A Well Deserved Break after Exams

After a long few days of exams, students took a well-deserve break this past Friday. They worked very hard for several days on exams, which the teachers have said they performed very well. The students took the opportunity to do some reading in the library, do word-search puzzles, and play board games. We are all looking forward to the graduation this week, where students will be graduating onto the next class!

Students say "Goodbye" to Teacher Brendan

The Students were sad to see one of the interns leave this past week. They each crafted cards, letters and even necklaces to show Brendan how much they appreciated her time here in Kibera. The students of CoKF were lucky enough to have Brendan as she took a semester off from Georgetown University.

Brendan will be missed at CoKF and we wish her all the best in her studies and beyond!

Girls Club Learns to Bake

This Sunday, the LitWorld/Red Rose Girls Club welcomed Ann, mother to two members, to teach the group how to bake without using an oven. How? might you ask... It's quite simple. You mix your ingredients and pour them into the tin. You then place the tin in a tray of sand over a charcoal "jiko", which looks like a small grill. Then, you cover the tin with a metal sheet or tray and place a few lit bits of charcoal on top. The cake is now heated from all sides and can cook just as it would in a normal oven. Don't be afraid to try this at home!

We also introduced the girls to yoga, courtesy of Africa Yoga Project's Krissy and Emily. The girls giggled their way through the basic poses, trying not to lose balance or shove their foot into someone else's face. Soon enough, they'll be experts. Take a look:

Thank you to our special guests for taking time to introduce theirs special skills to the girls. We appreciate it!

Football Madness

The Red Rose Football Club is coming together very fast. The boys practice now twice weekly with Coach Aswani. As they're preparing to play other teams, you can really see which students are emerging soccer stars. The girls, despite being without uniforms, are also preparing and practicing as a team. Their new coach, Kristina, has already noted who is showing great potential. We're eagerly awaiting the arrival of donated uniforms/shoes to arrive in December, thanks to Washington DC/MD/VA Stoddert Soccer families.

Students Prepare for Exams

This past week, the students were reviewing diligently for their exams. Teachers spent the week assigning review lessons in various subjects such as English, Kiswahili, Social Studies and Math. The examinations, for classes 1 through 6, begin on Tuesday of this week. The students are expected to perform well in hopes of passing onto the next class.

Last week also saw a successful football practice on Friday for both boys and girls. The boys brought out their usual enthusiasm, and the girls matched the energy on the field this week. With the promise of receiving uniforms soon, the girls brought out extra determination to improve their football skills. The girls reached the expectations of their coaches Brendan and Kristina, as several rising stars stood out and show real potential. While it began to rain half way through the practice, the students refused to surrender and wanted to continue the scrimmage, making a successful P.E. class.

The usual group of girls also gathered for Girls Club on Sunday. The girls welcomed Ann, a mother of two young ladies of Girls Club. Ann taught the girls how to bake. They prepared the cake mix, following the recipe that was given. They were then shown how to bake the cake using a traditional "Jiko". The girls also welcomed two Yoga instructors from the Africa Yoga Project, Emily and Krissy. While they waited for the cakes to bake, the girls were taught Yoga, which they enjoyed very much. They were told that the skills they learn from yoga can help them with relaxing and concentration, hopefully something that they case use for their exams this week!

New Intern at CoKF

Hi! My name is Kristina Blundon. I’m coming to Children of Kibera Foundation from an independent study component of St. Lawrence University’s Kenya Semester Program. I’m currently a senior at St. Lawrence, originally from Montreal, Canada. At St. Lawrence, I am majoring in sociology and global studies, with a minor in education. I’m hoping to work in the field of international education after graduation in May.

During the last month of the KSP program, the students participating on St. Lawrence’s program have the opportunity to work with an organization or take on a project of their choice. I found out about CoKF after spending an afternoon here and at the Red Rose School earlier in the semester. I had such a great experience, even for a day, and fell in love with the idea of spending four weeks with the kids here. At the last minute, I changed my independent study, which was originally going to be on the coast of Kenya, and decided to work with CoKF and Red Rose.

I will be working on a variety of different projects during my time at CoKF. While there is a boys’ football team, I’m hoping to get the girls team started. I’ll be working in the classrooms, helping with the girls club, and keeping this blog updated with the latest developments here at CoKF, among other projects. I am very excited about the month ahead!

Office Space

Children of Kibera Foundation steady growth can be measured by the demand for more space. This week that demand was met with the completion of the Children of Kibera office. The new space allows for a more productive atmosphere for all interns and local staff.

Thanks to all of our supporters for making this office possible. In the new space, almost 400 class eights have filled out applications for the 2011 high school schoarships.

Red Rose students continue to appreciate the new library, with The Magic Tree House series being in hot demand this week.

Red Rose Joins Rope Skipping

Two volunteers from Carolina for Kibera, http://www.cfk.unc.edu/, are now coaching the Red Rose upperclassmen in rope skipping. The two young men, Innocent and David, are nationally-ranked rope skippers who have competed all over Kenya. They are volunteering a few hours every Friday afternoon to teach our students all sorts of rope skipping "tricks". Take a look at what they've learned so far:

Feeding Minds, Building Futures

The Children of Kibera Foundation 2010 Gala is officially on!

Read the invitation below, and if you're in Nairobi on the 11th of December and interested in attending, please RSVP to the listed email address/phone number.

Dear Friends of Children of Kibera Foundation,

Thank you for showing an interest in our organization. In order to learn more about the foundation, we cordially invite you to attend our fundraising dinner, "Feeding Minds, Building Futures", on 11 December 2010 at the Panafric Hotel's Simba Room.

Starting at 6:00 PM, students and professionals alike will be sharing their success stories and how they have managed to overcome the obstacles they faced growing up in Kibera. You will learn more about our projects and hear from our high school scholars who have pushed themselves to be top students at their schools. You will also hear from our founder, Ken Okoth, about how his personal experiences have helped to shape the mission of this organization.

The keynote speaker, Jennifer Asego, originally from Kibera, now works for the World Bank in Juba, Southern Sudan. Jennifer is passionate about the plight of marginalized youth and children in the society. She has led successful awareness campaigns on societal issues affecting children and women in Kibera.

Tickets are on sale for 3,000Ksh each. You can also reserve an entire table for 30,000Ksh (10 people). Each ticket covers entrance, a full buffet dinner and dessert, and a live music performance.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Children of Kibera Foundation at childrenofkiberafoundation@gmail.com or by phone at +254 710 174 521 by December 1st, 2010. Payments must be made in cash at our office or we can send a representative to collect the money from you.

We are really looking forward to seeing you in December!

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Children of Kibera Foundation