Schools in Kenya resumed learning after being on a break during the election week in Kenya early March of this year. The students were at home longer than had been expected because the results of the elections were petitioned by one party and had to be solved by the high court. This made the parents fear that there could be a crisis with the outcome of the high court. Things however, went on smoothly and the school children resumed learning for three weeks before taking their Easter break until April 7.
The teachers reported that they and the children needed a lot of effort to meet the preparation for the terminal examinations and that generally the break for elections affected their learning. It was not very clear as to how to grade the examination results because the students had lost some valuable time during the break.
Easter celebrations found the children in School for the first time since we opened our doors in 2009 and when I knew this was coming I asked Sister Pauline (Head teacher) to give the students an extra celebration of it. Their usual menu changed on that day which they enjoyed. Before leaving for their holidays the long rains had started in Kenya and the report indicates that these have become unusual rains in that they have continued for longer than usual throughout the country. Further to this they have caused many deaths, destroyed infrastructures in many parts of the country and have made it impossible for cultivation of crops that usually takes place mostly during this season.
The students started reporting back for the second trimester on May 6, and I have been informed that parents made a lot of effort to get the children back to school safely and by the 4th day of the week about 93% of our children were in school and classes were going on. For our situation in Kenya this is bad.
Generally there are reports that there are schools where learning has been paralyzed by floods in the country because they come at a time when the on-going rains have continued to wreak havoc across the country. On the effects of the floods there is information on damages of classrooms, sunken latrines, and inaccessibility of roads leading to the learning institutions.
With the usual academic program for extra activities students in Kenya schools this trimester are involved in music, poems, football (soccer), handball and volley ball. All schools are expected to train and compete at Zonal level then at Divisional, District and the best teams may go to National Level in these activities. Schools are not expected to make all the competitions by themselves; the best players of each school may form a team with other schools to represent their area. The competitions this year begin on Wednesday May 22, 2013 at local level for four days. And I was informed that seventy of our students will participate at the beginning.
Lent through Easter have been busy for me and post Easter we get many Diocesan activities in preparation for the end of the year in June. This allows many things to be done not only for closing the year but giving opportunities to staff and priests who may be taking summer holidays. Since Easter we have had our priests’ convocation, Ministerium, I have also been following a study course for 12 weeks and will be in annual retreat for almost a week in the first week of June. I have, however, been in touch with the state of affairs in the school as usual even though there are reports that have not come through the blog yet.
On development, there has been an addition outside the teachers’ house that the sisters will use as laundry and firewood kitchen. There was also little change inside the two houses to allow for a door so that three sisters could use two units. Administration block cum Library are under construction but by the end of March the work stopped after casting the ring-beam lintel because of the long rains as I was informed and will resume as soon as I have communication with the building contractor and my personal foreman regarding the following phase installment.
Fr. Symon Ntaiyia