This project aims to improve the education and the nutrition of the children from nomadic families around the area of Nariokotome in north-eastern Turkana. The improvement of education among the nomadic children and their families is done through the teaching of the English language, maths, reading and writing and other subjects as prescribed by the Kenyan Ministry of Education. Another important part of the project is to provide two meals a day (breakfast and lunch) to an estimated 75 children who attended the nursery section of the school in order to improve their nutritional condition. Finally significant emphasis is placed on the promotion of agriculture as a means of attaining food security through the setting up and running of a greenhouse for vegetable production as a model for the community.
People who benefit:
- The estimated direct beneficiaries were the 75 children who attended the school.
- The 16 families that sent their children to the school
- The 3 teachers that benefited from the school i.e. salaries and agricultural products from the school.
Local contribution
The parents contributed 2,400 KES a year (the equivalent of £16). This contribution was meant to lessen the cost of running the school and encourage the participation of the parents in the education of their children. When families could not afford the stipulated amount they contributed through their labour, charcoal or a goat.
What happens at the nursery
- Provision of a proper learning environment for the 75 children between the ages of 4-7.
- Promotion of the English language in the area especially for school-going children and their mothers.
- Provision of potable water for the children and the community.
- Provision of a proper balanced diet for the children.
- Empowerment of the mothers of the children who attend the school.
- Improvement of the sanitation and hygiene of the community especially the children and their families.
- Promotion of agriculture in the area.
Challenges faced by the nursery
- Most of the pupils walk for approximately 20 kilometres or 12 miles every day. Ideally the school should provide transportation to such children or provide boarding facilities. However due to financial constraints this has not been achieved.
- The implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum enforced by the government has been expensive with insufficient guidelines by the Education Ministry.
- The school still cannot run on what the parents contribute. We still depend heavily on our development partners. This means that every year we have to struggle to make ends meet.
Achievements
- No cases of malnutrition were recorded among the pupils
- There was a steady enrolment despite the challenges of keeping the children in school
- The participation of parents in the school meetings and contributions greatly improved
- The school programs and activities continued despite the high cost of living experienced in the country
- The Pre-Primary Two class graduated to Grade one
- The school garden produced fruits and vegetables that complemented the usual diet of grains and meat.
- There was a good working environment between the teachers and the management
