29 Jan Empowering Our Kids Through Education: The Kenyan School Year
In Kenya, January brings the start of a new school year after a month-long summer break in December. Our kids spent Christmas welcomed into the homes of our staff and the local congregation to celebrate the holidays, and were happy to return home in time to prepare for the new school year and all that it holds.
Growing Up: New Independence and Opportunities
Eight of our kids (six from Kitalale and two from Kikuyu) will sit the final primary school exam for admittance into high school at the end of the year. Primary students learn five key subjects: English, Swahili, Math, Science and Social & Religious Studies.
Six of our kids started high school this January! This is a big deal in Kenya as students attend schools far from their homes; therefore, a majority of Kenyan high schools are boarding schools. Five of our kids will board and return home for breaks and holidays. In special cases, our teenagers with medical conditions attend a day high school to ensure the best medical care is available in case of an emergency. The kids are extremely excited to start this new journey. In high school, they get to pick electives from the science, humanities, creative and technical fields in addition to continuing their compulsory studies in Math, English and Swahili.
Two of our kids, Mercy and Fredrick, are preparing to sit for the final high school National exam at the end of the year. This test will determine which colleges they can attend, so the aunties and uncles are supporting their studies and providing encouragement.
New School Year, New Uniforms
Attending a new school also means the kids get new clothes: uniform, tracksuit and shoes. Our boys are especially hard on their shoes, and feet grow just as fast as our kids do! We strive to provide each kid with a new uniform each year whether or not they are attending a new school, both to keep a neat appearance and to boost their self esteem. Charles is known for taking especially good care of his uniform; last year his ‘brother’ Terrance, was negotiating to get his well cared for sweater as a hand me down.
The Kenyan School Year
Our kids follow a different school year than North America, thanks to the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere.
Kenyan School Year
| Jan-Mar: | First Term |
| *Apr: | First Break |
| May-Jul: | Second Term |
| *Aug: | Winter Break |
| Sept-Oct: | Third Term |
| *Nov-Dec | Summer Break |
*While on break, our kids are out of school for the entire month.
Kenyan School Day
A typical day starts at 7:30am and ends at 4:00pm.
| 7:30am | School starts |
| 7:30am-10:30am | First three lessons |
| 10:30am-11:00am | First break |
| 11:00am-1:00pm | Two lessons |
| 1:00pm-2:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm-3:30pm | Two lessons |
| 3:30pm-4:00pm | Final break |
The Big Green & White School Buses
To get to school in time for the
Everyone in the House Helps with Homework
Our kids get homework just like the rest of the world! The Aunties and Uncles at our homes help the kids with their assignments, and it is very common to see one of our older kids helping a younger one with their homework.
After School Activities: Sports and Arts
Each term, our kids participate in extracurricular activities. Sports are a huge part of the ir school life. Our homes have a few track & field super stars, including Issa, Baraka, James C., Terrah, Kevin K., Ivy, and Viola.
Dance, Music, Drama and reciting poems are also encouraged. In high school, Mercy, Dennis M., Fredrick and Grace enjoy music and other performing arts. Last year we had three kids from Kitale, including Faith, represented their school at the National Level. This was no mean task; Aunties and Uncles were so proud of this achievement!
It Takes a Village to Raise our Kids
A big part of providing complete care for our 100 growing kids is feeding their growing minds and unique developmental needs. Like in any part of the world, education is expensive, especially for quality education, which we value. In 2019 alone, we estimate we’ll spend $72,000 USD to provide education ranging from Kindergarten to College.
Since our inception in 2003, 10 of our kids have established themselves as independent, flourishing adults working as Nurses, Accountants, Drivers, Estheticians and more. Despite having transitioned from our homes, our established kids are still very close to each other (they even have their own WhatsApp group) and are very connected to our younger children. Your donation directly impacts our kids’ daily development and future independence.
It costs $50 a month to provide education for each of our kids. To supplement the increasing costs of higher education, we also have a Scholarship fund to ensure our older kids are able to follow their dreams and continue to receive the best available education through university or trade school. The world is their oyster, and Scholarship fund donations support fees to attend the post secondary school of each kid’s choice.
Meet our kids to learn about how they’re growing and changing every day and consider making a donation in support of their education.