“I’m a mentor at KCE. I work at the centre every day and I especially focus on the younger children. I help them with drawing, reading, writing, puzzles and spend time with them. I am also responsible for the laundry and cooking.”
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Elizabeth Opondo
“My name is Elizabeth and I am the mentor at KCE. I work at the educational center and support the children’s development in different ways. One of my main responsibilities is the Tumaini Watoto sponsorship.”
Amanda Pedersen
”My passion and mission is to make it possible for all children to have access to education and a meaningful pastime when they can play, learn and progress in different ways. I have a degree in global studies and economics. I lived in Nairobi for two time-periods, 2007 and 2007-2009”.
Emilie Wahlström
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”I have a masters degree in global studies at the University of Gothenburg. For parts of my degree I spent time in Kibera, Nairobi”
Steve Carlsson
”My name is Steve Carlsson and I work with logistics. If one at a young age has seen and experienced the injustices of the world, it feels natural to contribute to the education of particularly unprivileged children, in this case in the slums of Nairobi”.
Karina Djurner
“Hi, my name is Karina. I have previously worked as a High School director at Hulebäck High School. During this period I came into contact with a group of Swedish students who actively were involved in the development of the life situation of young people in Kibera, Nairobi. To contribute to the development of education, the work for a brighter future and an enhanced life standard for this demographic group in the slum of Kibera is according to me one of the most important things in life to engage and take part in.”
Education
KCE as an independent organization fights for children’s right to proper education, which will prepare them for what adulthood has to throw at them. In the children we have the leaders of tomorrow and future opinion makers. What’s then a better way to invest in a better world and a brighter further, then to provide the youth of today with the sharpest weapon of them all: knowledge, awareness and understanding? With a strong academic fundament at hand any individual can participate in politics and help set the future agenda, and be a part of the life changing decisions being made for the children of tomorrow.
“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
Due to poverty most families in slums like Kibera don’t possess the resources needed to provide for their children/s education. Instead the children often end up working in order to help their families put food on the table and survive the day. Because most of the families in Kibera have an accumulated income of less than 1$/day (the subsistence level), the parents might even encourage the children to work instead of attending school. Here’s where you really can make a difference by enabling the families to let their young ones go to school, by providing the financial stability needed for this actual transition process.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
The effect of education as a motivational tool and empowerment is widespread and therefore we strive to through our Sponsorship Programme Tumaini Watoto provide the sponsored children the opportunity to equip themselves with this tool, in order to help themselves and the society to a better future than their predecessors.
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[heading type=”h2″ ]Education Beats Poverty![/heading]
According to the extensive work and research performed and developed by the UN (United nations), we can conclude that Education beats Poverty and also enhances global health and gender equality:*
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“Education beats poverty: one extra year of schooling increases a person’s earnings by up to 10%. 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills”.
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“Education promotes gender equality by helping women control how many children they have”.
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“Education reduces child mortality: a child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past age five”.
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“Education contributes to improved maternal health: women with higher levels of education are most likely to delay and space out pregnancies, and to seek health care and support”.
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“Education helps combat HIV, malaria and other preventable diseases. In addition, it facilitates access to treatment and fights against stigma and discrimination”.
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“Education encourages environmental sustainability. It allows people make decisions that meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations”.
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* United Nations Resources for Speakers on Global Issues. Avialable: http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/efa/
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[heading type=”h2″ ]The Kenyan Education System[/heading]
The Kenyan education system consists of 3 academic levels: Primary School, Secondary School and University.
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The first level of education is Primary School and begins at the age of 6 or 7, but first the child needs to complete a year of kindergarten (Nursery school/Pre-unit). Primary school consists of 8 sub levels, which ranges from Standard 1 to Standard 8. In order to advance to a higher class the pupils have to pass the final exam and if they don’t, they have to repeat the current class and re-do the final exam.
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After successfully completed Standard 8, the pupil will be enabled to advance to Secondary School. This level of education is divided into 4 sub-levels, with Form 1 being the first step and Form 4 the final.
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After completing Primary and Secondary School the student can choose to apply for the last and highest instance of the Kenyan education system, University.
Kibera
Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, was founded in 1902 by the British colonial government. In Kenya there are 42 different ethnic groups/tribes in which the largest is the Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya and Kamba. The government drew up a plan to segregate various ethnic groups and assigned each tribe a particular area of land in the capital. When people from other parts of Kenya moved to Nairobi to work, they were forced to settle in areas such as Kibera where the segregation plan forbade them to live elsewhere.
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After Kenya’s independence in 1963 a large part of the settlements in Kibera became illegal, yet Kibera at present still increases in both size and population. Kibera is officially owned by the Kenyan government and has repeatedly made attempts to evict the illegal settlers and instead set up housing with higher standards and developed infrastructure. The result is that thousands of poor people loose their homes and new slums form in other areas.
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Kibera is Africa’s second largest slum. The exact population is not fixed but it is estimated to be around 1 million. The population elements are on a surface of 2,5 square kilometers. The majority of the inhabitants live in extremely unbearable conditions due to the comprehensive unemployment.
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The area is characterized by extreme poverty and humanitarian shortcomings such as clean water and sanitation. It is estimated that there are 2600 sanitation facilities where about 1000 of these are in use. It means that at least 500 people share one toilet. The illegal connection of water pipes polute the water, which is being sold at excessively high prices and is a major source to diseases spread. HIV/AIDS is another major issue in the slum. Between 12-15 % of the total population is estimated to be infected. In certain groups, where young women are the most vulnerable, the percentage is higher.
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The crime rate in Kibera is high mainly due to the widespread of poverty. Riots and demonstrations are common.
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Despite the harsh living conditions and hardships, Kibera is a place of creativity and ingenuity. The inhabitants willingness to change and improve their living conditions is high but unfortunately they lack money and other resources.
Make a Difference
“We must do all that we can, to give our children the best in education and social upbringing – for while they are the youth of today, they shall be the leaders of tomorrow.” ― John F. Kennedy
Become a sponsor for our Education Centre or/and one or more of the children within our Education Programme Tumaini Watoto today to help enable and guide the leaders of tomorrow. By sponsoring our Education Centre located in the heart of the vibrant Kibera slum, you contribute to our development and improvement processes that enables us to grow and expand our organization. Here at the Centre all children regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, social status and gender are invited to engage in all our various activities: homework assistance, playing games, drawing, reading, sports, workshops, computer lessons, social gatherings, singing, playing instruments, dancing and much more.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Our sponsor programme Tumaini Watoto covers the first two educational instances in the Kenyan educational system, Primary school and Secondary school. With the academic skills and knowledge usurped from these school years the sponsored children are entitled to attend a University.
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The sponsorship for PRIMARY SCHOOL provide each sponsored child with the following:
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• Tuition fee • Exams fee • 1 school uniform per year • 1 pair of shoes per year • 5 text books for the main subjects • 10 exercise books • Stationeries: 2 pencils, 1 rubber and 1 pencil sharpener • Fee for the feeding programme • 1 pair of gum boots every year • 1 school bag every second year • School trip once a year
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The sponsorship for SECONDARY SCHOOL provide each sponsored child with the following:
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• School fee • Subsidy for Transport to school (back and forth) • 1 school uniform & 1 pair of shoes when joining Form 1 only • 5 text books for the main subjects • 10 exercise books • Sanitary pads for the females
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The families share the responsibility for the school fees and pay for some additional items needed in school. We believe that it is important to involve the families and they show their commitment by sharing the responsibilities.