Mathare Scholarship Students and Art Teacher

It is our extreme pleasure to introduce you to the recipients of our very first Scholarships and Art Teacher awards in Mathare Valley, Kenya through our partnership with Mathare Community Outreach.

Philister Anyango Miruka – Scholarship Student

Philister is a student at Kenya Technical Teachers College and currently pursuing Instructors Training Course part two in garment making fashion and design. Though well known for discipleship, she went back to college to pursue her career in fashion after getting a scholarship in the process of facilitation of MCO’s discipleship training program at Maseno. Her passion and dedication is what sets her apart from anybody else.

She finished her part one last year with a distinction. Being passionate in encouraging, helping and imparting creative skills to both youth and children during her free time especially on Saturdays and holidays. Currently she is undertaking her classes as well as teaching basic sewing skills and creative art to young beautiful children at Kariobangi children’s Home every Saturday.

Winnie Aluoch Otieno – Scholarship Student 

Winnie Aluoch Otieno is a student at Zetech University, currently pursuing Social Work and Community Development. She serves as a volunteer at Mathare Community Outreach community as a Social Worker during the day and then attends classes in the evening. Winnie is very passionate about music. When she isn’t at school, she spends her time investing in young children by giving them music training.

Henry Aol – Art Teacher

Henry is married to one wife, and the third born in a family of seven children. His passion for art began out of necessity. Having been a child of a civil servant, he had to learn how to make things for himself, or else he would not have any toy to play with. Most of his artwork is inspired by personal feelings of things around him and happenings in the world that people are very much unaware off. His work seeks to inform, make statements, discuss or argue. It always seeks to promote a positive reaction.

All in all, Henry loves what he does and spends a lot of time refining, perfecting and even sometimes obsessing over his work. For him it is a passion and a way to minister to the children and people of Mathare. If you ask him what form of art he specializes in, he will not tell you, for he strives to go beyond an aesthetic sense to create a captivating work of art. The measure of how good he is comes through the work of his students, their expression and experiences.

As an art teacher at Mathare Community Outreach, he has worked and exposed himself to many forms of art through different forums and workshops. He has partnered with many groups and artists who have the same vision as his; namely Inverted Arts, Safaricom Sanaa, and Art Without Borders just to mention but a few.

Art is everywhere. We only have to open our heart and eyes to see and feel it.