Before closing the centre for Christmas holiday we had a great X-mas party with a total of 124 participants, a lot of food and cake but also dancing and singing. Much appreciated!
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Here is an update with some pictures to keep you all updated.
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There’s a lot of activity at our center in Kibera. Many children come here to get help with their home work, but also to paint and play chess, for example, as you can see in the pictures.
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Some of the kids who were sponsored have now moved on to university. While that is outside of our oversight we do stay in close contact with them, and several of them are being privately sponsored so that they can afford the high tuition costs.
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Our center and the sponsorship money we receive are very important to the children here. Maybe you know someone else who would like to contribute? We would be happy to send information to companies or individuals who might be interested. We can also come in person and tell the story about how KCE started from a school field trip in Nairobi and the progress we’ve made since then.
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Thank you for your support!
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GIRLS WORKSHOP
TOPIC: ADOLESCENCE AND PEER PRESSURE
DATES: 16TH, 17TH AND 18TH, APRIL
The workshop was organized by KCE Tumaini Watoto, this is after observing that we are losing quite a number of girls (Dropouts) to early pregnancy and peer pressure. The aim of the workshop was to enlighten the girls and also help them overcome the challenges. We did it in April since the girls were at home for the April Holidays and we were targeting over 20 girls. The workshop was facilitated by one Alex Ngaa and Emma Marichu both peer educators. We sourced an outsider so that the girls could be more engaging by having someone that they are not used too.
TOPICS
1. Definitions of different body stages
a. Adolescence
b. Teenage
c. Youth and
d. Adulthood
2. Changes that occur during the stages
3. Peer pressure
a. Types of peer pressure
b. How to overcome peer pressure
4. Challenges of Adolescence and Teenagers
a. Early Pregnancy
b. Lack of parental guidance
c. Drug abuse
d. Early Marriages
e. Love
f. Internet
g. STI and HIV
5. Menstruation and menstruation health
The girls were so expectant hence very cooperative during the three days. On the topic of challenges faced by adolescence and teenagers, the girls gave different types of challenges they face hence making it easy to tackle as per what they face and experience. The first day we had 25 girls who attended, the second day we had 24 as one dint not come due to home issues she was the one at home alone, the last Day we had a number of 25 girls as well the number was consistent hence a good start.
We provided lunch for the girls for the three days and the last day we gave them sanitary towels, this was in line with the days topic of menstruation and menstruation health as they were taught how to use the pads and also how to keep themselves clean during the menstruation period. This made the girls happy.
Challenges we had was, whether it was raining heavily in the afternoon hence we would leave early so that the girls can reach home safely, we also had challenges of girls coming with kids as young as 3 years as there were the ones taking care of them back at home and didn’t want to miss out on the workshop, one of the girls came with their kid who was below one year and would be forced to go and breastfeed during the sessions. We managed to keep the kids busy with painting and colouring with the help of Elizabeth and Snaida and also we took turns to babysit the young one so that the mother does not miss out.
In conclusion, I suggest that we will be having such workshops each holiday that is April, August and December and to make it all-inclusive that is for girls and boys and we can be having different topics during the workshops. Also, the girls talk to be done once a week during the holidays since that’s the time we will be able to reach the target group as they are in school during the term making it hard to have them then.
Thank you so much for the support accorded to us to facilitate the workshop and we hope for more. God bless you all.
Compiled by: Emma Marichu
Finance and Admin
KCE Tumaini Watoto
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“My name is Kajsa, and I am a member of the board of KCE. I work as an archaeologist in the region of Gothenburg. I think it is important to support young people in their effort to study and improve their lives and the surrounding society.”
150 kids and young boys and girls came to the annual Christmas party at Kibera Children Education Centre. They had music and food, pilau, chapati, meat, cake and much more. They enjoyed the party very much. In the pictures you can see Lucy in pink, Geoffrey in blue, Rashid in green, Snaida in black and many more kids. The last months since the election the centre has sometimes been closed due to riots and violence in Kibera, but now we hope for peace so the children can come and play and get help with their homework again.
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Dear All,
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I hope you are well. We are fine too and enjoying the peace after our general elections.
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It has been a busy and great moments a the center with Kids multiplying every time which is a great thing and enjoyable. The center has been busy with new activities which include story telling and singing. Our girls at Kenswed have been doing great and we receive good news from the administration. Lucy stared boarding last term for 2 weeks and she enjoys it so much, I went to the school and the boarding facility is very good and well kept as well with a trained matron who looks after the girls and stays with them. Sharon and Susan will board starting this term which commences on Monday 28th. I managed to buy the requirements for their boarding and we are thankful for your continued support.
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As you are aware we just concluded our general elections which were so hotly contested and with fear of violence erupting. Their were cases of violence erupting after the declaration of presidential results in the strong hold areas of the opposition Kibera being one of the areas but we thank God it never escalated to the worst. During the said time we had closed the center for security purposes and one Janious was here to keep vigilance and nothing was vandalized by the youths, there was also a lot of tension and not safe for us to go there but now calm has returned and i have been going there. Kids were still coming to the center during the tension period and Janious would keep them busy with activities which is a great thing for the kids not to experience the violence. We are grateful things are back to normal as we wait for the court verdict which we hope even after the verdict it will still be safe.
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Snaida reported but to work after her maternity leave and her and the baby are well.
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We thank you all for the support you have continued to give us.
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This is our temporary employee Janius, who helped us while our teachers were busy studying. He helped the children with their academic studies and also with leisure activities like football. He still comes very often to the centre and helps out on a voluntary basis.
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The two months have been busy months with follow up on students especially the one that went to Kenswed. Three of the girls are at Kenswed and at the moment they are on April holiday. The three girls are Lucy, Sharon and Susan. As for Virginia she wishes to do a course and not continue with her education hence the reason she didnt go back with the rest. I attanded the school prize giving day on 3rd of April and we had a great time at the school. Our girls are now ok with no issues.
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April holiday we have had a great turn up of kids at the center and the teacher with the help of our former beneficiary of the Centre Janius doing a great thing every day to keep them busy. This month has also been great Snaida was blessed with a baby boy on 3rd of April.
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In Kenya it has been a difficult time for us with the starvation but we thank God that the rains have started and we pray that it continues to rain. The political fever is high at the moment with parties doing their preliminaries and there is a lot of tension with cases of violent being experienced in some areas but it’s within supporters of the same parties. We pray for a peaceful election period in august kindly remember us in prayers.
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Thank you all for the continued support.
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Emma
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”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! ”
The year 2017 started on well and very busy with students reporting to their school
s and five girls joining Kenswed High school in Rongai and we are very greatful for the support that we received during the whole process from searching of school, interviews and admission.
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We are praying for a great year for all our students and hope they will all perform well with the introduction of the new school curriculum that was introduced by the government from the 8-4-4 system.
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We have had few challenges with the new students who went to Kenswed and one of the droped and went back to her former school. This was a case of indiscipline because her reasons are not concrete for the action she did. The other four I had a meeting with them on Monday 6th Feb and later with the headteacher. One of them want to go back to day school but at the same school which I explained to her the challenges of commuting daily from Kibera to Ngong and the costs implication on the parents side as KCE will not be responsible for the expenses. I hope she will change her mind on that as the principal promised to talk to her.
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Here in Kenya its very hot and dry and some places are experiencing drought. We are praying for rain and some areas have started receiving rains though in very small quantity. We have power and water rationing due to the condition and things are very turf. There is also the election campaign fever and we are praying for peaceful election in August unlike the past .
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We are excited to have Karina, Marta and Eva visiting us and also the students at Kenswed. We had a meeting with them on 4th of February which was a great meeting.
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/Emma Marichu