Kenya: The Mbagathi Waldorf School started off in 1992 with two classes of 10 children each. Since then the school has grown steadily and now has 300 pupils, including the kindergarten children. Some of the children also live in the school hostel. The teaching staff is mainly Kenyan. The teachers receive support from international colleagues on a regular basis.

After the votes in 2008 violence broke out in Nairobi. About 300 people were killed and thousands were forced to flee. Everyone was living in fear. As a result, some children didn’t return to Mbagathi after the holidays and others came several days late, because the buses were not on schedule. In the end, Mbagathi had to close for a while. Once the situation had finally improved everyone was very relieved that the pupils, the teachers and the school as a whole had survived this difficult time without any losses. In the following time the school continued to grow and took in many new children.

The Mbagathi Waldorf School is near the Nairobi National Park on an 8 Hectare property on the endless Massai grassland. The property was bought just as the school was starting. Since then the Friends of Waldorf Education have been able to apply for funds from the BMZ so that further buildings for classrooms and the hostels could be built. It took a long time before the property could be supplied with water from a bore hole. In 2002 that was completed and in 2006 the school also had electricity.

Today the school even has a small farm with donkeys and cows. The latter provide milk for the children. The children take care of the animals every morning and the bigger tasks are taken care of by the teachers and parents. As 95% of the parents are unable to pay school fees, the teachers are very grateful that many of them are very active in maintaining the school building and grounds.

During the school holidays various events and conferences are offered for both the teachers and an international audience.