The School Bus - Church Army Academy, Nairobi
Whilst in the UK we are desperately trying to get our children to walk more to school and becmoe fitter and ease congestion on the roads due to parents using the family car for the "school run", in Nairobi, often children have so far to travel to get to school they have to get up at 530am to get there.

With a combination of walkting and public transport, where it can be afforded, some children struggle hard to get to school for 745am when the school day starts.

Now, at the Church Army Academy, the school in Nairobi run by Church Army Africa, the pupils are able to sign up for a much easier trip into school using the new school bus.

The bus, an Isuzu 33 seater in school colours, was delivered on the 23rd of June at around midday and was greeted with delight by pupils and staff alike. Those children who spotted it could no longer concentrate on lessons and the windows filled with excited faces as it drove into the school grounds. Teachers, who were admittedly also eager to check out the bus decided to break off lessons early for a longer lunch so all the pupils could see and touch the bus. Lunch itself was delayed while all the children took turns to take a quick ride around the small field in the grounds.

Now not only will the journey be shorter and safer for many of the pupils at the school, some children who live further afield can consider coming to the school who otherwise would not have been able. In addition, the bus is used in the school day for taking children to other locations to enhance their experiences, and aid their learning for all sorts of curriculum topics

For those teachers and the Head who had also climbed Kilimanjaro to help raise money for the bus, it was an especially satisfying moment. Rev Steve Maina held a short ceremony of thangsgiving for the bus to dedicate it to God and for his service.

Already within 3 weeks, over 60 children are signed up for transport to and from school which means two trips every morning and afternoon, and two school outings have been possible for classes to experience life outside Nairobi

.Grateful staff with Rev Steve Maina - all fellow Kilimanjaro climbers