Education

Interchristian Fellowships' Evangelical Mission (IcFEM)

 

Education - Introduction

 
Education is a way of helping people to escape the poverty trap and return with skills to help the local community. There is great potential not being reached because families cannot afford education often because HIV/AIDS has wiped out a generation.
 

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Many primary schools in rural Kenya have few resources and some are in a very poor state of repair. Class sizes are large (often around 100) and this leads to a lower quality of education. IcFEM wishes to provide example schools based on Christian principles and standards, with good basic facilities and small classes, offering a sound education to local children with the possibility of boarding. The schools are an example of excellence in school provision with schemes which are innovative for Kenya e.g. holiday clubs.

IcFEM not only provides schools but also helps local schools to improve. We work with other charities such as Harambee Foundation Holland to build high-quality facilities and in doing so we work with the community, parents, pupils and teaching staff to generally improve the school standards and environment. The parents and community normally contribute substantially to the building costs. IcFEM is also very involved with improving the quality of education in all educational establishments and works with the general community, the school community, the government agencies, the school sponsors and school management to bring this into being.

  • Meet the Team ↓

     

     

    Ruth Nabie

    Deputy Director for Institutions

     

     

    Tryphosa Nandasaba

    Coordinator for Education

     

     

     

    Elizabeth Masafu

    Coordinator for Student Sponsorship

     

  • Dreamland Education Centre (DEC) - Primary School ↓

     
    The Dreamland site is situated about 2 miles from the town of Kimilili in Western Kenya. This 20-acre piece of land is owned by IcFEM. Currently the site contains the Education Centre; a Medical Care Centre, which provides maternity and ante-natal care, child welfare, and other medical services; and a farm, where local people can be taught how to use their own land more effectively. There is a Christian Primary school at Dreamland, providing good quality education, in a safe, clean environment, for children aged 5-14 with the possibility of boarding. This project has taken place in several phases of development. Phase 1, a four-classroom block for Primary school children, was completed in March 2001 and is in use. Phase 2, initially comprised of a single-storey building which had eight classrooms and some offices and was brought into use for upper primary education in 2003. The second floor was completed in 2006. There are two dormitories (boys & girls) with staff accommodation to allow children from a distance to attend as boarders and benefit from the facility and additional and improved boarding facilities are being added in 2009 as funds permit. DEC also has a bursary fund for primary education to help with fees which allows more needy children to attend. The future: The plan is to expand to provide at least four classrooms for Secondary education.

  • Khalayi Nursery School - IcFEM Nursery School ↓

     
    This is situated next to the Headquarters just outside of town. There are some 100 children with classrooms, dining room and toilet block.

  • Education and the Community ↓

     

    Primary Education:

    This program encourages the village Fellowships to encourage the local community to take an interest in their local primary schools, to improve facilities and the school environment and to take an active role in school management. Also to ensure that all children in the neighbourhood benefit from the free primary education provided and that children whose families are so needy that they cannot afford school uniforms are identified to the relief and welfare committees.

    Secondary Education:

    This program encourages the village Fellowships to encourage the local community to take an interest in their local secondary schools, to improve facilities and the school environment and to take an active role in school management. Part of the cost of secondary education is borne by the Kenyan government about the family still has to contribute substantially. The benefits of secondary education are highlighted to ensure that as many as possible take advantage of it or of additional skills training and development. Educational opportunities tend to be given to boys but the need to educate girls is also emphasised. As much help as possible is also given to orphaned and needy children to achieve secondary education and develop their full potential.

    Skills Development:

    Whilst many children are not fundamentally academic. They have many skills and interests, which can be developed to provide them not only with a fulfilling work, but an income with which to support their families.

    Tertiary Education:

    The importance of higher education and vocational training is emphasised and encouraged.

    Special Needs Education:

    It is often difficult to provide physically and mentally disabled children with facilities to deal with either their educational or physical needs in schools or at home. A survey of schools in the Kimilili area highlighted the problems. Most of the teachers involved with special needs children are very enthusiastic but have no special training. They normally do this because they have a special interest and often dip into their own pockets to help the children. They are usually expected to teach a normal class of as many as 100 as well as caring for the disabled children.

    In response to this problem IcFEM has already provided one school with a special classroom. This will hopefully provide a model for future projects as and when funds become available.

    IcFEM also encourages the community to ensure that all schools are physically designed to be disabled friendly, e.g. with ramps and disabled toilet facilities, and for those with physical and mental disability to be included as part of the community and its educational establishments.

    Vocational Training:

    This program encourages the village Fellowships to encourage the local community to take an interest in their vocational training establishments, to improve facilities and the school environment and to take an active role in school management to ensure that there is ownership of these establishments, and they are that they and their teaching staff are valued. IcFEM is working with the vocational training establishments provide them with additional classroom facilities and tools.

  • School Sponsorship ↓

     

    IcFEM does not just pay school fees but is different.

    IcFEM also arranges for student applicants to be sponsored in other schools for 4 years of secondary education. Children are often AIDS orphans and are selected from the many. They are helped in all ways with clothing, books and even school holiday accommodation with IcFEM staff visiting regularly and being “ in loco parentis”. The academic achievements of these students speak for themselves with nurses, doctors, teachers, etc coming from their number to return to the community. Presently approximately 70 students are sponsored but there is need to sponsor at least 200 when funds allow.

    An annual seminar is arranged for the sponsored students.

    School Sponsorship Information & Forms

    To see a report from the UK Charity Children Alone who have sponsored students for many years

    Report on Student Sponsorship Scheme CA Outcomes

    Higher Education Loan Scheme:

    IcFEM has a higher education loan scheme to enable students to undertake tertiary education, and then repay the loan from their increased earning potential.

    Higher Education Sponsorship Information & Forms

  • Harambee Foundation Holland ↓

     

    IcFEM's partnership with Harambee Foundation Holland has led to the substantial improvement of educational opportunities for thousands of pupils in Western Kenya. Harambee Foundation works with IcFEM to deliver projects that include building and renovating of classrooms, the purchase of school desks, sanitary facilities, schoolbooks and other educational materials and tools at primary, secondary schools and youth polytechnics. They also run projects focussing on educational training and development for ECD teachers, head teachers, teachers and managers of polytechnics. Also a completely new primary school and a new youth polytechnic are under construction.

    Since the start of Harambee Foundation Holland in 2001 a large number of projects have been completed in partnership with IcFEM. In 10 years time 27 schools and about 32,000 students have benefitted from improvements in their school. This involved a sum total of about € 850,000, brought together by Harambee Foundation Holland.

    The way in which IcFEM and Harambee Foundation Holland work together ensures the success of each of the projects. Both are committed to creating the circumstances by which the people can see to their own development in the place where they were born. The projects are part of community development: they are examples for the local community to show what improvements can be achieved by working together. The projects also bring pride and enthusiasm through which the local communities start moving forward.

    Harambee Foundation Holland uses IcFEM's extensive network across Western Kenya to identify schools in need of help. When a school is proposed to qualify for help a series of discussions are held with the school management, teachers and pupils and if possible also with the board of governors or the parents association. Once support has been approved the school submits the project details and estimated costs. They are required to include information about how the school thinks they will maintain the project after completion. There is a lot of contact with the local government officials too.

    Perhaps the most important element of the project proposal is the community's own contribution since the ownership is with the community. They must make clear how they can contribute to the realisation of the project. This is essential for Harambee Foundation Holland and for IcFEM as both partners don't believe in giving hand outs but want to give the community a hand up. The contribution is about 10 to 15 % of the total project costs and may consist of money, labour in the construction, or building material like bricks or wood. It has been proven time and again when communities invest in their own development the results of the projects last longer, buildings and resources are cared for better and a sense of community ownership and pride is fostered. More parents send their children to school.

    IcFEM provides a supervisory role for the Harambee projects and manages much of the construction required. This enables projects really to be realised and allows resources to be successfully used. Once a project is completed Harambee Foundation Holland and IcFEM spend time celebrating the community's achievement and thanking all of those who have been involved.

    To find out more about the Harambee foundation's work please visit their website.

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