From Geoffery Mwicha 14 years old.

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My name is Geoffrey Mwicha ,I am 14 years old and in standard eight at Toi primary school.I lost both my parents at an early age and this forced me to put up with my grand parents who are in their seventies and hence cannot do any job to provide for basic rights and needs for themselves,my siblings and I.
I thank KCE and all the sponsors for stepping in to ensure that I get all that I need in education.I also thank KCE for giving me a place to call home after our single roomed house got burnt to dust recently.
I now have a place to lay my head, a place to study and revise for my standard eight exams that are set to begin on 4th November.I also get all the meals at the center.Despite all the challenges,I thank KCE for the hope they have given me in life and l will not be deterred to succeed.

Our children in kibera face several challenges in life

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Among the challenges they face are:
1.The children live in violent neighborhoods.
2.Lack of basic services such as tap water,toilets,electricity or heat.Many homes lack furniture.The children sleep on folded card boards.
3.Parents often lock their children in the home when they leave to find work.
4. Impossibility to keep living spaces clean.Lack of soap or cleaning products and very limited water.Walls and floor are often made of mud or materials such as card board.Insects,bedbugs,rats and mice are common.
5.Because of dirt skin conditions are frequent especially among young children.
6.Cooking is done in an open flame.Many children suffer burns.This causes indoor pollution that can lead to respiratory problems,other health issues and death.Such flames may sometimes end up burning the entire house.
7.No clean water is available.Families are supposed to boil water for 10 minutes but firewood is expensive.
8.Rooms are small and many adults and children live in one room.
9.Families pile up used clothing for warmth.Blanket if owned are thin and dirty.
10.Nights are dark and scary.Few families have electricity.A family may have a kerosene lamp that burns for a short time during the evening.
11.Crime rates are also very  high and this puts the life of the children and their parents at risk.

 

Flavian Anyango from St Mary´s Lwak High School located in Nyanza

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Our school motto is "In pursuit of excellence and integrity".
Here the pupils get all their basic needs in school and there is high
level of discipline from both the pupils and the teachers. The school
has facilities which makes it a better place for learning. It has also
a well equipped laboratory for experiments. There is also a well
equipped library in Nyanza and water supply is in plenty. We also have
clubs and society which enables us to go for school trips and
associate with other pupils from different schools.

The school has two buses which enables transportation. We also have
four slices of bread daily in our school which is a rare thing in
other schools in Kenya. The school also has a canteen where you can eat
additional meal using your own money. We also have students meetings
where we express our problems which are facing us within the school
then they are being solved.

Generally I like my school.

Author: Flavian Anyango

 

A voice from Olympic High, located in Kibera slums

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The good thing about our school is that there are good structures and
the pupils are willing to learn under low supervision because of good
learning materials. Pupils are able to perform better because teachers
are trying to accomplish the syllabus on time.

The disadvantage of Olympic is that the compound is filled with
structures which leaves no space for playing due to high population of
pupils.

The pupils also don't go for education tours making the school
monotony high. The school is also poor in games thus its hard for
students to discover their talents. The school has poor services, eg no
toilets and poor water supply and few learning materials.

Author: Moses Owuor

The end of second term break

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The schools are now opening from Monday for the third term. This is a term which determines whether you will move to the next class or not. If you wont make it to the next level you are the repeater but if you make it you are called promoted. Probably those who repeat the classes are the last ten pupils from each class at primary level. But at secondary level it keeps on varying, ie it can be from grade D and below. This is a term where no pupil is relaxed to avoid humiliation during the end of the term. For the secondary students those who attain the last position in some schools they are being told to remain behind for another one week for revision purposes. The competition is not only for the pupils but the teachers too, they are supposed to accomplish the syllabus before end year exams. This is mainly because the exams settings for the term covers the whole syllabus. The most important thing is that K.C.P.E (Kenya certificate for primary education) and K.C.S.E (Kenya certificate of secondary education) are done during this term.

The Centre

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What a day for the kids! The first week since closure of the schools for the second term break. The kids are coming in large numbers doing different activities eg.

1. Reading books and doing their assignments

2. Playing several games i.e. letter matching, sand bitching and football, not forgetting rope skipping for girls

3. Story telling about their schools and positions at school.

Some of the kids come with their younger siblings not only to learn but also to be at a safe place away from slum life.

Endterm proceedings at the center

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Most of the kids attend the center during school holidays which normally comes on April, August and December. The activities they engage in most are 1.Reading and doing their assignments. 2.playing several games ie football, sand beaches. 3.Story telling about their school and positions at their schools. [separator] The best day at the center is on Saturday where the kids come in full even with their younger siblings only to play knowing that by the end of the day they wont leave with empty stomachs.

Kenyas education system

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Presently Kenya has a system of education that is called (8-4-4}
system which begins when a child is six years old.
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Children between the ages of 3 and 5 years are taken to early childhood development centre which has three stages
with one year in each stage ie
1.baby class (play group stage)-3 year old child
2.nursery class- 4 year old child
3.pre-unit class- 5 year old child.
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All stages are compulsory to every child before joining class one
which is the beginning of the 8-4-4 system. At this stage the child
aquire reading, writing and abservation skill, they develop speech and
also know sounds of different alphabeticall letters.
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8-4-4 means that every child must undergo a compulsory 8 years in
primary education, 4 years secondary education and 4 years in
university education.
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The last 4 years in university is not compulsory because some children
do not meet the set qualifications set by the ministry for education
to join the university. Some of those who dont join the university opt
for tertiary colleges where they take causes in technical subjects and
various disciplines.
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It takes a period of 2 to 3 years for one to complete studies in a
tertiary college.
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The 8-4-4 system began in 1985, previously we had 7-4-2-4.
By Dancan Imbugwa

Thoughts from Faith and Abraham about leisure and trips.

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HOW I ENDED MY FIRST TERM

It was on thursday when our teacher told us about a trip which was to be on 8/8/14. We were to travel from 6 am with 5 teachers and 40 pupils. We boarded a bus called KNUT. The first place to visit was  at sagana fisheries where we saw different fish species eg madfish, starfish and tilapia. We also went to mwea tebere irrigation sheme and saw how rice was grown. Also at the factory we saw some packages eg some brands which included pishori and pakistan. The roads were too dusty but  it was a day to recall.

that made my end term two whah.

by Faith

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HOW I AM GOING TO SPEND MY TERM TWO HOLIDAY

I am going to spend the holidays by reading my notes because I know my weak areas. I will also come to library to red and borrow some books which are educational. I will also spare some time to assist my parents at home.

I will also prepare myself physically, emotinally and also spiritually so as to achieve my goals in future.

I want to be among the top five in the country in K.C.P.E (Kenya National Examinational Council)

by Abraham

The benefits with sports

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As an organization we participate in various sporting activities like soccer for both boys and girls and netball for girls. This we normally do during Kenyan school holidays that normally comes in April, August and December.
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Sporting activities have helped us as teachers to teach children important aspects of life that sometimes are never acquired in school. Some of the lessons sporting activities impart to children at the center are:
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 1. Sporting activities at the center promote peace, love and cohesion among the children who come from different communities that have for once fought for resources like land in Kibera .
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2. Sporting activities at the center also help in keeping the children busy. Bearing in mind that these children are normally not at school during the holidays and can engage in vices like alcoholism, drug addiction and child labor. Such activities interfere with the future of our children, something that that we as an organization crave for.
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3. Sporting activities enables the children at the center to be strong and healthy. As it is said ,hard work without play makes Jack a dull boy.
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4. Through sports, the children learn socialization, this enables them to freely share and communicate, overcome shyness and be philanthropic, this happens through sharing equipments such as balls.
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By Dominic Omondi