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
Tag Archives: KCE
The end of second term break
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.
Ramadan Celebrations
Muslims across the world, including Kibera where 30% of the residents are Muslims, are all in celebration to mark there greatest religious world event which normally comes with various rules on fasting and times to pray. Ramadan is the month when Koran was revealed to the prophet. Muslims are therefore expected to dedicate themselves to prayer and reading of Koran. This explains the need to fast.
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At the center we have two children who have joined their fellow faithfuls in celebrating Ramadan. Ramadan starts on 1st or 2nd of July and lasts for a period of 29 or 30 days depending on the crescent of the moon.
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The celebration comes in with a few rules;
1.All Muslims participating in Ramadan are expected to wake up at 3am in the morning to eat, prayer comes in at 5am after eating. One is expected not to eat anything the whole day till 6pm in the evening. This timetable is to be followed for the 29 or 30 days during Ramadan.
2.The sick and pregnant women are not allowed to participate in Ramadan.
3.Ladies undergoing menstrual cycle are also not allowed to participate in Ramadan.
4.There should be no sexual engagement among participants even for the married couples during this Ramadan period
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Author: Dominic Omindi, teacher
Saba Saba Resolutions
On the 5th of July we wrote about the political tension in Kenya and the mass action, populary known as Saba Saba. On the 7th of July demonstrations took place in Nairobi and we had to keep the centre closed.
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They made 13 resolutions as follows;
1.We today launch OKOA KENYA, a peoples movement to defend our constitution, support one another in good and in bad times, protect the gains we have made in our democratic governance and rededicate ourselves to national unity and peaceful co-exsistance
2. Demand the current administration to address the escalating cost of living by reviewing taxation regime failure to which we will boycott consumption of goods and services whose prices are beyond the reach of common man and commence commercial suctions against companies which continue to ignore our plight
3. Convince an all inclusive national referendum committee for the purpose of preparing the people of Kenya for a referendum
4. Mandate the national referendum committee to ensure maximum participation for the people of Kenya at the county, sub county and ward level all over Kenya in formulating referendum questions, collecting one million signatures to initiate the referendum process
5. Having lost confidence on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) we now demand its immediate disbandment and establishment of a new electoral body
6. Demand immediate end to corruption, wasteful spending reckless borrowing within and by the current administration
7. Demand that the Govt takes immediate steps to withdrawal our gallant solders from Somalia and join our forces in securing our National from home
8. Demand that the current administration takes visible and decisive actions to deal with run away security
9. Reject attempts by the executive through Govt to bastardize the report of the truth justice and reconciliation commission and demand immediate implementation of the original report
10Demand that the current administration immediately address underlying land issues that are at the heart of the most enduring historical injustices and conflicts in our society
11Demand national audit and publication by the public service commission of all appointments made in public services by the current administration with full details listing names ethnic backgrounds and percentages
12.Recognizing the current administration has failed to apply national resources equitably across the country, we demand 40% of the projected ordinary revenue of the current fiscal year be allocated to the county government
13.Demand national audit on how resources at the disposal of the national current administration are applied across the country
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Author: Dominic Omondi, teacher
The most enriching time of my life
After a three month volunteer period in Nairobi at KCE I’m now back in Sweden to continue the work as a board member. Before I left for Kibera in January 2014 I had no idea what to expect from KCE and Kibera, so a bit confused I got on the plane from Copenhagen towards my new home and workplace. During my time at KCE in Kibera I fell in love with the culture, the centre and all wonderful and blithesome people I met in my daily interactions. Before I left I knew THAT I WANTED to do volunteer work but now after this experience I also know WHY I NEEDED to do this type of work, because the love and appreciation I got from these smart and playful kids in return for my contributions was so rewarding and motivating.
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I not only made friends for life and helped these kids towards a brighter future, they also helped me understand what’s important in life and the importance of living in the moment!
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Author: Carl-Johan Haglund, Board Member KCE
New colleague, Emma Marichu
We are happy to announce that we have successfully recruited our new colleague, Emma Marichu. Emma will be working as the accountant. She has a diploma in community development and social work and is currently studying business management. She also has five years experience working as an accounts and admin assistant in the NGO field. We are very happy to have Emma in our team!
Flavian Anyango
My name is Flavian Anyango. I am a sponsored child in Tumaini Watoto center.I like this center for many reasons. The first one is that it is located in a quiet environment fit for learning. The seconds one is it has many books and you are given homework in school and you don’t have the text book you can go and do it at this center. Another thing I like about this center is that on weekend (Saturday) there is porridge that children drink and some bananas that makes the children healthy and active. There are also games that we play that makes us have a lot of fun and makes us love to come here. There are teachers who teaches us and makes us understand more. There are also computers that the teachers teach us how to use them and that makes us be more skilled. That’s why I like this center.
Carl-Johan Haglund (volunteer)
My name is Carl-Johan and I’m currently doing volunteer work here at the KCE center. Why I chose to work for this particular organization is that it has a great reputation and that it’s Sweden based, which suits my Swedish heritage well! Coming from such a developed country as Sweden to Nairobi and Kibera really gives you perspective on life as we know it. Even though the children in Kibera live in extreme poverty and possess almost nothing when it comes to materialism, the gratefulness and joy you experience when you enter the doors to the KCE center is mind blowing. At the center the children can be just what they are, children, and also do what children should be able to do: play games, read, joke around, draw, or just sit down with the staff and discuss whatever is on their mind at the time. I for instance brought a guitar to the center for the children and from the moment I played the first chord the instrument hasn’t been put down, because it has just been passed around the group of kids. Because here the phrase “sharing is caring” actually has a meaning!
Even after I eventually leave this place, I’ll never forget what KCE and the kids of Kibera brought to my life: appreciation of what I have and the meaning of laughter and sharing!
Desmond Morara
My name is Desmond Morara from Kibera Children Education Centre. I am a sponsored child. I started being sponsored in 2007 when I was in class two and I have finished my primary studies. I am waiting to join secondary school. Being at KCE is’s so fun when you work hard at school. Because at KCE you are being paid for school fees you are given school materials and KCE has opened a centre for both sponsored kids/non sponsored kids. At the centre the staff are kind and polite. Teachers know how to work with us, and another thing that is good in KCE is that there are visitors who come to greet us and teaches us something new that we do not know and it helps us in life. One of the visitors is Carl-Johan who is friendly and he likes playing guitar and teaching computer lessons. Thank you KCE
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.