Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham is a generous man on and off the pitch.
Apart from assisting his teammates to score goals at international and club level, Bellingham has been transforming the lives of hundreds of poor Kenyan students since he was 15 years old.
The children from Miche Bora Nursery and Primary School could not hide their joy when they watched their guardian angel boss the midfield in a recent FIFA World Cup match in Qatar.
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When Bellingham opened the scoring in England’s 6-2 thrashing of minnows Iran, the students jumped in jubilation singing his name.
The highly rated box to box midfielder donated money to help build the Mombasa-based learning institution and he continues to supply the school with learning materials, kits and footballs.
Rita Fowler, who started the project in 2009 revealed that the kids were over the moon when they learned Bellingham was supporting them.
"Kenyans are football-mad and our children are just so excited to know that Jude is supporting the school.
“I had said to the children for two-and-a-half years that Jude was one of our supporters. Although he was well known in the UK, nobody [in Kenya] had heard of him.
“This time when he was mentioned they were so excited. They knew who he was, obviously. They were all talking to each other saying, ‘It’s Jude Bellingham.
“They were all just sort of talking to themselves in groups and getting all excited,” read part of her statement.
A tutor at the learning institution teaches between 25 and 30 pupils in a classroom and the school has posted excellent results in recent Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results.
Fowler started the Miche Bora and Nursery by renting an old house to teach less than 20 students.
Soon after, Jude learned about the project from his father and decided to become an ambassador for the school.
The 19-year-old made a generous donation that ensured the completion of the school in 2021.
He also helped set up a page where well-wishers from different corners of the globe donate funds that are used to feed the children.
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