Founded in 1959 by the late Dr Geoffrey Griffin, Starehe is a charitable institution that provides care and education for boys in need. It runs a Centre, Secondary School and a tertiary Institute offering Accountancy and Computer studies. The school began life as two simple huts serving as dormitories for the first waifs to be brought in from the streets. Starehe’s first backers were joined by others including Save the Children and Starehe now has nearly 1100 boys in its care. 70% of Form I places are reserved for needy boys from severely disadvantaged family backgrounds – all accepted as boarders. 

Martyn was a volunteer music teacher at Starehe from 1996 to 1998. During this time he led the school choir to considerable success at the Kenya Music Festival, gave piano lessons, taught western classical music in the classroom and led the music-making in assembly. He found teaching at Starehe quite different from schools in the UK. The Kenyan boys were desperately keen to learn and fully appreciated their educational opportunities, it being quite literally the difference between life and death for many of them. Martyn was frequently woken at 7am by students wanting the key to the piano practice rooms! He found it a joy to be amongst such enthusiastic young people. 

MDMT organises a music volunteer programme, providing opportunities for music graduates from the UK to spend a year or two following in Martyn’s footsteps and working at Starehe Boys’ Centre. We also provide instruments and music.