Luanda Project
The Luanda Project
St Michael’s has a long-standing partnership with the Catholic parish of Luanda in Kenya. Our partnership began in 2011 with the support of the Mill Hill Missionaries and has developed into a lasting relationship built on education, friendship, service and mutual learning. Over the years, our students and staff have had the opportunity to travel to Kenya, work alongside local schools and community projects, and learn about the lives and experiences of the people we meet.
Following a break during the Covid-19 pandemic, the project restarted three years ago. Since then, our St Michael’s community has worked hard to rebuild and strengthen the partnership. Since returning to the project in 2024, we are proud to have contributed a total of £29,000 in donations.
What We Do
The Luanda Project is about much more than a visit to Kenya. Throughout the year, our students, staff and families raise money and collect practical resources to support the communities we work with. When we travel to Kenya, our students spend time in local schools and community projects. They teach lessons, organise art and music activities, play games and sport, read with children and simply spend time getting to know them.
We also listen to the schools and community organisations we work with so that our fundraising can respond to their most important needs.
The Impact on Our Students
The Luanda Project is also a very important learning experience for our students.
For many, it is their first opportunity to experience a completely different culture and education system. They work in classrooms with almost no resources and sometimes very large numbers of children. They have to adapt lessons, communicate across language barriers, work as a team and respond to unexpected situations.
Through this experience, students develop confidence, resilience, independence, leadership and communication skills. They also gain a deeper understanding of global inequality and the importance of education, community and human connection.
One student described the first day of meeting the children as: “The most beautiful and moving day of my life.”
The experience encourages students to reflect on their own lives and appreciate opportunities that they may otherwise take for granted. At the same time, they discover that the relationship is not one-sided: while they travel to Kenya hoping to make a difference, they return having learned enormously from the people they meet.
Supporting the Project Financially
This year, ten students and four members of staff are preparing to travel to Luanda in July and would be grateful for any help and support you might be able to give. Financial donations are particularly valuable because they allow us to respond to the needs of our partner schools and community as they arise.
If you would like to support the Luanda Project, please visit our JustGiving page:Here
Every donation, however large or small, helps us to provide further support to the children, families and communities we work with.
A Partnership, Not Just a Project
The Luanda Project is built on partnership.
We do not simply travel to Kenya to provide help. We work alongside our partners, listen to their needs and learn from their experiences. Our aim is to develop relationships that continue long after our students return to the UK.
Through fundraising, volunteering, donations and regular communication with our partners, we hope to continue making a meaningful and sustainable contribution to the Luanda community.
Our students often return with the realization that they have gained as much from the experience as they have given.
Together, we can do more.
