Kibra Academy. By Jeff Ochieng

In July 2009, the Children of Kibera Foundation will establish a computer lab at the Kibra Academy elementary and high school on Karanja Road. This new facility and the program opportunities it offers will mark a new milestone in the history of the school as it launches into the digital and informational age. The main school building at Kibra Academy was constructed in 1970. The school was operated as a nursery/kindergarten school until 2001. In 2002, the Managing Committee of the school initiated a programme to accommodate idol Kibera teenagers at the school compound. This idea led quickly to the creation of a secondary school.

The school is operated by the Kibera Nubian Women Group. The four classes in the secondary school have about 40 students each. Kibra Academy's first class in the secondary school did the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (KCSE) in 2004.

There have been many setbacks since the secondary school was initiated. Some of the challenges include the shortage of required text books and learning materials, inability of the students' families to pay their school fees on time, lack of adequate food, and a multitude of problems at home that often affects the students' performance at school.

Discipline matters are handled satisfactorily at the school. The principal, Mr. Andrew Sabwa, states that there is a need to get a part time professional to do guidance and counseling to help with severe discipline cases which are often triggered by extreme instability within the home environment for some of the students. Some of the teenagers have suffered sexual molestation, been exploited as domestic laborers and been subjected to cruel physical punishment and verbal abuse.

The future of the school includes an ambitious curriculum plan to introduce home economics and Arabic language as two of the academic subjects that will prepare student well for employment or tertiary education. Mr. Sabwa wishes Kibra Academy will become a safe haven where young people can come to escape the chaos that surrounds them in their daily lives outside the school. "I want them to gain hope and knowledge here. When they finish at this school, I want them to make a positive impact within the Kibera community and all of Kenyan society."

Please click here for a picasa web album of Kibra Academy.

Preparations for Kenya 2009

It's a hectic and exciting time to be planning for the Kenya 2009 trip with high school volunteers and college interns coming to work with Children of Kibera Foundation on the ground for two weeks up to six weeks. We have got a lot of support from families, friends, and the schools our volunteers attend - Potomac, Cary, Sidwell, Dana Hall, Georgetown Prep, and Georgetown University. Kaveh Amiri and Preston Cherouny (in white shirts above) celebrate the coming summer trip with CoKF board members Ken Okoth, Robert Ratemo, and Curtis Rooney. Five main trip goals and projects for the summer will be

• the establishment of the computer lab at the Kibra Academy and intensive training of the teachers and students there


• volunteering at Red Rose School and support for the LitWorld professional development workshops for the teachers from Red Rose School and beyond


• visits to Salve Regina, Girls Soccer Academy, St. Aloysius Gonzaga High and donation of school supplies and other resources to these projects


• visits to Starehe Boys and Starehe Girls Schools as well as other institutions around Nairobi


• adventure fun and discovery of Kenya through field trips around Nairobi and safari to Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru

Cate Rooney, Kenya Trip 2007 alum stopped by to help with the sorting of donated school supplies for the Kenya 2009 trip in my old classroom at Potomac. Each volunteer will bring the contents of one of these boxes to Kenya in their second piece of checked in luggage. So travellers, buy a good duffel or case and let me know when you can stop at Potomac to collect your box worth of donations to bring to Kenya.
We had a farewell dinner and Kenya 2007 mini-reunion hosted kindly by Mittie and Curtis Rooney, board members of the Children of Kibera Foundation. Above, Allison Fisk, Ken Okoth, Dominique Amiri, and Cate Rooney look good for the camera after sharing many fond memories of that amazing first trip!
Mary Howard, Katie Rosenberg, and Sarah Coste help with packing and storage of donations from the Potomac Lower School community service drive to collect school supplies for their friends at the Red Rose School and the children of Kibera. More than 20 boxes worth of books, crayons, toys, manipulables and clothing were collected. It showed true generosity of spirit and lots of hard work to make it all happen. Truly, LABOR OMNI VINCET!

Intern Introduction - Karima

Hello! My name is Karima Tawfik and I am very much looking forward to spending time in Kibera this summer. As an intern, I will be working for six weeks at the new computer lab with teachers and students to implement an informative and creative program that explores the functions of computers and the ways they can be used for educational and career-building purposes.

To give you an idea about my background, my father is from Cairo, Egypt and my mother is American. While I now live in Washington DC, I resided in Pakistan and Bangladesh for my early childhood years and have also spent time in Malawi and Egypt. Learning languages is something I find really rewarding — I speak French and some Arabic and am eager to practice Swahili!

I recently graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service where I studied international affairs and development, complementing my academics with a year in France at an Institute for Political Studies. In my free time, I enjoy nature activities including hiking, swimming, kayaking and skiing. At the university, I was part of a club that leads groups into the outdoors and it was in the mountains or on a river that we would learn from and teach each other about environmental awareness, group cooperation and camping ethics.

My hope for this summer is that we can together succeed in actualizing and maintaining a quality computer education program that caters to the interests and needs of students in Kibera. Upon my arrival in Nairobi, I will make sure to keep you updated on my initial impressions, challenges and inspirations as we embark on the KiberaOnline Schools project!

Intern Introduction - Sarah

Hamjambo? My name is Sarah and I'll be one of the interns working in Kibera this summer at the new computer lab! I met Ken Okoth this past year at Georgetown where I was enrolled in his Intermediate Swahili class. I have studied Swahili for three years, including spending a summer in Tanzania two years ago, and I knew I wanted to return to East Africa after graduation. Upon hearing more about the Children of Kibera Foundation and the work my mwalimu (teacher) was doing in Kenya, I knew I wanted to get involved. The new computer project we'll be working on this summer can really benefit the community and help motivate and excite students. That alone is a big achievement, so I hope we can get a lot of teachers trained on the computers and establish a good model to run the center.

This past spring myself and another Georgetown senior applied for a grant with the 'One Laptop Per Child' project to try to get many more laptops for CoKF. Unfortunately, our grant application was not successful (they only choose 15 of over 200 applications), but you can see our proposal here for more information and our ideas. Doing the application process was a big motivator for us and for Mwalimu Okoth and I decided that not getting the grant couldn't stop me from coming to work in Kibera!

A bit more about myself - I grew up in Pennsylvania as an only child, making my constant desires to live/work abroad for longer that much harder for my parents. I just graduated from Georgetown this May with a degree in International Politics/African Studies. I also studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa for six months where I made many good friends from East Africa too. I really LOVE working with children and I'm so excited to be in Nairobi for two months. I'm leaving this Monday (June 16th) for Dar es Salaam where I'll be visiting friends and my old host family for three weeks before I make my trip to Nairobi.

After helping Mwalimu Okoth with an email archive organization project this past week to formalize the organization's historical record, I have learned much more about its history, goals and future. CoKF has certainly grown fast and accomplished some big things in the past year - HS scholarships, a successful teacher exchange to the US, helping organize a young girl from Kibera's exchange to the US, and of course, continued support of the Red Rose school through a major political crisis in Kenya. As CoKF continues to expand, I certainly forsee great things! I think this summer will be a really productive time and myself and the other interns will be sure to keep you posted on our experiences and accomplishments in Kibera!

Voices of Students - Kibera Girls Soccer Academy

ZAINAB KHAMIS - Sixteen years old and in form two (10th grade). Zainabu lives with her ailing mum and two sisters, one in grade six and the other in grade eight.

Her mom worked as a house-help until she was diagnosed with high blood pressure complications. She has undergone surgery but that rendered her physically numb. Since her mom became sick and stopped working, Zainab has become the the bread winner in her family now. The money she gets for lunch at soccer sessions, she takes home. Apparently, those sessions are not very frequent.

I do not dare ask what else she does to put food on table.

Her performance record is strong, but has declined a tiny bit. In form one first term she was position one and third term she was position eight. Form two first term she was position seven.
She lacks a proper school uniform and exercise books. She talks about her mum's desire to begin a small clothes-selling enterprise despite her illness. She however, does not have the capital.

I asked if she has a word for the school administration. She seems in deep thought then says simply, "the diet needs improvement to maybe rice with beans or peas." The daily githeri, a corn and beans mix, while appreciated, is not easy on a teenage stomach.

CAROLYN AKINYI TIRUS - Eighteen years old and in form four. Caroline lives with her elder sister after her father died and her mother moved upcountry in 2007. The sister is married with three kids.

Among her challenges, she states that her sister won’t allow her to attend extra tutoring lessons on the weekends. Caroline's hope is that the school can be moved to a more serene and conducive learning environment soon. She also wishes that they could get more trained teachers.

There are not enough teachers for the difficult science subjects at the school. For the 205 students, there are only three biology teachers, two chemistry teachers, and one physics teacher.

"Any last word?" I ask before leaving. She looks me in the eye and minces no words,“people outside especially girls should be focused, learn hard and let’s no grass grow under their feet”.

SALLY VERA - In form three, seventeen years old. She transferred from her former school because of the 2008 post-election violence that rocked parts of Kenya and most of Kibera. But how did she land in a free school? Is her need genuine? I wonder.

I quickly discover that my skepticism is misplaced. Her dad became polygamous in 2008. Sally bitterly pours out all the details of her dad’s irresponsibility. He could no longer put food on table for them. Sally explains that instead of her dad paying her fee; he married two other women instead. His second and third wives live elsewhere within the Kibera slum.

Sally and her younger sister together with their mother who lives 500 kilometers away in Kisumu town have been neglected. This separation from her parents affects her psychologically. She fights the frustration by joining groups like Mchanganyiko whose agenda is the nurtuting of the girl child.

A dedicated student, Sally is proud that she has never repeated a single class. Last semester she was ranked 8th in a class of twenty seven students. She wishes they had an equipped lab at the school. She is thankful to Mr. Abdul who sometimes helps them with food for home feeding.

I have a look at her somber face and its sad expression at the end of our conversation. “It’s a ripe time people in Kibera valued girls education,” she pauses. “Girls should be encouraged and never engage in prostitution.”

Kibera Girls' Soccer Academy, by Jeff Ochieng, Projects Coordinator, CoKF

The Kibera Girls' Soccer Academy began in 2006 as a community based sport organization. Today the institution has 105 students. The teenage girls’ soccer team would practice in the evening and attend matches seasonally. This would be good if only the girls were not traumatized by early pregnancies, forced labour, early marriage and even STDs. These problems were traced back to daytime idleness and unemployment in the free time between waking up in the morning and training sessions in the evening.In response to the huge need and the particular problems faced by girls, Mr. Abdul, a native of Kibera, acted by beginning a new school where girls who that had completed the 9th grade in elementary school but lacked fees to go on to high school could come instead. I talked to Mr. Musa, the school's deputy head teacher. I found out that form one (9th grade) has forty two students, form two has twenty eight, form three has twenty seven and form four has eighteen students. When I ask Mr. Musa why the decline in enrollment numbers, he explained that they sieve the number to enhance performance. Only the students who perform well on exams are allowed to continue at the school.

Am eager to know the recruitment criteria. "Won’t anybody take advantage of the free education?"

"Nobody will," I get my answer. "Needy footballers are prioritized first and secondly academic performance. Upon registration, each girl is mandated to buy a uniform, a locker and books although last year lockers for form two and four were sponsored."

Something crosses my mind. I recall how having pursued metal work in high school helped me afterwards. Mr. Musa confirms there are no technical subjects around. They hope for dress making or hair dressing in the near future.

Our discussion moves on to the setbacks they face. Bombshells drop one after another. "Most teachers are not fully-qualified trainees is the curtain raiser. The food programme works out only four days a week. We lack an equipped science lab for the high school curriculum and exams, thus we are registered with St. Gabriel-Undugu for K.C.S.E. Most students stay not with their parents, but with other guardians and this affects their pursuits."

I cut the deputy short on on this point and ask him to explain. I learn that the same students get overworked in their family situations or by their guardians. "Child labour is common, they undergo domestic violence and are malnourished."

"So?" I query.

"So what?" the deputy replies. But he gasps my concern and shares the taken steps so far. "A concerned teacher would address the affected student. We advice and admonish the guilty guardian in respect. I hope it works, more so I hope it never happens to any student."
I meet the principal, Mr. Teka Richard, in the staff room to learn more about the school. "The electricity bill is footed by friends and computer basic skills given to all students. Form four students attend free tuition on Sunday afternoon."

"What are your future expectations?" I ask the principal as we shake hands. "To double the number of students and a provide a complete and nourishing feeding programme," he says with a grin.
Click here to view a picasa web album of Kibera Girl Soccer Academy.