Sapna Jos, Ministry Lead of MFEP and Director of Marketing and Communications at St. John Vianney High School, St. Louis, MO, sends us this inspiring update about Vianney's partnership with Our Lady of Nazareth Primary School, Nairobi, Kenya, promoting both Global Compact on Education and Laudato Si' initiatives.
St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, Missouri, raised enough money during its 2024 Mission Week to pay the annual tuition of every student attending Our Lady of Nazareth Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya. The relationship developed when Fr. Gabriel Kirangah, the director of OLN, had his students write letters to the students of Vianney. For two years now, students from the two Marianist schools have been corresponding.
In March 2023, Vianney first decided to focus its Mission Week on supporting its Marianist family in Kenya. Since then, Fr. Marty Solma has shared substantial educational materials to inform Vianney students of the needs and challenges facing the students of OLN. This resulted in Vianney students donating enough money for the school in Kenya to build a water point.
In March 2024, Vianney began every day of its Mission Week with a small lesson on Our Lady of Nazareth School; students concluded the week by wearing red, OLN’s school color. The week also included competitions and a coffee bar that helped raise just over $6,000. The annual cost of tuition for the entire student body of OLN is $5,000. Additionally, every theology course at Vianney dedicated one class to teaching on Our Lady of Nazareth Primary School.
Vianney looks forward to continuing its partnership with OLN in the months and years ahead.