About Us

PROJECT CHANCE AFRICA

Project Chance Africa Inc. has been a registered Canadian charity since 2007. PCA helps children who live in the impoverished Mathare Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. We are strictly a volunteer only organization with no offices or paid staff. All money raised goes directly to fund our projects. All goods and supplies donated by our funders are hand delivered by our founder, Suan Cross.

We have the strong support of loyal individual donors and we are proud to receive funding from service clubs such as The West Ottawa Rotary Club, The Bytown Rotary Club, and the The District Rotary Club of Ontario & Quebec. 

The roots of the organization started in 1992 when founder and director Susan Cross first visited Mathare, Nairobi. Suan had a long and successful career as a social worker starting at the John Howard Society where she oversaw programmes aiding the families of offenders. Later she was a caseworker with the Elizabeth Fry Society. She also researched indigenous homelessness especially with women while working with the federal government on WICKLE (Women In Conflict With the Law) through the Montreal Native Friendship Centre. In 1992, Suan became Director of Project Chance, a program which achieved huge success in providing university education as well as housing and social support for single mothers. She served in this capacity until her retirement in 2005. Her activities on behalf of young people in the Mathare slum dates from 1992 to the present.

Project Chance Africa is also producing a documentary describing life in the Mathare slum as well as the initiatives being taken to improve its quality. It is expected to be released in the next year.


Mathare Valley Slum

The Mathare slum zigzags through the Mathare Valley in Nairobi, Kenya for over a mile. Over 600,000 people call this small strip of land home. The residents of the Mathare slum are among the poorest, most destitute people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the population, including children, have been affected by AIDS and/or HIV, Malaria, and Tuberculosis among others.

Many, many children live here alone, with no parents or have just one parent. AIDS and so many other diseases including cholera in this community have been taking their toll. There are no free medical centres, no community assets such as community centers and libraries, there are no roads, just narrow paths filled with human waste and garbage.

Gang activity is rampant, making it difficult for relief services to remain safe and productive. Local gang members have started sending their children to the school established by Project Chance Africa and are in turn protecting the school from other common predators.

  • The Mathare slum is the oldest slum in Nairobi

  • The residents of the Mathare slum are among the poorest in Sub-Saharan Africa

  • 600,000+ people live in this small strip of land

  • The Mathare slum zigzags for over 1 mile through Mathare Valley in Nairobi, Kenya

  • There are no roads, only narrow pathways defined by raw sewage, human waste, and garbage

  • 80% of the population is under 18 years of age

  • Disease affects everyone: HIV / AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and infectious outbreaks are rampant

  • Many children are orphaned

  • There are no free medical centers, community centres, or libraries

  • Gang activity is rampant as there is no formal government

Board of Directors

PCA has a dedicated Board of Directors whose primary function is to oversee the budget and help develop operational policies. 

Corporate Board of Directors

Suan Cross – Founder, President, Social Worker
Joshua Zambrowsky – Vice President, Lawyer & Criminologist
Peter Napier – Secretary, Crown Prosecutor & Judge
Melanie Willis – Treasurer, Journalist & Documentary Filmmaker

Directors

Lynda Holt – Member, Business Woman
Alex Houghton– Member, Teacher
Carol Waters – Member, Executive Campaign Fundraiser