Now Nametsa

Wandega's blocks are curing and the workers shift to Nametsa to start replacing the toilets there. There is no road access to this school, so the last part of transporting materials is done on foot. Local people will carry sand and gravel in baskets and bags of cement on their heads. The classrooms in the picture below are being replaced as far as I know.

work starts at Wandega primary school

Composting toilets start with the making of blocks from earth and cement and with laying out the foundations for the new units

Drip irrigation

The first school that received composting toilets has been using waste for agriculture to good effect. On Saturday we delivered equipment for drip irrigation that will enable them to grow more crops during the

two or three months of the dry season.

Tablets in the classroom

One of the major problems in all Kenyan public schools is the lack of text books and other resources. The article http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Slum-schoolgirls-living-digital-dream/-/1056/2490374/-/view/printVersion/-/15604vl/-/index.html

 shows a brilliant way of providing much needed material to students.

before the last election a promise was made to provide all grade 1 children with solar laptops, regardless of whether there was power or maintenance available, whether teachers were computer literate and if there was sufficient digital content. That promise seems to be significantly delayed, if not on the way to obliteration. These cheaper tablets (which of course still need power) seem like a great solution to the immediate problems.

Read for the Top

Yesterday was Read for the Top in Eluhobe Primary. The compound is a sea of sticky, heavy mud and we had to stop at one point because we could not be heard over the torrential downpour. But the kids were great and had a wonderful time. Everyone got a ribbon and a pen and the winners received books and school bags. The pictures show setting up the classroom, applauding at the end of the competition and finally the winning teams with proud Head Teacher and teachers.

Caning rampant in Kenyan schools

This article will explain why we need to spread the Virtues Project (positive discipline) to more Kenyan schools.

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Child-caning-rampant-says-Unicef/-/1056/2486678/-/gqkflpz/-/index.html

Sanitation project

We have selected the schools which will receive new composting toilets thanks to the Rotary District grant. The funds available will allow us to construct three sets of toilets, although all the schools on our list are very needy.

Wandega and Nametsa Primary are built on rock, which makes it almost impossible to dig a new location for the latrines, which are full. Wandega has no toilet for staff (It was capped and taken down) We put in a well for Wandega which is working well. Nametsa needs a similar water supply, but at the moment it doesn’t look as if we could include it.
The third school is Mungoye where we also installed a well last year. Their latrines are also full.

Itumbu would be next on our list if we were to find more funding. The Primary and Secondary share latrines

Itumbu

Mungoye

Mungoye

Nametsa

Nametsa water

Read for the Top

Read for the Top contests continue as we scramble to finish before national examinations begin. Until the end of the month we shall be in two more secondary and three elementary sessions. A threatened teachers' strike looms as the exams are set to begin. we are optimistic that a settlement can be reached.

Virtues training at the University

On Friday were privileged to conduct a Virtues training for some 40 professors from Masinde Maliro University. The Vice-Chancellor (who was present) wishes to put the Virtues stamp on students and lecturers alike

Help us implement the grant from Better World Books

Volunteer opportunity-- has Africa called to your heart, but you were unsure where to go or what you could do?  We are looking for volunteers to help administer the grant from BWB for the Read for the Top program in rural Kenyan schools. There will be two stages to the grant: one in February 2015 and one in October. We have been blessed with volunteers for October, but need two or three people to help in February. They do not need to be teachers, but should have good organisational skills. The program will last a week to ten days and will include:
- the selection and purchase of books
- sorting and labeling for individual schools
-guidance on cataloging and maintaining the book sets
- teacher training seminar

Check out the "Join Us" tab on our web site (www.tembokenya.org) for details of what to expect and how to contact us. The adventure tour we offer will be scheduled for immediately after or before the Read for the Top preparation. Why not combine the two, then add a safari to finish off the trip of a lifetime?

Ready to teach Math in a new way

Here are the three groups of Math instructors with their certificates. They all left determined to spread the word and encourage parents to send any child struggling with Math concepts.