Ruben Centre

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We offer key community development programmes to one of the largest slums in Nairobi. Sister Mary Killeen, a Mercy sister, was the founder of the school. Sr.

The establishment of Ruben Primary School in 1986 saw the beginning of what is now known as the Ruben Centre. In 1992, the management of the school was handed over to the Japanese NGO African Education Fund (AEF). In 1995, the first class of Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) students completed their primary education. However the AEF withdrew after six years, leaving the school and fledgling clinic in a precarious state. Mary Killeen continued again as the Administrator. In 1998 the school was registered as a Kenyan government school and the first Teachers Service Commission teachers were employed. Vocational Classes for carpentry, dress making and tailoring were also started. In 2000 the Christian Brothers responded to Sr. Mary’s invitation to administer Ruben Centre, as it became known. In 2001, Br. Bob Aron the first Christian Brother Manager initiated some developments, including drainage, playing field and toilets. However the most significant new development was the building of a police post by the Christian Brothers, bringing with it improved security and a new confidence within the local community, concerning the Centre’s permanence. In 2003 the very primitive clinic was replaced by a new modern Clinic which offered more services. Also that year, the Kenyan government initiated free primary education and this ushered in a huge expansion in the student population. In 2012 there were close to 1800 students enrolled at Ruben Primary School.

05/10/2026

Today is World Teachers' Day, and at Ruben Centre, we pause to honour the educators who show up every single day for the children of Mukuru.

Teaching in our community is not just a job, it's a calling. Our teachers do more than deliver lessons; they provide stability for children facing real hardship, notice when a child needs extra support, and create a safe, encouraging space in classrooms that hold 3,426 students. They are often the first adult outside the home to see a child's potential and nurture it.

To every one of our 72 teachers at AEF Reuben Comprehensive School: thank you for your patience, your dedication, and your belief in every child who walks through our gates. You are shaping not just test scores, but futures.

Join us in celebrating teachers everywhere today, the quiet, steady force behind every child's possibility.

01/10/2026

Our hands-on skills in action at the International Trade Fair.

Our vocational training team and urban farming team are LIVE at the trade fair, and the energy is unmatched.

See what skills can build:
-Fresh, farm-grown produce
-Quality handmade products made by our trainees.

We're here until SUNDAY, so don't miss out. Come say hi, see the work, and take something home.

Support skills. Support local. Support us!

30/09/2026

For someone living on a low income, finding money to start or grow a business can feel like an endless search for a door that never opens. Formal loans may require collateral, interest can be difficult to manage, and an opportunity can disappear simply because there is no capital to act on it. But what if the answer is not always somewhere outside the community? What if the community already has what it needs to begin? What if we ask not, "What does this community lack?" but "What does this community have, and what can we build on?"

At Ruben Centre, this is the thinking behind our Asset-Based Community Development approach. We see women who are already running small businesses, families who are already saving, neighbours who already trust one another, and people with ideas and determination to improve their lives. Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) give these existing strengths a structure through which they can become opportunity. By saving together and lending to one another, members can create their own pool of capital—one that can help a mother buy stock for her business, a young entrepreneur invest in an idea, or a family strengthen its livelihood without having to wait for a conventional lender to say yes.

This is the transformation Ruben Centre wants to see: savings groups that move beyond simply putting money aside to becoming engines of economic opportunity. Over the past week, 59 members of the Mukuru community came together for a five-day SILC training, building on the existing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) within the community. The training was facilitated by Everlyne Nyamoita, Project Officer, SILC at Mirror of Hope. The purpose was not simply to teach a new methodology, but to strengthen something the community already owns. With stronger financial practices, record keeping, internal lending and business knowledge, these groups can become trusted platforms through which members finance enterprises, grow incomes and build resilience.

And the impact does not stop with the person who receives a loan. A growing business can mean school fees paid, food on the table, a child staying in school, and a mother having greater confidence in her ability to provide for her family. That is the power of SILC: turning collective savings into individual possibility, and individual possibility into stronger families and communities.

The 59 people trained are not the end of the story; they are part of a ripple that can reach hundreds more, as knowledge, savings and opportunity move through existing community networks. Ruben Centre is investing not only in financing, but in agency—the belief that communities have assets worth building on and the capacity to shape their own economic future. When one person learns, many benefit. Each of the 59 participants will pass on what they learned to the groups and neighbours around them, multiplying the impact across Mukuru.

A big thank you to AMREF, the Edmund Rice Foundation (ERF), Mirror of Hope and Partners for Equity (PFE) for helping make this training a success.

25/09/2026

GIRLS AND TEENAGE MUMS EXCELLING IN THE TECH SPACE .

For girls and teenage mothers in Mukuru, digital skills are opening new pathways to education, entrepreneurship and employment.

At Ruben Centre, we are equipping 60 girls and teenage mothers with practical digital skills through a 12-week training programme. The participants are divided into two groups, with 30 attending in the morning and 30 in the afternoon, giving them the opportunity to learn, practise and build confidence in a supportive environment.

They are currently learning Computer Packages, Graphic Design, Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—skills that can help them navigate the changing digital world and explore new opportunities.

More than 10 million young Kenyans are reported to be working online, highlighting the growing importance of digital skills for employment and entrepreneurship. At the same time, AI is becoming increasingly important across Kenya’s digital economy, making digital and AI skills valuable for young people seeking to actively compete and participate in the digital space.

Through the support of our partners and donors, these young women are gaining more than technical skills. They are building confidence, independence and the ability to compete and participate in an increasingly digital world.

This is about empowerment—equipping girls and teenage mums with the skills to create opportunities, pursue their ambitions and shape their own futures.

22/09/2026

We recently received a KL-2C Delivery Bed and a U50 Portable Ultrasound Machine with three probes, generously donated by GFF to Ruben Health Centre. The new equipment will enhance comfort, dignity, and safety for mothers while strengthening our capacity for timely assessment and clinical decision-making across maternity, antenatal care, reproductive health, and other clinical services.

This investment is ultimately about people—improving access to essential diagnostic services, strengthening maternal and reproductive healthcare, and creating a better experience for the mothers, babies, and families we serve.

We sincerely thank Gould Family Foundation for supporting us with equipment that is helping us deliver better care, one mother and baby at a time.

18/09/2026

Yesterday, five of our staff visited Mirror of Hope for a meaningful learning exchange focused on Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC). The visit provided an opportunity to deepen their understanding of community savings initiatives and how they support financial empowerment and resilience.

Our team also joined one of the SILC groups during their weekly meeting, gaining first-hand insight into their activities, experiences, and the role these groups play in strengthening community livelihoods.

The visit also included an opportunity to explore the IT room and Fashion and Design programs, showcasing different skills development initiatives that equip community members with practical knowledge and opportunities for growth.

Our staff were accompanied by two Community Health Promoters, who also took part in this enriching learning experience.

We appreciate Mirror of Hope for welcoming our team and creating an opportunity for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual learning.

15/09/2026

What happens when educators cross borders to learn, serve, and share their skills? Connection becomes action, and action becomes impact.

On 14th and 15th September, six teachers from Australia, supported by the Edmund Rice Foundation, took part in the Into the Heart Immersion, experiencing first-hand the work happening across Ruben Centre’s programs.

On the first day, they explored our different programs and visited two homes of our beneficiaries in the community, giving them an opportunity to see beyond our Centre and experience the realities, resilience, and aspirations of the families we walk alongside. The visits offered a deeper understanding of how our work creates opportunities, promotes dignity, and empowers children and families.

On the second day, they rolled up their sleeves and volunteered in different programs, including the laboratory, dental clinic, and classrooms. Their skills, time, and enthusiasm added value to our work while creating meaningful connections with the people we serve.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Amelia, Dana, and Christabella (St. Paul’s College, Adelaide), Beth (Parade College, Bundoora), and Michelle and Alyssa (Ignatius Park College, Townsville) for sharing their time, skills, and passion with us.
We also sincerely thank the Edmund Rice Foundation for making this immersion possible and for strengthening a partnership built on learning, solidarity, and a shared commitment to empowering communities.

Different countries. Shared values. One commitment to creating change.

11/09/2026

At AEF Reuben Comprehensive School, meaningful progress is strengthened through collaboration between the school, parents and the wider community.

The Board of Management and Parents’ Association held their termly meeting, bringing together 19 members to reflect on the school’s needs and discuss practical ways of supporting our learners. The meeting was chaired by Br. John Paul.

Members reviewed the needs analysis, identifying existing gaps and exploring possible solutions to address them. The discussions also focused on boy child and girl child issues, looking at their different needs and how the school community can provide the right support for every learner.

The meeting also looked ahead to a Grand Annual General Meeting (AGM) planned for mid-February, which will bring together the wider school community to reflect, engage and plan for the future.

At AEF Reuben Comprehensive School, we believe that when parents, school leadership and the community work together, our children have a stronger foundation to learn, grow and thrive.

Together, we listen. Together, we plan. Together, we build a better future for every child.

09/09/2026

Yesterday, we joined the world in celebrating World Physiotherapy Day 2026, under the theme "The role of physiotherapy and physical activity in the prevention, management and rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease and stroke."

There is something quietly powerful about watching someone take a step they once thought they'd lost. At Ruben Centre, that moment happens often, thanks to the dedication of our very own Lowena Inyanje, a seasoned physiotherapist whose work helps members of Mukuru and beyond regain their movement, strength, mobility and independence.

We are especially proud that Lowena has rehabilitated more than 20 clients living with stroke, some of whose strokes were caused by cardiovascular disease. Each of those journeys represents real courage, patience and hard work, both from our clients and from the team walking alongside them.

To our clients: thank you for trusting us, for believing in us, and for having faith in this process even when progress felt slow. Every step forward, no matter how small, is worth celebrating.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors, who help us provide equipment and offer physiotherapy at a highly subsidized fee of just KSh 100 (approximately US$0.77) per session. That support matters even more nationally, where access remains limited. According to Kenya's 2023 Health Facility Census, only 10% of health facilities offered physiotherapy services, and just 6% offered rehabilitative services.

To mark the day, we celebrated together with our clients over cake, sharing laughter and gratitude in a moment that felt less like an event and more like a family gathering, a reminder of why this work matters.

Happy World Physiotherapy Day to Lowena and to physiotherapists everywhere making a difference, one step at a time.

04/09/2026

She's already counting down to the weekend, and honestly, so are we. Wishing everyone in our Ruben Centre family a Friday full of good moments. Whatever you've got planned this weekend, we hope it's a good one.

Address

20094
Nairobi Industrial Area
00200

Telephone

+254778848801

Website

http://www.rubencentre.org/

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