Church Humanitarian Services Turns New Library and Water Storage Facilities Over to Kinale Girls High School

On 28 February 2024 a new Library and two 10,000 liter water tanks were turned over to the Kinale Girls High School, in Kinale, Kenya by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Services.  The Church donated and managed the construction of these vital facilities after a multi- year relationship between the Church and the High School.    Kinale Girls High School is located 50 kilometers west of Nairobi, Kenya in Kinale, Kiambu County of Kenya. 

In 2019 Church Seminaries and Institutes initiated a weekly Seminary class and weekly Young Women’s class at Kinale Girls High School.  Working in cooperation with school leadership and the African Inland Church, a large church congregation in Kinale which is a sponsor of the school, a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Seminary class and Young Women Class began in 2019.  The Seminary class is taught Fridays at 4:00 p.m. for 90 minutes using the world-wide Seminary curriculum.   A Young Women’s class using Church Young Women teaching guides is held every Sunday.   Seminary and Young Women’s enrollment has grown from ten to 135 students participating in each. Only 7 are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The school leadership and African Independent Church supported the commencement of a Seminary class and Young Women class at the school because they appreciated the teaching style the Church utilized. 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint leaders observed the facility challenges at the Kinale Girls High School especially the lack of a library or convenient water storage.  No productive study area existed at the school and the nearest water storage was a great distance away.  Study space and water were woefully insufficient.  These challenges impacted adversely the education of the 420 students at the school.   In early 2023, then Africa Central Area President Matthew Carpenter visited the school with Church General Relief Society President Camille Johnson and General Young Women President Bonnie Cordon.  Soon after that visit, Church Humanitarian Services authorized the construction of a library and water storage facilities at Kinale Girls High School.  Construction was commenced in October of 2023.   The library and the installation of two 10,000 liter water tanks were completed in early 2024. 

Many participants from the Kinale community joined the handover ceremony of the beautiful, new library  and the vital water tanks to grateful faculty and students at the school.    Among the participants were Reverend Ndungiri and Reverend James Mburu of the African Inland Church, Kinale Girls School Principal Vulfrida Simiyu, the school’s deputy principal, teachers and staff, students, and parents of the students.  Also participating were the President of the Church’s Nairobi West Stake, Prince Omondi; Bishop of Kabiaira Ward, Simon Mwange Mukeke, and his wife Diana Dayo Nyambura, President Ken Aloo Oduor, 1^st Counselor in the Kikuyu Branch, Seminary Teacher Euphy Okello and 14 full time missionaries from the Nairobi West Zone of the Kenya Nairobi Mission. 

At the ceremony, President Omondi said of the new Library, “one way to travel the whole world without visiting the place is in the library as you study about worlds and continents.”  In her expression of gratitude, Principal Simiyu said, “it has been our prayer since 2019, but, God’s timing is the best at last in 2024.  Kinale Girls have a library.”   “May this library inspire a desire to study and be a light to the girls and the community,” stated Reverend Ndungiri in his remarks noting the impact the new library can have at the Kinale Girls High School.