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Happy star, a necessity

“If we don’t give them the basics, we’ll continue to have children in the street, weapons in hand. We will continue to have girls who prostitute themselves, we will continue to have men and women who give birth to children irresponsibly. We must make them responsible from childhood so that they grow up to become adults capable of managing, learning and prospering in life.”

Steve, Happy Star’s founder

Happy Star

There are currently two associations. Steve founded “Unique opportunity’s child forum” in 2016, which runs the Happy Star school. In 2020, Alice Denyse Matthey, Tiziana Caminada and Yves Matthey formed “Unique happy child” in Geneva to raise funds.

The education situation in Kenya is problematic. A study carried out by the Kenyan Ministry of Education revealed that one in four children of primary school age had left school without any qualifications or had never attended school at all. In some regions, children have to share a single textbook per group of 17.

Education in Mathare

The situation in the Mathare is not better. More than 30% of children of school age are still not in school. The annual drop-out rate of over 28% reflects the sad reality in Kenya. Poverty, early pregnancies and marriages, juvenile delinquency and poor parental education are pushing children out of school prematurely. The high drop-out rate widens the gap between the privileged and the poor, perpetuating an unequal society. Education is the undeniable way to success.

Happy Star

There are currently two associations. Steve founded “Unique opportunity’s child forum” in 2016, which runs the Happy Star school. In 2020, Alice Denyse Matthey, Tiziana Caminada and Yves Matthey formed “Unique happy child” in Geneva to raise funds.

The education situation in Kenya is problematic. A study carried out by the Kenyan Ministry of Education revealed that one in four children of primary school age had left school without any qualifications or had never attended school at all. In some regions, children have to share a single textbook per group of 17.

Education in Mathare

The situation in the Mathare is not better. More than 30% of children of school age are still not in school. The annual drop-out rate of over 28% reflects the sad reality in Kenya. Poverty, early pregnancies and marriages, juvenile delinquency and poor parental education are pushing children out of school prematurely. The high drop-out rate widens the gap between the privileged and the poor, perpetuating an unequal society. Education is the undeniable way to success.

Happy Star Nairobi

Happy Star was founded in Kenya in 2016. Steve Arodi, director and founder, is originally from the Mathare slum. He is working to build schools where children can come to study, feed themselves and flourish. He also wants to offer a program with transformative tools for groups and households to build resilience, confidence, natural strengths and connections.

As Child Rights Manager and Specialist, Steve leads a team of 13 specialist teachers and 17 community change experts.

He is a qualified psychologist and works with social workers to provide psychological support for children, especially those who have suffered violent trauma. Steve and his team manage the sustainable management of the projects by planning, monitoring and controlling the implementation and support processes. They take into account the environmental, economic and social aspects of the life cycle of the project’s resources, processes, results and effects.

The aim is to teach Mathare’s children their rights, such as the right not to be beaten or sexually abused, or the right to education and food.

He wants to give them back their confidence and dignity, and make them proud. Access to a good education enables children to identify their challenges and change their lives despite the difficulties caused by the social context.

Over the years, the school has attracted more than 300 children, from nursery to primary school (aged 4 to 14). A nursery has been built for children aged 1-3. The school has continued to grow due to the increasing demand from children for education, healthcare and psycho-social support.

The Happy Star school aims to ensure the well-being, survival, protection and dignity of the rights of all children, particularly girls, living in the slums and beyond.

Happy Star Nairobi

Happy Star was founded in Kenya in 2016. Steve Arodi, director and founder, is originally from the Mathare slum. He is working to build schools where children can come to study, feed themselves and flourish. He also wants to offer a program with transformative tools for groups and households to build resilience, confidence, natural strengths and connections.

As Child Rights Manager and Specialist, Steve leads a team of 13 specialist teachers and 17 community change experts.

He is a qualified psychologist and works with social workers to provide psychological support for children, especially those who have suffered violent trauma. Steve and his team manage the sustainable management of the projects by planning, monitoring and controlling the implementation and support processes. They take into account the environmental, economic and social aspects of the life cycle of the project’s resources, processes, results and effects.

The aim is to teach Mathare’s children their rights, such as the right not to be beaten or sexually abused, or the right to education and food.

He wants to give them back their confidence and dignity, and make them proud. Access to a good education enables children to identify their challenges and change their lives despite the difficulties caused by the social context.

Over the years, the school has attracted more than 300 children, from nursery to primary school (aged 4 to 14). A nursery has been built for children aged 1-3. The school has continued to grow due to the increasing demand from children for education, healthcare and psycho-social support.

The Happy Star school aims to ensure the well-being, survival, protection and dignity of the rights of all children, particularly girls, living in the slums and beyond.

Happy Star Geneva

The 3 founding members, Alice Denyse Matthey, Tiziana Caminada, and Yves Matthey met Steve in western Kenya in 2014.

Touched by his story, they shot the documentary film “Little Big Steve” in 2017 to highlight his fight for the education of children in Mathare.

In 2018, the Yann Verdina Foundation, with which the committee has close links, awarded Steve an exceptional grant so that he could transform his corrugated iron school into a brick building.

The members of the committee have organised various screenings in conjunction with a number of institutions to raise funds for the Happy Star association in Nairobi. They also prepared applications for subsidies from local authorities and the City of Geneva.

In April 2020, members who had contributed to the formation of the association formed a support group to collect donations on an ad hoc basis.

At the end of November 2020, the committee decided to make its activities official and founded the Unique Happy Child association. Tiziana Caminada is president, Alice Denyse Matthey vice-president, Yves Matthey secretary and Fanchette Kunz treasurer.

The City of Geneva has decided to support the Happy Star project over a three-year period.

The association has been supported by ASED (Association Action soutien à l’Enfance Démunie) and has forged links with the Stéphane Guy Croisier Foundation.