Over the last few months, thanks to various donors we have been able to begin our projects. On March 3rd we made our first distribution, to 2 schools on Faza. The town of Rasini suffered a severe fire in September 2009 and much of the town was destroyed. Art of Living members in Kenya generously collected money and, after a visit and meetings with the Headteachers we decided to donate sports equipment. We provided kits for football, volleyball and netball to Rasini Girls’ School and Faza Boys’ School, as well as sanitary towels for the girls.
Wiyoni Primary School
As part of our planned pilot project we also began working at Wiyoni – just outside Lamu Town this school has 500 pupils. There is a focus in this school of creating awareness amongst the children: about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, as well as the need for environmental conservation, and the children are encouraged to set up forums to discuss issues and take action. The school is built on reclaimed land and during the rainy season the rain goes directly into the buildings so they were desperately in need of gutters to channel and conserve the rainwater. Thanks to 2 donations, one from an American sponsor and the other from the European School in Bergen, The Netherlands, we were able to first present sports and sanitary equipment to the school and during this month we have fixed gutters to the buildings to collect the rainwater. The letter of gratitude that we received from the Headteacher Mr Raphael says “As we speak, water is being stored in tanks and this will enable us to upgrade the environment through tree planting projects that require water for success. The same water storage will enable us improve the sanitation and hygiene in the school as this is vital for school going children who require a lot of cleanliness to prevent disease outbreaks common in our region.”
Manda Primary School
We are still looking for donors to complete our pilot project. As well as Wiyoni we plan to include Manda Primary on Manda Island and Mkokoni Primary on Kiwayu mainland as our initial 3 schools in which to implement our whole package. On completion of this pilot project we will widen our project to work in 10 schools (30% of the schools), that we consider as priorities, including those on the other islands of Pate and Kiwayu. Subsequently we aim to widen our geographical range further and extend the project to other areas.
The number of pupils attending this school is 212, of which 92 are girls and 120 boys. Grades are from I through to VIII, at which level VIII Grade students sit exams for further education at secondary level elsewhere. The students come from varying cultural backgrounds (25% Muslim, 75% Christian).
On Manda children walk from between half an hour to two hours to get to school, mostly from their farms (shambas). Many of them walk after school to the local block-making quarry, where they work alongside adults carving out coral blocks from the ground for construction. For this work they get paid 80 Kenyan shillings (approx. $1) for a half-day. This “salary” contributes to the family budget. The work is rough, and the children are exposed to the dangers of alcoholism and prostitution which often accompany such places. Other work that the children do includes wood collection and making charcoal. All children in addition work on the shamba.
Nevertheless, the children come to school, often against the demands of their families, because they realize that the key to their future lies in a good education. The staff at Manda Primary School are wholly committed to helping them achieve this aim.
Until 2005 the school was essentially a mud hut, with one toilet. The current buildings were constructed by USAID. Thanks to the efforts of the teaching staff the school hosted the divisional football championships in 2008; they have both girls’ and boys’ football teams; a thriving drama group; a girls’ forum; a farming project, and they are usually the recipients of the area certificate for pupil discipline!
In 2008 Manda Primary School VIII Grade students sat the exams for secondary school for the first time. Of 11 candidates, 10 went on to secondary school. Although these children did not leave their problems behind, and many of them have to take intermittent periods out of school to work to pay fees, they have completed a successful primary education level, giving them a solid base on which to build. This year, the number of students who sat the exam in November was 20, and are now awaiting their results in January.
The atmosphere within Manda Primary School is one of hard work, mutual respect between teachers and pupils, and a willingness to learn, often pitted against many odds. The dedication from both teachers and pupils is apparent, as is the eagerness and happiness of the children. By assisting this school with our project we are not imposing an unworkable or impractical model, but instead assisting them to achieve the goals they have set themselves.
