”Five years ago I visited the KCE-centre together with Karina, and I was so impressed by the activities there and the dedicated work of the staff. It made me immediately decide to support the center as a monthly sponsor!
This year, 2017, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days at the centre again, and I got to know the staff and the children a little bit better. The centre has now grown bigger, more kids are coming every day and more teachers are working there.
After that I was asked to be a deputy member of the board, which I gladly accepted, and my wish is that the KCE- centre can remain and develop even more in the future! ”
Author Archives: kiberace
My Home
My home is a single roomed with my mother being the bread winner of the family. Its tough but what I believe is, when the tough gets going the going gets tough, that’s the word to use. I believe after my education I would identify my career for a bright future. Its so weird that my mum leaves very early in the morning and comes home late at night, I rarely have time to discuss my matters with my mum whenever an urgency arises. I feel lonely most of the time, unlike most of families that shares their views together. With the help of my teachers at Tumaini and the Girls group discussion, makes me relieve when we share our problems and a solution is found.
Emma Marichu
“My name is Emma Marichu, accountant at KCE. I love working with children and their growth as well. KCE has provided this ground for me to work with and for the children. My work at KCE is to send reports, budgets and do major purchases for the centre that is inclusive of paying the sponsored children schools fees and payment of bills and utilities.”
Snaida Lunyaji
“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.”
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
Reply
”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.