Archived Newsletters
MIKOROSHONI News March 2021
Dear Supporter,
We hope that you and your family are all keeping safe and well.
The children at Mikoroshoni are now able to go back to school for half days. Half of each class attends school in the mornings and the other half attends in the afternoons. They are also able to have a school lunch each day of maize and beans. The morning children have their meal before they go home and the afternoon children have their meal when they arrive at school.
Because of the Pandemic, schools in Kenya were closed for the first 2 terms last year (the school year in Kenya is from January to November). In order to catch up, the Kenya Government has stated that for 2021 and 2022 all schools will have 4 terms and hopefully in 2023 things will get back to the normal 3 terms. This is to be achieved by reducing the main holidays to a minimum and not having half term holidays.
All schools have had to purchase 2 or more Thermal Guns because the Kenya Government insists that the temperatures of all children and staff must be taken each morning on arrival at school. Also we have had to purchase additional antibacterial sprays and disinfectants etc. as this is necessary to keep everywhere in school sanitised. Government inspectors are going into schools to ensure all protocols are being observed. Obviously this has meant additional expense for our charity.
Another additional expense we have had to cover over a number of years has been because the Kenya government decided to introduce a totally new primary curriculum. This has meant purchasing completely new sets of text books for all the classes in all subjects. The number of subjects range from 6 subjects in the older age groups to 10 subjects in the younger age groups. The introduction of the new curriculum has been staggered, starting with the younger children and is gradually working though the school as these children move up a class each year. We have needed to purchase a minimum of 1 book between 2 children for each subject. We are grateful to those supporters who have contributed towards the cost of purchasing some of the new text books but we still have a couple of more years of needing to provide new text books before the new curriculum is fully implemented throughout the school.
As with all UK charities, the last year has been very difficult because all fundraising has been suspended and incomes from donations have dropped dramatically. Our charity income has suffered because of the Pandemic. The Trustees, along with Joshua, Mikoroshoni’s Headteacher, have had to make some very hard decisions to ensure the long term future of school. We had to make the decision to close the Nursery Classes and to also, unfortunately, make 3 teachers redundant on the basis of ‘last in, first out’. As Trustees, we always endeavour to treat all the staff at Mikoroshoni fairly and so ensured they were given proper notice and full redundancy pay.
As Trustees, we are so very grateful to all our supporters for continuing to give their regular donations. Thank you.
We have also been so very grateful to those supporters who have previously organised fund raising events such as Sponsored Walks, Sponsored Cycle Rides, Afternoon Teas and also many other individuals and groups and organisations who have raised money in a variety of other ways.
Keith, our Treasurer & a Trustee, is involved in a lot of charity work as well as all the support that he gives to our charity, ‘The Friends of Mikoroshoni Primary School’.
Since January 18th, Keith has been doing a ‘Virtual Walk’ from Lands End to John O’Groats which is a distance of 874 miles! Since Keith started his ‘Virtual Walk’ he walks locally each day. He uses the Strava App on his phone to measure how far he has walked and his progress is logged onto the Online Site, ‘Endtoend Challenge’ website. The walk he is doing is labelled ‘LeJog10’. Keith is averaging 7 miles a day and his target is to reach John O’Groats by 30th June. Every 100 miles he receives a Virtual Post Card which he places on Facebook so that followers can be updated on his progress. There is a link on the MPS website to the fundraising donation site (VMG).
MIKOROSHONI News November 2020
The situation in Kenya is also very challenging and very difficult.
When the Kenya Government made the decision to close all education establishments in March, they announced that schools would remain closed until January 2021 and that all pupils would have to repeat the year that had been lost.
However, in September the Kenya Government decided that all schools would reopen in October, with the top 2 primary classes starting in early October and all the other classes starting 2 weeks later.
The top 2 classes started back at school as planned but almost immediately after the 2 classes returned there was a large spike in positive Coronavirus cases and the Kenya Government made a quick decision to postpone the starting of all the other classes until at least the New Year. The 2 top classes have been allowed to remain in school.
In re-opening the school there were certain regulations that had to be followed. We had to ensure that the school was thoroughly cleaned and all staff briefed on how to proceed. Everyone entering the school has to have their temperature taken & recorded, all have to wash hands (we have had to provided extra water barrels for this), all have to wear masks. Obviously, all necessary measures to prevent the spread of this awful disease.
How education in Kenya will be organised in 2021 we do not yet know.
When schools first closed, as we mentioned in our last newsletter, we did consult with Joshua our headteacher, about the possibility of continuing feeding the children each day. However, this was not possible under the restrictions imposed by the Kenya Government. Instead we arranged for Joshua to personally deliver a bag of flour to all the families of the 300 children. We will be asking him to do this again before Christmas.
Ugali is the ‘staple diet’ of Kenyans and each bag of flour will provide about 12 meals. It may not be a lot but we know just how much the families have appreciated the donation.
When you see the situation in Kenya, you fully appreciate our NHS and Welfare System. There is no Welfare System in Kenya as we know it and the hundreds of thousands of Kenyans who have been put out of work have to survive as best they can with no income.
Kenya does not have the facilities for testing that we have in the UK. There was an article in the Online Kenya newspaper, The Nation, towards the end of November stating that the only testing machine for Coronavirus in Mombasa had broken down.
Even when the machine was working it was reported that results were taking about 10 days to come through. That is not good news when Mombasa County has the second highest infection rates and deaths in any county in Kenya.
Our understanding is that people have to pay to be tested. However, when a few months ago, it was reported that the Mombasa County Governor offered free tests to people living in some of the poorest areas in Mombasa, people were reluctant to have the tests. This was because if they tested positive they could be made to go to quarantine facilities set up by the Government and would have to pay for their accommodation.
Those who have had to be admitted to hospitals for treatment for Coronavirus can end up with enormous bills that would ‘even make our eyes water’.
For us in the UK the possibility of having vaccinations accessible soon will hopefully give us hope for an end to the pandemic. Our vaccinations will be funded by our NHS but what will happen in countries like Kenya where there is no free health service we really don’t know.
Those of us Trustees who visit Kenya regularly are hoping that maybe we will be able to visit later next year but at the moment there is such a lot of uncertainty.
On a more positive note, we have been contacted by a school in Chorley, Euxton C of E Primary school, the year 3 class are keen on exploring a ‘partnership’ with MPS whereby both parties can benefit from the understanding of how the different cultures work in the educational sense. Euxton see this as a long-term partnership and we are exploring different ideas & projects that we may be able to engage in. Initially we will be sharing a day in December whereby the children receive some juice & a biscuit (courtesy of Euxton PS), apparently the year 3 children always serve the rest of their school with chocolate drinks at Christmas time, a tradition that goes back years, so they wish to share this day with MPS and exchange photos & videos. A great way to introduce each other. Look out for some pictures of this day in due course.
We are so very grateful to all our supporters who donate on a regular basis because it is your kindness and generosity that is helping to ensure the long-term future of Mikoroshoni.
Christmas this year is certainly going to be different for all of us. We hope that you will be able to enjoy the festivities despite all the restrictions.
From the Trustees and everyone associated with MPS both here in the UK and in Kenya we send you Seasons Greetings and hope that 2021 proves to be a better year than 2020.
MAY 2020
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support for Mikoroshoni Primary School. We will try to keep you updated on the situation in Kenya.
Evelyn, Trustee from Edinburgh did manage to visit Mombasa and the school for 3 weeks in February just before all the restrictions on foreign travel came into force.
John, Trustee from Manchester cancelled his trip to Mombasa the day before he was due to fly out in March after receiving an email from our Foreign Office advising against travel to Kenya. The Kenya Government had suddenly imposed 14 days of quarantine on travellers arriving from countries that had cases of the Coronavirus. This included the UK.
Paul, Trustee from Sheffield was due to fly to Mombasa this month with his wife but obviously their holiday was cancelled.
The Kenya Government ordered the closure of all schools from Monday March 23rd plus the closure of all non-essential businesses. In the past few weeks they have imposed a curfew from 7.00pm to 5.00am.They have also stopped all travel except for the transport of food, in and out of the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale. They have also stopped all international passenger flights in and out of the country.
There is Coronavirus in Kenya but at the moment only small numbers of people are tested. The latest figures show 21,702 people have been tested, of which there are 411 confirmed cases and 21 people have died. How accurate these figures are we cannot say. It is very difficult to predict what will happen in the next few months especially as social distancing in the slums and in the very poorest areas is impossible. Also the outdoor food markets where those living in poverty buy food, are always very crowded and disorganised. Most of the businesses have closed until further notice. There will be no help with wages or any benefits provided. Everyone just has to manage as best as they can. Anyone who falls ill will have little chance of getting any treatment as it will be very expensive and the equipment not available.
As with all UK charities our ability to fund raise by holding various events has been put on hold and some future activities have already been cancelled in the months ahead. Nobody at this point in time knows when some form of “normality” will return.
All of us as Trustees have taken into account all the many issues that have arisen around the problems caused by the Coronavirus. We have had to make the decision to furlough all the teachers on much reduced wages until the schools reopen. We do not know how long the schools will remain closed.
In our last newsletter we mentioned that we had not at that point been able to find a sponsor for the Feeding Programme for 2020. However, in January this year we were approached by one of our long standing sponsors who very kindly and very generously offered to sponsor the Feeding Programme in full for 2020. The closure of the school has meant we have had to put the Feeding Programme on hold until the school is allowed to reopen. We have spoken to Joshua, our Headteacher to see if we could, in any way, continue to feed the children whilst the school is closed, either in the form of meals or bags of flour. However, as the order has been given that schools must be closed, any attempt to provide food which would involve children or parents coming to the school would be seen as going against Government orders. It would mean that Joshua and any others involved would be in serious trouble with Government Officials.
We are all living through this terrible pandemic but most people here are able to access food and a roof over their heads. If we are unlucky enough to become ill we have our fantastic NHS to look after us.
We are in constant communication with Joshua and other friends of Mikoroshoni. As soon as the current restrictions begin to lift we will do what we can to re-instate lessons and the provision of food. At the moment it is totally out of our hands. As soon as circumstances change we will let you know what is happening or is allowed to happen at Mikoroshoni .
Best wishes from The Trustees of ‘The Friends of Mikoroshoni Primary School’
We hope we will have better news for you in the very near future.
Footnote:
‘The Friends of Mikoroshoni Primary School’ need many more supporters if the school is to continue to develop. If you would like to make a donation or join our £40 a year Gift Scheme then please contact us – the details are given below:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1015401
MAY 2019
JANUARY
The children and teachers started the new term and new school year on the 3rd of January and soon settled back into the school routine. Most of the children moved up into their new classes.
Twenty five children were enrolled into Pre-primary class one (formerly known as Kindergarten 1). Just as in the UK when children first start school it can be a daunting experience. Some of the children fall asleep and many at Mikoroshoni have not worn shoes at home so their teacher Madame Mary Tuva sometimes finds shoes under the table. Once again the new class was provided with uniforms and shoes. This was thanks to Mr Albert Waterfield from Leigh Rotary Club.
FEBRUARY
Deputy Headteacher Mr Oscar Charo left Mikoroshoni to take up a new job in a Government school. One reason for him leaving was for a big increase in his salary. We are unfortunately unable to equal the wages of the Government schools but our teachers do get paid regularly. Mr Oscar has been with us for sixteen years during which time he has given excellent and reliable service to the school. He also was the teacher with good IT skills. Headteacher Mr Joshua has taken responsibility for the IT and will be going on courses to improve his skills. For a few weeks we had to suspend the Feeding Programme as we weren’t sure there would be enough funds. However, we reconsidered our finances and decided that the food was so important we had to continue. We are still hoping for a major sponsor, as the price of maize and beans is always rising.
MARCH
A new Deputy Headteacher was appointed from within the school. He is Mr John Kombe who has been a teacher at Mikoroshoni for eight years. The interviews took place while Trustees John Brooker and Evelyn Lyall were in Kenya so they were able to take part in the interviews. Joshua has since reported that Mr Kombe is working hard and is proving to be a good support in the running of the school.
One afternoon the children all had a nice surprise of juice and biscuits. This was provided by the children of Parkfield Primary School, Middleton. They held a raffle to raise the money after having so many Christmas treats themselves.
APRIL
Once again a bag of flour was sent home with each child to help the families provide food during the Easter break. This was thanks again to the Rotary Club of Bolton Le Moors.
Keith Trinnaman, our Treasurer, has been able to claim over £5,000 in Gift Aid – it really is worthwhile. A very big thank you to all those who have signed up for Gift Aid. If anyone who pays Income Tax and hasn’t signed let us know if you would like a form. It costs you nothing and is a great help to our charity.
MAY
At last the WIFI is working thanks to a good friend of the school, Mr Solomon Mutungi. Now there is no need to travel 5miles to send and receive e-mails!
The chess club continues to meet each week and also the Guides and Scouts continue with their activities after school.
The Standard 8 class come into school at 6 o’clock each morning and stay till 7 o’clock each evening. This is extra preparation for their leaving exams in November.
The children took part in Athletic competitions – Firstly they had inter class competitions then went on to compete against 16 other local schools. Seven children were selected to take part at Zonal level. From there one girl, Mariam Mohamed was selected to go on to the County competition where she came third. These races ranged from 100 metres up to 3,000metres. Congratulations to all who took part. You can see why Kenyans do so well in Marathons!
NEWS OF EX PUPILS
All of the following pupils have attended Mikoroshoni and gained their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education. They were then so lucky to be sponsored by individual sponsors and without exception have worked so hard to make their sponsors proud.
Rehema has gained an Upper 2nd class degree in Law and has now started a 12 month course to become an Advocate.
Faith has gained an Upper 2nd class degree in Commerce and now has a permanent job with an import/export company in the port of Mombasa.
Kelvin has gained a Lower 2nd class degree in Environmental Science and is now working for an Environmental Company in Mombasa.
Elizabeth and Juma finish their courses this year and will graduate in December.
Samuel still has two years of his course to do.
ONCE AGAIN A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR MIKOROSHONI PRIMARY SCHOOL TO PROVIDE A GOOD PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR OVER 300 CHILDREN.
DECEMBER 2018
In some ways everyday life in Mikoroshoni Primary School is very similar to our own schools at home. But in other ways it is very different as you can see from the Headteacher’s monthly reports.
APRIL
• The heavy rains that we mentioned in our previous newsletter meant that one of the teachers, Peter Kahindi was unable to reach school on one occasion and was late on several other days. This was because he had to cross several swollen rivers on his way to the main road which leads to Shanzu village.
• Teacher Madam Peris was unable to reach Mikoroshoni for one week because of the heavy rains in her home region where she had travelled to visit her family.
• Deputy Headteacher, Mr Oscar and several of the children suffered from the effects of a waterborne disease on their feet. This was caused by them having to wade through the flood waters in the village.
• Although the rains brought many problems it was very welcome in school as it meant that water was now flowing from the taps.
MAY
• The floor in the upstairs classroom was in urgent need of repair. It was very worn and had numerous holes in it. The carpenter was called in and he carried out the necessary work.
• The names of children wanting places in Kindergarten 1 for 2019 were put forward by the management committee. There are only 25 places available.
• Six trainee teachers from Shanzu Teacher Training College did their teaching practise at Mikoroshoni working alongside the class teachers.
JUNE
• Textbooks for the new curriculum were ordered and delivered. Mr Oscar numbered and stamped all the books and distributed them to each class. The pupils and teachers were so pleased to receive them. Up to then the teachers had to write the information on the chalkboard for the pupils to copy. Two pupils share each book. A very careful check is made at the end of the lesson to make sure that all the books are returned. The books are very precious.
• Once a year in each school a Deworming Day takes place. Each pupil is given a tablet and must then rest for 30 minutes.
JULY
• There was an outbreak of Cholera in Mombasa and some deaths were reported in Shanzu but none at Mikoroshoni. Health Officers from the Government came to school to advise the children and teachers about the importance of hygiene in helping to stop the spread of the disease.
• Headteacher, Joshua organised a film about the life of Jesus. The children and teachers were invited to watch the film in Joshua’s Church which is just a 2 minute walk from school. The film was part of their Christian Religion Education.
• More than 100 parents attended a meeting where they were encouraged to support their children in all aspects of school – by working hard, respecting their teachers and being proud to be a part of Mikoroshoni.
AUGUST
• Everyone had a three week break away from school. Most of the children spent their time in the village helping look after younger brothers and sisters, helping with household chores and some of the older ones trying to earn a few shillings by doing odd jobs.
• School re-opened on 27th August and the morning was spent cleaning the classrooms and the playground area. The teachers gave their schemes of work to the Headteacher to ensure that they were following the syllabus for their class.
SEPTEMBER
• The toilets became blocked and it was found that the septic tank needed emptying as a matter of urgency! This was done for a cost of £350 and the problem is now solved. It was last emptied in 2005 so as you can tell it lasts a long time!
• Over 50 pupils are now members of the Girl Guides and Scouts. The boys had recently shown an interest in starting a scout group. They all practise marching every day after class under the guidance of Madam Kulthum.
OCTOBER
• Trustee John Brooker spent 2 weeks at Mikoroshoni and Trustees Evelyn and John Lyall spent 3 weeks there. During this time they all worked extremely hard giving advice and support to the staff and pupils. Their presence is greatly appreciated as it is a link with all the supporters back in the UK.
• Sadly this month our very good friend, Joan Smith passed away. She was a lady from the UK who made her home in Kenya many years ago and was a great help to everyone at Mikoroshoni. Joshua says, “Joan has been very supportive to us all and was a very wise lady. She was much loved by us all.”
• Standard 8 exams took place at the end of this month. This is the KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education). Joshua, along with other headteachers had to go each morning at 6.30am to collect the exam papers. He was then escorted back to school by two armed policemen. The policemen stayed at school all day and finally escorted Joshua back to the collection centre with the completed exam papers.
• Once again every child took a very welcome and much needed bag of flour home for their family.
Some of our ex pupils have been lucky enough to be sponsored by individual people to go to University. Faith and Kelvin will graduate in December. Rehema has completed the first part of her Law Degree. Elizabeth is in her final year and is very involved in volunteering to mentor young people who are HIV positive. Faith has been involved in raising money to buy food and clothes for children in orphanages in Mombasa. It’s their turn now to lend a helping hand to others.
Once again we say a very big THANK YOU to all our supporters. Without your support there would be no MIKOROSHONI PRIMARY SCHOOL.
WITH BEST WISHES FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR
FROM ALL THE PUPILS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND TRUSTEES.
Mikoroshoni Newsletter – February to April 2018
Trustees Pat and John Lloyd
During the past few months we have had to pass on the sad news that Pat is at the moment in a care home in Stoke and very sadly John passed away in February this year. We have managed to make contact with most of the supporters of Mikoroshoni who were on Pat’s list. We thank all of you who sent messages of condolence and donations in memory of John. Most of you have decided to continue with your support for which we thank you.
At Mikoroshoni the whole school held a minutes silence to remember John, as Headteacher Joshua said “Our dear father, friend and trustee of our education.” The children were reminded to work hard in their studies as a way of appreciating “The devotion of all The Friends of Mikoroshoni.”
Visits
In February/March Evelyn Lyall spent three weeks in Mombasa and in March John Brooker spent two weeks out there.
Changes to the education system
There are many changes taking place in the education system in Kenya. Eventually Primary School Education will finish at the end of Standard 6 instead of Standard 8 as at present. Then there will six years of Secondary School Education instead of the present four years.
This means that a new curriculum is being introduced and there are eight subjects – Maths, Language, Kiswahili, Religion, Health & Nutrition, Environmental Studies, Music and Creative Arts. New text books will be required for most of these subjects and paints, brushes, crayons and raffia will be needed for Creative Arts. The teachers will teach Music but parents from different tribes will come in to teach their own tribal dances. The children will make many of their own musical instuments, bells from metal bottle tops and shakers from seed pods.
Training for the teachers
On 26th December 2017 the teachers attended a four day National Training Course for the new curriculum. They found it very difficult to take in all the information as they had ten 1 hour lectures each day. The course began at 8am and was attended by 200/300 teachers all in one room and with no sound system! The Government will give further training in school but this would have to be paid for.
NEMIS
This is the Governments new way of collecting school data on line. All learning institutions must register their school, all staff and all pupils. Straight away there was a problem as each pupil must have a birth certificate. Many of the children do not have this document and do not know when their birthday is. Each child must also have a passport size photograph. Deputy Headteacher, Oscar is spending many hours at the Internet Café filling in the details. We are looking into the cost of having Wifi in the school.
Flour
“It was a happy moment” when John Brooker took money from The Rotary Club of Bolton Le Moors to buy the maize flour to help each family with meals during the holidays. The ugali that the flour is used for is eaten by itself or with vegetables and beans. Fish and meat can be added but only occasionally if there is a little extra money. This Rotary Club is also funding the holiday flour until the end of 2019. We know how thankful the families will be to receive the flour.
Earning Shillings
To earn a few shillings parents take on some of these activities around the village,
Cooking & selling potatoes
Washing clothes from house to house
Selling mangoes
Making then selling porridge (a cup of porridge costs 10shillings – 8pence)
Collecting garbage
Cleaning other people’s compounds and toilets
Felling young coconuts & selling them along the beach
Mosquito Nets
There was a national exercise to distribute free mosquito nets to citizens in the last week in February. The school was used as one of the centres where tens of bags of nets were shared and given to the villagers. Despite the use of nets children and teachers still get malaria.
Secondary
Pendo Hassan, the girl who did so well at the Chess Competition came top in her Standard 8 National Exams. She has managed to start Secondary School because her very large extended family managed to raise enough money to fund her first year fees.
New Term
At the end of April the new term began and so did the rain! Only 90 children out of 300 managed to get to school. The roads and paths had turned into rivers of orange mud. But the next day the rain had stopped and the sun came out and so did the children.
Being poor
Headteacher Joshua visited the homes of all the new KG1 children. These comments occurred many times in his report. Both parents are jobless. They struggle to pay their rent. They live under a leaking roof. They have 6 Children. They have no furniture at all. They sleep on rotten mattresses on the floor. Some days they do not eat.
I think all of us can only imagine what it must be like to live like this. Mikoroshoni School provides a caring, safe & happy learning environment and a daily meal for 300 children. This is made possible by you, our supporters .
THE TRUSTEES, CHILDREN, PARENTS AND STAFF OF MIKOROSHONI PRIMARY SCHOOL WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL.
NOVEMBER 2016
Happy 20th Birthday Mikoroshoni Primary School 1996- 2016
Dear Friends of MPS,
It’s now 20 years since Pat & John Lloyd and Yvonne & John Brooker all went on holiday to Kenya. On a visit to Shanzu village we saw a building which was just a wooden frame with no walls and no roof, six benches and a blackboard. This was a school for 130 pupils!
And so our story began. Little did we know that 20 years later we would still be involved in the life of Mikoroshoni Primary School. We now provide a good Primary Education for 300 pupils. We employ our Headteacher, Joshua Kadenge, Deputy Headteacher, Oscar Charo, and 12 other teachers, a caretaker & an assistant caretaker, a night time guard and two cooks.
The cooks provide a meal for every child on each school day. This is quite an achievement when you realise that they start work at 7am preparing the food and then cooking on 2 charcoal burners. They serve the food, wash all the pots and leave everything ready for the next day. We also try to provide a bag of maize flour for each child to take home at the end of every term.
Celebration Day – Friday 30th September
Pupils from Standards 1 to 8 attended the celebration along with Trustees Evelyn & John Lyall and John Brooker. Yvonne Brooker and Pat & John Lloyd were unable to make the journey but sent their good wishes, along with the other Trustees in the form of a letter which was read out at the event.
Special guests were invited to join the celebration – Solomon Mtungi, Joan Smith, Nellie Mwadilo, Diana Shikata & Christine Mwabili. They have been with us on our journey from the very beginning. Some of our ex pupils, who were sponsored to go to Secondary School, College and University also came to join the celebration. They are now in their teens & twenties.
The children sang, danced and performed dramas to entertain the other children and the Special Guests. Then acrobats came to surprise everyone. There were many speeches and finally food for everyone –special Pilau rice was very well received and then cake was given out. Kennedy Masimba, one of our ex-pupils who was sponsored to go to catering college made the cakes. It was very difficult to cut them into so many pieces as the icing on the top was melting. Nevertheless it was a real treat for everyone. Whitesands Hotel kindly provided juice and bottled water for everyone.
It was decided that the three Kindergarten classes would have their own party the following week as it would have been too crowded & too overwhelming to join in with the big celebration.
Mikoroshoni even made it into the Kenya national newspaper – The Nation. A reporter & a photographer attended the celebration and the article was printed on October 12th. We feel that Mikoroshoni really does have the recognition that it deserves.
None of this would have been possible without the generosity of hundreds of sponsors both past and present. You, the Friends of Mikoroshoni Primary School have enabled so many children to successfully complete their primary education.
The children, parents and staff all appreciate everything you have done and continue to do for their community in Shanzu.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH
NOVEMBER 2015
At last the UK Government lifted the ban on travel to the coastal area of Mombasa so Yvonne and John were able to visit Mikoroshoni in September 2015. John went out again in November for two weeks and Evelyn & John went out for three weeks in November/December.
Headteacher Joshua
Joshua our Headteacher was sponsored to do a degree in Early Years Education. He has worked so hard during the past 3 years to study part time at weekends & holiday times as well as keeping everything running smoothly at Mikoroshoni. He finally gained his Degree in September & travelled with his family to Eldoret, a town, 200 miles North West of Nairobi. There were over 1,000 students being presented with their degrees. The family found it quite an adventure to travel so far on the bus & also found it to be quite cold in this part of Kenya. They had to have a hot shower to warm themselves up!
Edward our caretaker
Unfortunately Edward is losing his eyesight and is finding it very difficult to continue looking after the school. He has visited an American Charity in Mombasa called ‘Light for Christ Eye Centre’ & is receiving treatment. We are hoping that his vision will improve.
Flour
We continue to give each child a bag of flour to take home for the holidays. At the Easter & Summer holidays this is maize flour to make Ugali, and at Christmas time wheat flour is given. This is to make chapatis and a special bread called mahamri. This has become very important at holiday times and is very much appreciated by the families. Thank you to our sponsors who have donated extra money for the flour.
Repairs & Maintenance
Some urgent repairs are being undertaken during the holiday period when the school is empty. The support beams holding up a water tank in the boys toilets are being replaced. Also a moveable partition wall is being removed between two classrooms. This was originally installed to enable assemblies to be held in one large room but this structure is difficult to maintain so a more permanent wall needs to be constructed. When a large room is needed the classroom in the playground area can be used or Joshua’s church building is very close by and can be used for whole school events.
Teachers Courses
In September Madam Kulthum & Mr Oscar attended a 6 day course at Utange Baptist Church Action Centre. The trainers were from UK & covered Child Therapy topics including Bereavement, Trauma, Mental Health & Understanding Disability. The two teachers found the course extremely interesting & were able to give information to the rest of the teachers.
Headteacher’s Reports
Each month Joshua sends us a report of events at Mikoroshoni.
In July prizes were presented to the best performers in each class and the pupils were reminded about the importance of hard work and good discipline.
Many parents visited school to ask for their child to be considered for a place in KG1 to start in January 2016.
In August Standard 8 pupils were encouraged to work in school during the evenings, to take advantage of the electric lighting & the quiet atmosphere in which to study.
Justus Ndegwa has been employed for 2 days a week to help Caretaker Edward with some of the work he cannot see.
In the area round the school some of the parents & pupils have joined a voluntary programme to keep the environment clean & tidy.
Teacher trainees from Government Colleges have been sent to Mikoroshoni to do their teaching practices. A true sign that Mikoroshoni is recognised as a good school.
In September the school was used by the local community, when the village chief and elders needed to give out information. The villagers appreciate the use of one of the school rooms for their discussions.
Mikoroshoni was used as a distribution point for mosquito nets provided by the Kenyan Government.
Feeding Programme
The support we have had from the Saga Charitable Trust has now come to an end as there are many charities asking for their help. The feeding plays an important part in the daily life at Mikoroshoni as this meal is often the only meal some children receive. We need to raise an extra £6,000 each year for the food- quite an expense! £1,000 has already been donated for 2016 by two Rotary Clubs. Headteacher, Joshua is trying to negotiate better deals with the suppliers for the maize, beans and charcoal. We have also asked Joshua to look into any other savings that can be made. We may have to cut back on trips & extra activities.
To feed 1 child at Mikoroshoni for the school year costs £20.
One of our supporters in UK has designed & funded the printing of some very smart MPS leaflets. The leaflet is to promote the school and ask if people would like to support us. If anyone would like copies for friends, relatives or groups please let us know – we will be happy to send them to you.
We are all hoping that the situation in Kenya remains calm and that visitors will return.
But in the meantime we think you can tell from our newsletter Mikoroshoni’s daily school life continues thanks to all the support you give.
You are helping to provide an education and food every day in a happy & safe place for 300 children in Shanzu village.
So a very big ASANTE SANA and from The Trustees, Parents, Teachers and Children at Mikoroshoni Primary School.
APRIL 2015
Despite the troubles in Kenya Mikoroshoni School continues to thrive and to make good progress. The British Government’s advice against ‘all but essential travel’ to the coastal area of Mombasa means that all travel insurance is invalid when visiting that area. Because of the lack of tourists, hotels are closing and many workers have lost their jobs.
However, Evelyn Lyle, our Trustee from Edinburgh, decided to continue with her planned visit to Mombasa and recently spent 3 weeks visiting Mikoroshoni. We are very grateful to Evelyn for the time she spent at school and for the information she brought back with her.
New KG1
In January 25 new children were admitted to KG1 class. Our admission policy is to take in the poorest children from Shanzu village.
Evelyn saw for herself the delight and excitement of KG1 when they received their new school uniforms, which are funded by our charity. The children felt so proud and went home looking very smart.
Evelyn also gave all KG1 a drawstring bag to keep their books in. They were so happy to receive them – a big thank you to the lady in Scotland who made them. Also a big thank you to the rep. from Duracell Batteries who provided pens for some of the classes. Pens are always welcome as the ink dries up in the heat.
Extra children
Two young boys were accepted into school after the official intake date because Headteacher Joshua had heard of their very poor situation. Evelyn accompanied Joshua on a home visit. The conditions were terrible – nowhere to sit or sleep, mouldy food in a pot and just a suitcase in the middle of the room, probably where the baby slept! I don’t think we can begin to imagine such poverty. The boys are now in KG1 and KG2 and have porridge each day and also maize and beans to try and build up their strength.
Flour
A bag of flour was given to every child to take home for the Easter holidays. This has become very important at holiday times and is very much appreciated by the families. Thank you to our sponsors who donated extra money for the flour.
Health & Hygiene
Evelyn was surprised one day to see a giant tub of tablets on Joshua’s table. These were for the deworming treatment provided by the Kenyan Government. Everyone, including the teachers, had to take a dose and all the details were carefully recorded.
The importance of handwashing is still being emphasised. and is being monitored every break and lunchtime by the caretaker and teachers.
Parents
Joshua is committed to ensuring that all parents visit the school on a regular basis so that he can explain the importance of regular attendance and can discuss the child’s progress and any problems they may have. Each day there are parents, usually mums, waiting to see Joshua.
Clubs
The teachers take responsibility for running after school clubs which are very popular with the children. These include Scouts and Guides, Drama, Chess, Choir, Maths, Debating and Guidance/Counselling.
Repairs & Maintenance
There is always a continual need for repair and maintenance. During Evelyn’s visit the floor outside an upstairs classroom became dangerous and emergency repairs were necessary. The shelters in the playground also required repairs. More of the louvre window slats had to be removed. The glass is intact but the metal fixtures have corroded. At the moment these are too costly to replace. We have to prioritise the most urgent repairs and carry them out as funds allow.
Teachers’ Pensions
Last year the Kenyan Government brought in a new law requiring all employers to contribute to the pension scheme for their employees. Overnight 6% was added to the school wages bill!
Standard 8 – Holiday Tuition
Pupils have no facilities at home to study in the evenings. (No table and chair, no light, no peace and quiet). So during the 3 week Easter holiday period the following timetable was put into place.
Come to school 5pm-7pm for lessons
Sleep at school
Woken at 4.30am for lessons 5am-7am
Given food at school
Pupils go home during the day
What dedication from both pupils and teachers!
We are all hoping that the situation in Kenya improves and that visitors will be able to return.
But in the meantime we think you can tell from our newsletter that Mikoroshoni daily school life continues, thanks to all the support you give.
You are helping to provide an education and food every day in a happy and safe place for 300 children in Shanzu village.
So a very big ASANTE SANA from The Trustees, Parents, Teachers and Children at Mikoroshoni Primary School.
MAY 2014
In February Evelyn one of our Edinburgh Trustees went to Mombasa for five weeks. One Saturday she organised a ‘fun morning’ for some of the children who came in specially for the activities. Some visitors from UK had arranged to visit school that day but unfortunately their taxi driver could not locate the school. The children, however still enjoyed the activities that Evelyn had planned. They enjoyed dressing up as pirates searching for treasure although they seemed a bit confused to find that the treasure was chocolate coins, not real ones! The villagers were amazed to see Evelyn dressed up as well! They also had great fun putting jigsaws together- they had never seen one before but soon got the hang of it.
Evelyn also accompanied Kinder garden 3 on their trip to the nature park. They saw lots of emus, giraffes, donkeys and antelopes. An unplanned extra was when a bees nest was disturbed and three children and the guide were stung! At the end of the morning they all enjoyed juice and bananas.
The teachers were delighted when Evelyn gave them each a wind up torch. ‘A gift from God’ said Teacher Doris. The torches were provided by First Bus Group in Edinburgh.
In March Yvonne and John our Trustees from Manchester spent two weeks in Mombasa.
Food
The cooks have changed but the food remains the same. The cooks change each year to give different women in the village a chance of work. They always work hard and produce food for 300 children each day. They then wash up and leave the beans to soak for the next days meals. We found the two women washing up the porridge cups in the shade at the side of the cook house. Inside the cookhouse two enormous pots of maize & beans were boiling away on the charcoal burners. This was the lunch for the older classes.
A local Middleton School wanted the children at Mikoroshoni to have a treat. Joshua said juice & biscuits would be a real treat so this was arranged a few day before the Easter holidays. Thanks to extra donations from some of our supporters we were able to once again provide every child with a bag of maize flour to take home for the holidays. This is really appreciated by the families as school is closed for three weeks.
Health & Hygiene
The importance of hand washing was stressed last year after a visit from Government health officials. The main problem is to be keep up with the amount of soap being used. The answer seems to be to buy a large 5 litre container of green liquid soap at a cost of 300 Kenya Shillings (£2.30). This will last for about a month. The soap is poured into small empty plastic water bottles and a hole is made in the lid. Now it’s just a case of encouraging the children to ‘wash their hands’.
Polio is now almost eradicated throughout the world with just a few countries where it is still endemic. Kenya has been free from Polio but recently there have been 14 cases in Refugee Camps near the border with Somalia. The Kenyan Government is vaccinating all under 5’s throughout the country and this was taking place at Mikoroshoni while we were there.
Repairs
We thought that the pump for the well needed repairing but fortunately only a minor alteration was needed to the timer that regulates the filling up of the tank.
In the near future we will need to begin repairs:-.
The fencing put up in 2005 is now full of very large holes, the louvre window frames also installed in 2005 are in desperate need of repair. Some of the glass needed to be removed for safety reasons. The woodwork all needs varnishing.
This repair work will have to be done in stages as funds allow. The fence is about to be replaced as a matter of urgency for security reasons.
New KG1
Twenty seven children joined our Kinder garden 1 class in January. They were chosen in September by the committee and come from some of the poorest families in Shanzu village.
Thanks to a very generous donation from one of our supporters every one of these children has been provided with a school uniform, shoes & socks and a PE kit.
Teachers Training
When the Easter holidays began the teachers had two training days. This was to improve their Maths teaching skills and was organised by the Government.
Chess
In April some of our chess club members went to a tournament in Mombassa. To our great delight three of the team came back with trophies & medals. Emmanuel Juma won all six of his games. Andrew, the chess coach took Emmanuel to an International tournament in Nairobi to gain experience. The competitors were from all over East Africa and Emmanuel won 2 out of his 8 games. Quite an achievement for all our competitors who, two years ago, had never heard of the game called chess.
Visitors
Because of the recent problems in Kenya the Foreign Office has issued advice about avoiding certain areas of Mombasa. Unfortunately some of our supporters have had to cancel or amend their travel arrangements. Others who have booked for later in the year are hoping the advice will change. So many people in Kenya depend on tourism for their living – tour reps, hotel workers, taxi drivers & the beach boys who have no customers for their wooden carvings. No tourists mean no money, and for Mikoroshoni no visitors and fewer new sponsors.
ALL THE TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO SAY A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORT MIKOROSHONI
MAY 2011
Yvonne & John in Kenya May 2011
Jambo to all our supporters,
We arrived in Mombasa in the pouring rain. It continued to rain for the whole of that day! But it is the rainy season and the rain is much needed. We had many more downpours during our visit but once the rain stops, the sun shines and everywhere dries up in minutes.
Visitors
We travelled on the plane with seven students and two tutors from Yeovil College. They had already made contact with us through our website, as they were visiting Kenya as part of their Travel & Tourism Course and were hoping to experience working in a Kenyan school. They spent a day at Mikoroshoni working on three different activities - origami, painting and playing ball games. I know the students had a wonderful day and the children from Mikoroshoni certainly enjoyed all the activities.
That same day Whitesands Hotel sent six of their staff to watch the activities – Whitesands had provided T-shirts so that our children did not get any paint on their school uniforms.
Three Swedish girls also came to school that day. Their college in Sweden is linked to Whitesands Hotel and they had been staying there for several weeks, working alongside some of the staff.
Plus two ladies from the same hotel as the students came along. One of them gave us a very generous donation which we used to buy extra text books, exercise books and nursery chairs.
Quite a hectic day at Mikoroshoni! But a very enjoyable one!
Repairs
Our next task was to look at the Public Health Inspector’s Report. With Joshua, our Headteacher and Victor, our school manager we discussed what we thought were the most urgent needs. These seem to be:-
4 more toilets to be opened up on the playground area
a well & pump of our own
a soakaway pit to dispose of dirty water (from the cooking)
a small kitchen to be built on the playground area (away from classrooms)
rebuild the classroom on the playground area
The trustees now need to disuss these needs and of course decide how to fund these improvements.
Food
The more we hear about our children at Mikoroshoni the more we realise how important the porridge breakfast is for our youngest children and the maize & beans lunch is for our five older classes. Joshua told us how so many families struggle to buy food. Like everywhere else the cost of food in Kenya is constantly rising. A sack of beans has gone up 20% since last year!
Our monthly food bill can also vary depending on the exchange rate but is approximately £500 each month. This is what we buy every month:-
maize & beans, sugar, margarine, porridge flour, cooking oil, water and charcoal. We also pay the wages of the two cooks.
All the children enjoy their meal and absolutely nothing is left over at the end.
Activities
Our older girls have been very successful at volleyball. Three of them were winners at Divisional Level and went on to play at District Level. Maureen was then put forward to Provincial Level. A great achievement!
Ten of our pupils from Standards 1, 2 & 3 have just begun to attend Saturday morning chess lessons. They go to Nyali Primary School from 8am to 9am. Nyali Primary is a private school so the children there are from much more priviledged backgrounds than our own pupils. But we were made very welcome and the first lesson was a great success – just learning how to move the pawns. One of our boys took to it immediately. Most of the children & Joshua had no idea what chess was but we hope they will soon learn & enjoy. They have some chess sets to take back to school so that they can practise the moves they learn each Saturday.
Staff
The staff continue to work hard. We have employed an extra teacher who takes over from Joshua so that he is free to do the many other tasks involved with being a Headteacher. One of these is helping parents get their Birth Certificates. This is a new requirement in Kenya & many parents do not know when they were born and cannot read the relevant forms that need to be filled in. Joshua is always there to help with problems.
Kulthum, a teacher who has been with us for many years has returned from maternity leave. After much tragedy in her life she now has a beautiful baby girl.
Oscar, our Deputy Headteacher was ill for most of the time we were there. He had Typhoid. He has now recovered and was back at school just before we left.
A VERY BIG THANK YOU ONCE MORE TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS.
IF ANYONE HAS FORGOTTEN TO RENEW THEIR SPONSORSHIP IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!
VERY BEST WISHES FROM US ALL
MARCH 2011
Evelyn and Johns visit to Kenya March 2011
We were looking forward to our prompt return to Kenya having just been in November. However we were not looking forward to the baggage check performance having had the most stressful time, as we told you in the last newsletter.
Well, how different this experience was. Very friendly chap who didn’t bat an eye at any of the cases and didn’t even check the extra charity bag authorisation letters.
What a pleasant start to the holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed our visits to school and were happy
with everything that we saw. I spent some time in the Kindergarten classes observing the teaching methods
I am not a teacher but what I see on every visit impresses me. The teachers are very thorough and make the class a wonderful experience for these young children. The enthusiasm when teacher asks a question is unbelievable. Arms are raised with such gusto I am surprised there are no dislocated joints! “Teacher ,teacher, teacher!” They all cry to get noticed. The smiles cover the whole of their faces when they are selected to step to the front of the class and write on the black board.
Teacher is very considerate to ensure all levels of pupils are selected and if the 9 is written as a 6 or the 3 is reversed she takes time to quietly work through the error ensuring that the child understands the correct answer. She then asks the class to confirm if the answer is correct and the place explodes with applause or they burst into a celebratory song. The children return to their seats full of pride and confidence.
The confidence certainly stays with them as can be seen when you visit KG2. These pupils have been attending school for 1 year now and it is hard to believe they were the timid little souls I photographed in Jan 2010. They are keen to greet you, with a high five! They practice their English with lots of “Hello how are you?!” “Take my picture” They show no fear of the white woman now!
John spent his time surveying the building and looking for any jobs he could “do himself”
These types of jobs however are 100 times easier at home with the help of a power drill and electric screwdriver! However he does enjoy the” challenge” and enjoys his time working alongside Edward the caretaker. On this visit they repaired the letters from the school sign which had fallen from the wall. Acquiring the plastic letters was a job in itself but we fixed that out back home. We just have to do a talk at a local Rotary as payment for those!
They also repaired guttering and installed a water butt to collect rainwater which will be used as an extra source of water
We have been involved with the support given to one particular boy for many years now. Ali suffers from epilepsy and this has caused problems with his attendance and level of education over the years. He is 17 and still attending primary. This visit he greeted us warmly and we noticed he was wearing cut down Wellington boots which were split down the heel for extra room! We decided we would help and buy him some shoes. He told us he was a size 10 so off we went to buy black school shoes. We got a great deal, brand new imported from USA priced at 49 dollars sold to us for £10! We took them to a very happy Ali who couldn’t wait to try them on. They seemed very large but Ali was adamant they were the right fit, there was no way on earth he was giving them back despite the fact we told him we could exchange them for another size!
He looked like the proudest boy ever. He came to us later with a scrap of paper on which he had written “Thank you. God bless you”
To all you supporters that is the message we want to send to you.
Footnote:
‘The Friends of Mikoroshoni Primary School’ need many more supporters if the school is to continue to develop. If you would like to make a donation or join our £40 a year Gift Scheme then please contact us – the details are given below:
www.justgiving.com then entering Mikoroshoni in their search box, this will display the ‘Friends of Mikoroshoni PS’ page and double click on this to see our site.