St. Aloysius Gonzaga High School

St. Aloysius Gonzaga is a coeducational Jesuit high school that has, since its founding in December 2003, served young people affected by HIV/AIDS in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. Kibera is roughly 1.5 square miles with an estimated population of one million. The average home is tin measuring ten feet square and housing five people. There is almost no water or sanitation service in Kibera, nor is there electricity. All of the students of St. Aloysius have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, have demonstrated strong academic potential, and have extreme financial need. The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS poses a great threat to education in Kenya with an estimated three million plus children now believed to be AIDS orphans. Along with the difficulty of day to day life for these children, they also face the added stigma of being an orphan due to AIDS.

St. Aloysius serves at-risk high school students from all faith traditions by providing a college preparatory education and by offering support to overcome the deficits of their environment. While primary education in Kenya is provided by the government, secondary education requires tuition, uniforms and books to be provided by the students. The education philosophy of the school is based on Ignatian pedagogy, the educational tradition of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for 450 years.

The Friends of St. Aloysius Gonzaga is a group of faculty and administrators who have participated in Georgetown University's Kenya Immersion Program sponsored by the Office of Mission and Ministry and the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service. Moved by the commitment and the needs of the faculty and student of St. Aloysius, this group is committed to raising funds and providing resources to support the school.

St. Aloysius is planning to build a new school for over four hundred students on property purchased just outside the Kibera slum. The Friends of St. Aloysius Gonzaga is helping to raise funds for the building and furnishing of the school, and for the ongoing operating costs of the school, which is free to its students. All donations would be welcome. If you are interesting in making a tax deductible donation, the entirety of which will go to the school, a description of various giving opportunities is available.

Additional information about St. Aloysius Gonzaga High School is available at http://www.sagnairobi.org.