The Catholic Church Universal Solidarity Fund and Education of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the Archdiocese Of Nairobi, Kenya

The study sought to establish the influence of The Catholic Church Universal Solidarity Fund on the Education of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nairobi Archdiocese, Kenya. The study applied descriptive research design and used both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis. The study sample size was 61 respondent and 10 focused group discussions. The study used Purposive and stratified sampling technique to select sample size.It was found out that before coming to the childcare centers, majority of OVC had missed school since the environment they came from contributed them missing school, this was understood to be associated with the needy backgrounds the OVC came from, a finding that was supported by Global education fund Kenya report (2012) that said vulnerable children from many poor communities lack school fees for tuition. Results showed that the children were involved in a number of extra curriculum activities ranging from dancing, football, acrobatics, music, art and even agricultural skills. The study concluded that, financial constraint was affecting the quality of education as it was reported by children that there were no enough reading materials. Problems such as overcrowding in the centers due to the limited infrastructure and low quality or quantity of food was likely to affect the day to day running of children centres as well. It was recommended that, the Catholic Universal Solidarity Fund administrators, the organization should put an effort in achieving the consistency in funding to ensure the OVC fully continues with the program without interference; The centers should be assisted to start sustainable projects that would ensure smooth running of the centers even after funding is withdrawn; To the centers -There is need to mobilize the surrounding communities in order to increase support base of the center, encouraging surrounding neighbors through organized festivities and walks to raise money and other needs such as foodstuff; Involve the parents or guardians to ensure they take an active role in their children’s lives through encouraging them to offer their support and counsel and Create awareness on the community that there are institutions that offer education services to OVC, this would enhance enrollment of OVC to schools.