In 2004, Sunrise of Africa School, Waithaka, Nairobi West was opened with three children, one teacher and one cook in a rented tin hut.
Corinne Corvin’s family were amongst the pioneers who started spreading Christian Science in Kenya. Corinne’s grandparents came to Kenya in 1907. Her grandfather, Percival Johnson, along with his business partner, started one of the leading accounting firms in the country, which eventually became Deloitte. Her mother, Ursula Rose Johnson was a Journal listed Christian Science practitioner from 1955 – 2002.
In the late 60s, when Corinne, after qualifying at Edinburgh University, returned to Kenya, she immediately started teaching Sunday School and soon became its Superintendent. She used to “scoop up” waiting neighbourhood children, pile them into her old Landcruiser and took them to Sunday School each week. Corinne was a church reader, board member and Sunday School teacher for many years in Nairobi.
During one of Corinne´s conversations with her top class students, Edward Waruinge, asked, “Why don´t we start a Christian Science school?” The seed of establishing a Christian Science school near Nairobi, Kenya was sown.
In 2004, Sunrise of Africa School, Waithaka, Nairobi West was opened with three children, one teacher and one cook in a rented tin hut. In the same year, a Christian Science Society and Sunday School also started in the area. Two of the current Directors, Corinne Corvin and Samuel Aloyo, were also the founders of the school and have been devoted to growing the school through hard work and prayer since its inception. Michelle Maher, Corinne’s daughter, has joined the team and is now also a Director, committed to helping Sunrise grow and progress.
Sunrise’s first classrooms in 2004
It was always the plan to be able to purchase our own land to build a school. In 2008, due to the generous donations of the US Christian Science Garden Grove Church and others, this vision was realized and Sunrise of Africa School Garden Grove, Nairobi East, Kitengela, opened its nursery doors with eight children on its own five acre plot of land. We also started a Christian Science Society and Sunday School in Kitengela.
The plot of land Sunrise bought in 2005, thanks to kind donors
One of the first meetings held on the new land.
Sunrise of Africa School has now vacated the Waithaka rented accommodation and is flourishing in Kitengela, with a team of dedicated teachers and support staff. In 2017 we now have more than 300 students at this school and it has an excellent reputation in the area.
Corinne has 40 years of business experience, and works with her husband, George, in their family engineering businesses. She is a Director and Donor Representative for Sunrise. Samuel is a Director, the CEO, and an experienced I.T. advisor to Sunrise. Corinne’s daughter, Michelle, who lives in Brisbane, Australia, is an active fundraiser and supporter of Sunrise and they have wonderful representatives in the UK, the US, Germany and Australia. Sunrise has an American 501c3 called Sunrise of Africa School Charitable Foundation Inc..
“We were taking church to the people, rather than having them come all the way, with expensive fares, into the congested centre of Nairobi ,” says Corinne. We are now accepted and respected in the community. All our children receive Monday School which is like our C.S. Sunday School.
“Kitengela is a multi-tribal feeder town for Nairobi ,” says Corinne. Our Sunrise children are learning to express God’s intelligence. They work and play in a very happy environment.
Sunrise’s classrooms now
