Kibra Academy Students Reflect on Computer Class

Kibra Academy students unload a van full of desktops donated by Kensington Cares. Now, students will be able to have more individualized use of the equipment.

Our team of teachers is now finishing up our third week of instruction at the Kibra Academy and major headway has been made. We’re teaching seven classes a day, commencing promptly at 8:30 am and finishing at 5 o’clock. The lab is established, students have a grip on Microsoft Word and the class is now navigating Microsoft Excel. This week, twenty new desktop computers from Kensington Cares arrived and will be set up on the periphery of the classroom. The future computer class will thus be able to hold more students and each student will have more individual time with the machines.

With the help of two other teachers, Maria and James McElwain, we also introduced the nursery school students to the computer lab, planning creative exercises for them. Experimenting with programs such as “Paint,” these young kids exclaim “We want fish!” to ask the teachers to draw fish for them on the laptops and when we play sample music offered by Windows, they jive and dance together in their seats.

Teacher Maria with some of the pre-unit children on break time. She's teaching them the English words for various colors.

In an effort to concretize information with the older students, we administered a written and practical computer test at the end of last week. There was a wide range of performance, some students still slow and clumsy using the mouse and others maneuvering font size, type and color with ease. I talked to some of the students who succeeded on the test to learn of their thoughts on the course.

Fatuma Ismail, form one, and Husna Ali, form two, achieved high scores on their first computer test.

Fatuma Ismail

For Fatuma, the computer class the Children of Kibera Foundation is offering is building upon knowledge that she began to acquire in primary school where she was fortunate to have occasional access to a computer to play games. Now at age seventeen, math is her favorite subject she’s catching on quickly to Excel. Like many of the other students, she’s enjoying typing but also at times finds the process of learning to type frustrating slow. When she leaves the Kibra Academy, she would like to be an accountant.

When asked if she has any suggestions for the teachers, she says, “Keep it up. You’ve helped us so much.”

Husna Ali

Husna is sixteen years old and a second year at Kibra. This class is her first exposure to computers and typing is her favorite activity so far. As an aspiring engineer, she’s taking the computer class seriously and makes sure to review her notes. She looks forward to improving her typing skills.

Willis Onyango (far left), form two, and Francis Omega (far right), form three, demonstrate an aptitude with computers and are eager to continue learning programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

Willis Onyango

For seventeen-year-old Willis who had not used a computer before this month, typing is the most exciting part of the course, but not necessarily easy. He’s found the course exciting but also challenging, especially as we embark on more complex programs such as Excel.

Francis Omega

From day one, Francis, a nineteen-year-old in form three, openly expressed his desire to understand computers, always paying close attention and often being the first to ask questions. Earlier this year, Francis’s neighbor, a doctor, allowed Francis to come over and use his computer. He taught him the basics such as turning on the computer, the uses of icons and how to type. Now Francis takes advantage of class and break time to review Microsoft programs as well as explore other functions of a computer.

“When I was little, I heard my friends talk and I heard about computers, and I was anxious,” he says. “Now, dealing with computers as a whole, I just love.” He goes on to talk about the dynamics of the class: “I think the relationship between teachers and students is great. The interaction is good and the teachers are friendly.” The suggestion he has is to have more time in the lab. In addition to computers, he’s passionate about physics and chemistry and hopes to one day become a pilot.

Teachers and students work together to set up the new desktops on the periphery of the room.

Rather than going home, these pre-unit children stay at the Kibra Academy after school to play in the yard together.

Intern Introduction - Tim

Mine is not quite the intro given all thats been blogged by the other interns already. Since its my first post on the blog, its an intro nonetheless.

Tim Kinyanjui is my name and completed my university studies at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology about three months ago. I studied Mathematics and Chemistry for my undergraduate degree but also graduated with a Diploma in IT last year.

Working with Children of kibera foundation as an intern has been quite an opportunity. Having worked on several community projects,mostly in Kenya and a few in Australia, I was confident i knew what to expect.. until Jeff took us on a tour of Kibera on the first day. I was humbled.But more than that, Challenged! Couldnt wait for action to begin

Preparing the computers and setting up the lab wasnt too hard a task thanks to the nice team of interns that i am working with; teaching was. Learning to be a good teacher has been an interesting experience. Given my love for IT, i always assumed guys knew the stuff or would easily catch on until i got myself defining what a computer is and pointing at the different parts. I have learnt to appreciate teachers for their patience! Amongst many, thats one lesson i wont lose in along time.

On the other hand, its been very motivating to see the students so enthusiastic about the lessons. Always eager to learn and take way fresh knowledge.The Kibra Academy administration has been very supportive and from the onset, did well to ensure the room was fixed to accomodate the computers, helped put together a timetable and ensure the students were well informed.

I believe there is a great deal to be done but every evening, though exhausted, i always look forward to another day of learning at Kibra....

Intern Introduction - James

Hello everyone, my name is James Waciira. I am one of the interns who is working to set-up a Computer Laboratory in one of the secondary schools in Kibera, Kibra Academy. Other than setting up of the lab we shall have introductory computer classes for the students before the summer program is over. I am working with the other interns Tim, Karima, Sarah and Tamara.

I have recently finished my course-work at Jomo-Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology awaiting graduation end of July this year (2009). There I studied BSc. Mathematics and Computer Science.

Teaching is not totally a new thing to me, having worked once as an un-trained mathematics teacher for four months during one of my long holidays while at university. And also owing to the fact that I took a Computer class while in High School, it has been a good chance to try and recall some of the things we learned while in school.

This has been a learning experience for me and I dare say for every one of the interns here at Kibera. We not only learn from and about each other, but also from the unique working situation we are in. It has been very encouraging to see students who are interested in learning where students opt to use their tea and lunch-breaks to practice some of the things we teach in class. And also very interesting is how students are keen to try out even those tasks we take for granted while using computers for instance; taking typing lessons while keeping their hands on the “HOME ROW” as they type, or after a lesson in Microsoft Word how they want to explore the various other ways one can format text.

The Children of Kibera Foundation is doing a superb job in making a significant change for the community at Kibera. I am grateful for this chance to give back to the community.

Transition to Week 2 and Official Computer Hand-over

I can't believe we are already plowing ahead through week 2 of teaching in the new Kibra Computer Lab. The end of last week was marked by the official handing over ceremony for the laptops from the Children of Kibera Foundation to Kibra Academy. In the begining of last week it seemed that some of the administration at Kibra had not yet realized the true potential and importance of the computer lab, but after being at the ceremony and hearing from so many community members about the transformative potential of the computers for students and teachers alike, we've noticed a tangible difference in the attitudes and approach to the project. Below are some pictures of the official hand-over event:

Students gathered in the school yard to welcome donors and community members to the ceremony.

One of the school's board members spoke of the importance of bringing Kibera's students into the new century by learning computer technology that is now an integral part of academic and professional life.

Donors and community members visited the new computer lab and met some Kibra Academy students hard at working practicing their typing skills.

Karima and Ken Okoth, Founder of the Children of Kibera Foundation, spoke with representatives from Kibera's radio station - Pamoja FM - about the project and their roles in realizing this great opportunity for local students.

The headmaster, Mr. Sabwa, had made a renewed commitment to filling our class schedule straight from 8:30am-5:00pm every day, ensuring that all the interns leave exhausted after so much continuous student interaction. Last week we had some challenges scheduling classes and ensuring that all students had access to the lab, with some groups receiving more instruction than others. Happily, these problems now seem to be resolved and all students are quickly catching on with increased time in the lab.

With the more robust schedule, every day becomes that much more rewarding as more students continue to progess with the skills we are teaching and explore their curiosities about computers. In the past two days we've use Microsoft Word as our main teaching program, showing students the tools to bolden, enlarge, color, italicize, etc... I noticed many students typing sentences stating "I like studying computers" and one saying "We have good computer teachers at Kibra." That felt nice!

One thing the American interns have been especially impressed with is the students willingness and talent at sharing the computers. We usually have about 20 students in each class and unfortunately only 10 laptops. This seems to not be a problem in the mind of students, with partners constantly assisting each other and taking turns without being asked. If one better understands how to complete a task or type a key, they kindly explain and show one another. Their patience and cooperation makes our work much easier and it's a pleasure to work with the students. Below you can see more shots of class and our students:

Intern Introduction - Tamara

Hello! My name is Tamara Drossart, and I just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison this Spring 2009 with a degree in Rural Sociology and a degree in Conservation Biology. I have been hired as an intern for the Children of Kibera Foundation, working with Sarah, Karima, James and Tim. We are teaching essential and much-needed computer skills such as typing, formating documents, and researching through the internet to the students of Kibra Academy.

During a one-year exchange program with the University of Cape Town, I gained some experience teaching an after-school program in the township of Khayletshia. I hope I can take my experience in Cape Town and apply what I have learned about working with educating and connecting with students who come from a different culture and environment.

We are also in the processes of planning a weekend retreat for some of the top High School students in Kibera. This retreat will build on leadership and team-building skills and also serve as a mentoring program through one-on-one dialougue with other Children of Kibera Foundation interns as well as fellow peers. While I was in High School, I also attended a Leadership Seminar with over 200 other high school students from across the state Wisconsin. This was a turning point in my life, and I returned as a mentor for the same leadership seminar annually for three years after my first year participating. I hope that I can share some of the inspiration I received as a high school student by serving as a mentor and a role model to the future leaders of Kibera. I have a passion for doing what I can for the needs of the community and am planning to enter the Peace Corps in February of 2010.

Kibra Academy Computer Lab

Launching of the KiberaOnline Schools Project

Above: James points out the different parts that constitute 'hardware.'

After five days of installing operating systems, drivers and programs onto the ten donated laptops designated for the new computer lab at the Kibra Academy, our team of teachers begun instructing introductory computer courses.

In an impressively large room with new curtains, a freshly painted workspace and recently tiled floors, James, Tim, Tamara, Sarah and I welcome four classes of high-school students a day, each class comprising around nineteen students.

After introductions, we ask the same question to each class. “How many of you have used a computer before?” After some prodding, a couple hands go up, but for the majority of the school, students have little to no experience using laptops or desktop computers. So our lesson begins.

Above left: Sarah instructs students on how to save a document. Left: Students gather during their free time to practice typing and manipulating fonts.

In an interactive process, we formulate a basic definition of a computer and brainstorm its potential uses. Evidently, students share what they have learned in our class with each other. Whereas it took several minutes to evoke a workable definition of a computer from our first couple classes, the definition we use, ‘an electronic device that takes data, processes it and then provides information,’ is readily offered up by a students in the afternoon classes.

The Form Four students, or fourth years, demonstrate the most pressing desire to learn as much as possible about computers before graduation. As they explore the desktop and basic functions of a computer, their excitement is palpable. The students scurry over desktop icons, in a sometimes clumsy manner as they adjust to using a touchpad, to open folders and programs and demonstrate surprise as music emanates from the screen or photos appear on the desktop. They ask when they’ll learn how to use the internet and get an email address and nod and smile when we talk about our plans to teach resumé and cover letter formatting.

Perhaps the most rewarding experience so far has been teaching students how to type. In pairs they actively work together on typing programs that have been installed on each computer, careful to maintain proper finger placement and letting out an occasional “aie!” when they tap a key accidentally. On Microsoft Office Word they write sentences to experiment with different font sizes and colors. Soccer is a key area of interest among these students and sentences such as "I love Manchester United but don't like Arsenal!" appear frequently. As word spreads in the school about the computer lessons, students arrive at the lab on their break time to try out what other students have already practiced in class. For them and other students at the Kibra Academy, computer class is a rare privilege that must be seized.

Above: Tim, Jeff, Tamara and James in the new computer lab.

A lot of inspiration in a small package

This is Craig Davis and his mom, Berta.

Momma Craig lives in Kibera with her five children, this adorable one here being the smallest. Her second youngest daughter attended The Red Rose School and is now going on to higher grade levels at a public school in Kibera. When I met them on Friday, one of the first things Berta told me within seconds of meeting her is that she is "positive" but that Craig Davis and her other daughter are both "negative." It took me a second to process this information since you wouldn't usually expect this kind of candid disclosure of someone's HIV status, especially in a culture where it remains a very taboo topic. Berta went on further to state that she takes ARVs twice every day so that she can remain strong and live for her children. You can see in the corner of the picture some of the jewelry that she makes and sells to support her family. She also told me that she works in her community to support other HIV positive persons who need encouragment and support to keep going and face their status. So many of Kibera's residents face this challenge, among others, but at the same time, so many are clearly willing to confront their obstacles and find ways to overcome these hurdles. Meeting wonderful and inspiring people like this really makes me want to see our project and others run by COKF succeed and keep on providing the enabling environment for people to thrive.

It was a slightly slow week as we waited for the computer room at Kibra Academy to be finished up and prepared for this week, including important security risks that we do not want to take for granted with such valuable items. Myself and the other interns are really happy to be starting classes tomorrow morning and getting to meet the students we will be working with for the next 5 weeks. I think we all feel a bit nervous, but sure we can make a big impact in these classes getting the students excited about learning. Here are some shots of the new computer room being completed this past week:


Interns Tim, James and Karima are shown in this last picture. We will update again soon with our progress in starting classes at Kibra!

Beyond poverty, a richness in spirit and dedication

Today was my second day in Kibera and in two days time the group of volunteers and I have
visited a number of private and public schools including the Red Rose School, the Kibra Academy, the St. Aloysius Gonzaga School and the Girls Soccer Academy. As we meandered through the narrow alleys of Kibera, we passed burning piles of garbage heaped against walls and waved at children running and skipping over streams of refuse and trash. It was clear from the outset that Kibera’s one million residents live in an environment that meets the four characteristics that the UN identifies as an operational definition of a slum—insecurity of tenure, poor structural housing conditions, deficient access to safe drinking water and sanitation and severe overcrowding.

However, my experiences so far have also revealed an aspect of Kibera which grim definitions and statistics cannot adequately express: the remarkable dedication of teachers and students to improving the way of life in their community. Take two teachers I met at the Girls Soccer Academy, Teacher Byrones and Teacher Musa. These two young men volunteer at the school six days a week for twelve hours a day to ensure that the girls at this public school receive a solid education. The school stays open after hours and during holidays so that students who do not want to return home or would rather remain at school to do homework in a room with electricity may do so. The Girls Soccer Academy is their home away from home, Teacher Byrones says.

Or take the the teachers and students of St. Aloysius Gonzaga School, a private secondary school that specifically seeks to enroll and fund children whose parents have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The Deputy Director of the school and other faculty look at the students’ KCPE(Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) examination results, administer oral interviews and conduct home visits to decide on the seventy students to be admitted in a given year. As we learned through an exchange of questions and answers, some of these students walk over two hours each way, sometimes after dark, to attend their courses in math, biology, history, physics, English, French and KiSwahili. Their motto, as painted in big, block letters on the school wall is “Learn, Love, Serve.” Their task: to work hard because “working hard pays,” as is written across the school’s chalkboard. Working hard is what will lead them closer to their stated career aspirations of journalists, doctors, lawyers, pilots, singers and surgeons.

The Red Rose students and teachers demonstrated this same active dedication to learning. When we first walked into the nursery, the Red Rose students, dressed in red sweaters and khaki pants, promptly stood up in unison and greeted us with an enthusiastic “Hello, nice to meet you.” I was immediately struck by the group’s high spirits and politeness. Later, they would gather round in the school’s courtyard, some of them slightly shivering in the chilly morning air, to sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and listen patiently to Ken Okoth and the Red Rose teachers graciously accept a financial donation from the faculty of St. Lawrence University in New York. As we walked around the Red Rose School during the day, songs of "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" drifted from the classrooms into the courtyard.

As we headed out of Kibera, I reflected on what I had learned from my first couple days. I searched for lessons that lay beyond the acknowledgement that places such as Kibera are poor. And I arrived at this realization: While the Kibera environment lacks sanitation, a formal economy and secure housing, there exist teachers and students with a resilient spirit of dedication and an energy that bring a richness to the community. By observing how local teachers harness their time and energy to create a safe, secure places for students and how students work diligently to perform well in school, I realized that to view the urban poor as passive people merely in need of rescue is not an accurate or helpful paradigm through which to approach development initiatives. Instead, Kibera’s residents are a lively, participatory group that assume their individual agency to bring about positive opportunities. I hope that my role in the next six weeks can be to help foster these participatory approaches to education through the establishment of the computer lab at the Kibra Academy.