolished was the primary school founded by Fr. Antipas Odhiambo, a priest of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, 6 years ago. The school had 120 students who greatly love Fr. Antipas and all their teachers.
Watch one of the students speak about the destruction of the school:
Fr. Antipas’ Community Relief Fund raises funds to help the poor, widows, orphans, and jobless in the slums of Nairobi, and now aims to help the 3,000 who recently lost their homes as well.
Temporary accommodations have been found for the school, thought it costs $3,600 a year to lease the space, and additional funds are needed for desks and other materials. Thus, Fr. Antipas is more focused on saving to purchase 3 acres as a permanent home for the school, which will cost about $30,000. He also hopes to purchase a van to take the students to and from school.
Learn more about the Community Relief Fund and donate to the cause on Facebook. About $2,500 have been raised towards the immediate goal of $20,000.