I realize that I have neglected to give you a fuller picture of education in Mulundi, and that’s what St. John’s mission is all about. 

 Mulundi is a village of approximately 800 families.  It is set amid rolling hills about 3 hours’ drive east of Nairobi.  Janet Johnson, a parishioner of St. John’s and the leader of the books and bricks mission, was born and raised in the village.  In 1990, Makali Mulu, an Economist with a consulting business in Nairobi, was the first person from Mulundi to receive a university degree, a bachelor’s degree in economics.  Since then, approximately 60 other students have followed suit (including Janet), and many more are following in their footsteps.  Enough have graduated from universities and settled in Nairobi now that there is a second “Mulundi” in Nairobi.  Like St. John’s, this group is also assisting Mulundi to develop a strong education infrastructure and assist its young people to accomplish their educational goals.  It is hoped that in 10 to 15 years, the Mulundi group will have grown to a sufficient size and capacity as to be able to keep assisting Mulundi’s students without the need for outside assistance. 

(Kate here: I feel obliged to add, for Janet’s father’s sake, that Janet was the first woman in the village to get a Master’s Degree. Her father is very pround of this accomplishment!)