These are some photos of the children at the Red Rose School in Kibera Nairobi. The school is a community self-help project, with friends and relatives choosing to be agents of positive change in these children's lives and futures by providing them the best possible education. As a pre-K through 2nd grade school, the work done at Red Rose for some of Nairobi's most vulnerable children closely matches the philosophy and goals of the congressionally approved Headstart programs in the USA. In the photo above, Red Rose principal Mr. Protase Buluma presents a donation of children's Britannica Encylopedia received from the spring 2006 bookfair at the Potomac School in McLean, Virginia.
Above is Sandra Lumayo, who joined the baby class at Red Rose in 2006. Her teachers report a great measure of improvement in her learning throughout the year, and Sandra has been promoted to the nursery class beginning January 2007.
This photos show from left to right Prince Mue, Quinter Atieno, Emma Amondi, and Laureen Akinyi. They have all completed the second grade (standard two) at Red Rose in 2006, and have been promoted to begin the third grade (standard three) in January 2007. "They all really need help for them to procced to the next class since all of them have been promoted but may not come back next year if they can not get help/funds," writes Mr. Buluma, principal of Red Rose.
(Left to Right above) Here we have Laureen Njoki, Joyce Namatsi, Nancy Nekesa, Rosemary Githaiga, Pressly Munyambu and their teacher, Ms. Peninah Hoka. They were all in first grade (standard one) and have been promoted to the second grade beginning January 2007. Because of a tight school budget, their teacher's salary/stipend had not been paid since October 2006, but she has soldiered on in the hope that help will come to them soon and her dedication to ed serve this destitute children has not wavered. Funds collected from Friends of Red Rose in the USA from September to December 2006 will help pay all the unpaid teacher salaries/stipends and will be designated as sponsorships to the school's 23 full or partial AIDS orphans.
These are Cynthia Awour (L) and Florence Kemunto (R). They were in baby class in 2006 and have been promoted to nursery/kindergarten. They have done very well in their class despite all the problems they face having to go to school hungry in the morning knowing that they will get the little porridge that the school makes at morning snack/break time because their poor parents can not afford to provide the food they need at home.
Above is Sandra Lumayo, who joined the baby class at Red Rose in 2006. Her teachers report a great measure of improvement in her learning throughout the year, and Sandra has been promoted to the nursery class beginning January 2007.
This photos show from left to right Prince Mue, Quinter Atieno, Emma Amondi, and Laureen Akinyi. They have all completed the second grade (standard two) at Red Rose in 2006, and have been promoted to begin the third grade (standard three) in January 2007. "They all really need help for them to procced to the next class since all of them have been promoted but may not come back next year if they can not get help/funds," writes Mr. Buluma, principal of Red Rose.
(Left to Right above) Here we have Laureen Njoki, Joyce Namatsi, Nancy Nekesa, Rosemary Githaiga, Pressly Munyambu and their teacher, Ms. Peninah Hoka. They were all in first grade (standard one) and have been promoted to the second grade beginning January 2007. Because of a tight school budget, their teacher's salary/stipend had not been paid since October 2006, but she has soldiered on in the hope that help will come to them soon and her dedication to ed serve this destitute children has not wavered. Funds collected from Friends of Red Rose in the USA from September to December 2006 will help pay all the unpaid teacher salaries/stipends and will be designated as sponsorships to the school's 23 full or partial AIDS orphans.
These are Cynthia Awour (L) and Florence Kemunto (R). They were in baby class in 2006 and have been promoted to nursery/kindergarten. They have done very well in their class despite all the problems they face having to go to school hungry in the morning knowing that they will get the little porridge that the school makes at morning snack/break time because their poor parents can not afford to provide the food they need at home. CLICK HERE to learn more about orphan children at the Red Rose School who need sponsors to continue their education.
4 comments:
Hi Ken,
The Red Rose Nursery and Children's center sounds very interesting. Can you give a little more information about how it's organized and run? Do the children live there from a certain age? How long do they stay? Where do they go from there? How are they chosen? How many are there? Does each one have a sponser and if so how much does it cost every year to sponser a child?
I'll pass this site on to others as well. Cheers.
Leila
Aloha Leila:
it is so encouraging to hear from you in Hawaii. Here are some quick answers to your questions.
The school is a registered community self-help group with the Kenyan Ministry of Education and the Departments of Child Welfare and Social Services.
The students all come from different neighborhoods of the slums in Kibera, and the live at home with parents, relatives, well-wishers, or guardians who are often siblings in their teenage years themselves.
The come to the school five days a week for nine months as year, where they receive an education from certified and well-trained teachers with diplomas in early childhood psychology or elementary education. The administrators of the school are volunteers, and the teachers earn a monthly stipend/salary of $80. This is basic survival pay, and the teachers work here out of their dedication to the community and a desire to be agents of positive change.
The students begin in baby class between the ages of 2.5 to 4 years old. They can stay at the school for five years.
Year One = baby class
Year Two = pre-K
Year Three = nursery/kindergarten,
Year Four = Standard One (First Grade)
Year Five = Standard Two/second grade
Due to limited space capacity and human resources, after standard one or two, the students must join the government-run public school system. Red Rose serves a critical need in the earliest years when these children are most vulnerable. The goal is to make sure that the kids are strong physically, emotionally, and academically so they can survive and thrive in the more crowded public schools where they might not received the special care and attention they need earlier on in their development. Graduates of Red Rose have posted excellent academic records in all of the public schools they continued at, and even one or two who have been accepted at exclusive private schools have proven themselves based on the foundation they received at Red Rose.
There are 80 students at Red Rose, with 23 who can not afford the meagre fees charged, and for whom we urgently need to find local and international sponsors to stay afloat with a very tight budget. The students are chosen through referrals by members of the local clergy, administration, community leaders, and relatives. All the staff of the school live in Kibera too, and seek out kids that must be helped as they learn about them in their different neighborhoods.
It costs US$75 to provide tuition, basic health care, a morning snack and lunch for a year for each child. An additional US$5 will help provide pencils, books, and other learning materials for one child.
Thanks for your support. I really appreciate your willingness to send out the word and help us get more friends and supporters for the kids. They deserve any chance they can get, and education is the first of those.
Hi ken,
This are the names of the kids in this pictures starting with the second picture.
She is called sandra lumayo she is in baby class, she joined the school this year she has really improved this year and has been promoted to nusery.
The next photo is of Prince Mue,Quinter Atieno, Emma Amondi, Laureen Akinyi there are all in class 2 and they would really do with some help for them to procced to the next class since all of them have been promoted but may not come back next year if they can not get help/funds.
The next picture is of Laureen Njoki, Joyce Namatsi, Nacy Nekesa, Rosemary Githaiga, Pressly Munyambu and there teacher Peninah Hoka.They are all in class one and have been promoted to the next class there teachers salary is now in arreas and she is holding on hoping that help will come to them soon because she has dedicated her time to help this destitute children.
The next picture is of Cynthia Awour and Florence Kemunto, they are in baby class and have been promoted to nusery and have done well in there class dispite all the problems they face having to go to school hungry in the morning knowing that they will get the little porrige that the school makes at break time because there parents can not afford to provide the needs that they want.
I am looking for Mr. Buluma's son Africanus, we were with him in St. Georges primary school. Any leads will be appreciated. And good job on the center I hope all is well.
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