This one's a little more real about life in Kenya compared to my previous posts all about my fun adventures, but I think it's important to talk about the other side too. And while I don't think anyone can really understand without experiencing it themselves, here's my attempt at describing some of the hardships and frustrations I see while living here in Kenya. Sorry for the novel:
It's so frustrating to be here in this beautiful country that has been overtaken by corruption- so much so that people don't trust their police, government officials, etc. People who get arrested are let go because they bribe the police, security guards protecting neighborhoods assist thugs because the pay they get is so little, people steal because that's their only way to put food on the table, and government officials are much more concerned with their relationship with the British that they don't even consider the well-being of their own people.
In orientation, we're taught not to trust anyone. Don't trust your security guard, don't trust friendly people you meet on the street, and don't even trust your host family too much. I struggled with this for a long time because in the U.S., I'm so trusting of everyone- if someone seems nice, I trust that it's because they are genuinely nice, not because they have ulterior motives… For a long time I sort of feared Kenyans. I thought all of them were bad who wanted to steal my valuables and take my money. They tell us these things and try to scare us somewhat so that we take precautions and are aware of what can happen. And I do think that is so important because we all would have gotten ourselves into so much trouble if we weren't always a little bit on edge and constantly aware. However, now being here for 7 weeks, I've finally realized how wonderful SO MANY Kenyans are and how frustrated they are with the corruption of their system too. I have the best host family I could have ever asked for (seriously, they're great), and I would trust them with my life. It's taken me some time to realize this, but just like everywhere else, there are people with good and bad intentions, however here, so many good people have been corrupted by the system, and it makes me so sad.
The disparities are huge and as Kenya continues to "develop," the areas being developed are those in the major cities (i.e.: building taller skyscrapers), but completely leaving behind those in the slums and rural areas who may not even have access to clean water. How can you say a country is developing when so many people are living in shacks that most Americans wouldn't even think about storing their tools in…
As we drove around areas of Nairobi where UN leaders live and shop, it looks like you're driving through Beverly Hills. The malls are pretty immaculate and you can tell it's a very Westernized area for the "mzungus" (white people). However, only minutes earlier, you passed the slums with families only hoping to make enough money to put food on the table that week. What kind of world do we live that makes this seem okay? Why is "development" in countries like Kenya seen as making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer?
It pains my heart to see people living in such areas where garbage fills the streets, dirty, sewage-filled water flows next to their homes, and crime/danger levels are so high.
Last week I was given the opportunity to explore some of the education systems in place here in Kenya by visiting various schools. The education system here is so full of corruption. I thought the U.S. was too test-oriented, and then I came here and realized we have nothing compared to what these kids go through. Starting in primary school, these kids are trained to test. They must take an exam to get into secondary (high school) and another to get into university. Instead of being taught how to think, they're solely taught how to pass these tests so they can move on to the next level. Of course disparities occur between those students living in poverty or in the rural areas and those going to private schools too. Children living in poverty or in the rural areas sometimes have to drop out because the family needs them to work or because the family simply cannot afford to send them to school. Primary education in Kenya is "free," but families still must pay for uniforms, books, materials, etc. If one of their children must be taken out of school, often times it's the girl. They keep the boy in school to give him the opportunity to succeed, however, the girl child drops out to be married off or work as a house girl. These are kids younger than 13 who don't even have the access to education!
To train for the exam needed to go on to secondary, these children start taking practice exams from the start of primary school. The children are ranked within the classroom, and often times a list hangs on the wall showing who got the highest score and who got the lowest on the last exam. As a future educator, this pains me so much to see. No student should feel inadequate or stupid because they are at the bottom of the list. When they're constantly being shown that they aren't as good as their peers, how will that motivate them to succeed? It just discourages them even more. Children should be taught to work together towards a common goal, not compete against each other (ESPECIALLY 1ST AND 2ND GRADERS!)- what sort of message does that send to children about their country as whole?
The secondary schools don't have enough room for all students (or even all students who pass the exam) to move on. Because the system is corrupt, some children in higher socioeconomic backgrounds are able to pay their way to the next level, even if other students received higher marks. It's such a different world because I cannot even begin to imagine children in the U.S. not having the opportunity to go to 9th grade! As Kenya continues to develop, I hope and pray that it's system as whole is corrected in terms of corruption, but especially in its education system. People often forget that investing in youth is so important because THEY are the future of the nation. They are the ones who will be future political leaders, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and without them, the country has no chance at being successful. This isn't just in Kenya but in all parts of the world. The schools here in Kenya are so unbelievably unequal, that something needs to change: teachers need to be trained, more schools need to be built, "free" education needs to actually mean free, corruption needs to disappear, and resources need to be adequately distributed.
The first school we saw was in Kibera, called Kibera Girls Soccer Academy. A little bit about Kibera is that it is the largest slum in Africa, located here in Nairobi, where it covers less than 1% of the total area of the city but hosts more than 25% of Nairobi's population. The school started off in 2002 as a club for girls living in the slums to play soccer, and in 2006, it became a secondary school. There are about 130 girls who attend this school that's funded by donors. All the girls admitted to this school are in high-need and this is their last chance at secondary education. The school has to admit students on a first come, first serve basis because all the girls wanting admittance are in such high need. Many of the girls are orphaned, and while they may be living with an aunt and uncle or some other family member, they are often times, overworked and abused in that household. All the girls live in extreme poverty, many sexually or physically abused, and because their test scores after primary school were not very good, this school is their last hope before they turn to a life as a house girl (maid), work in the slums, are married off, or turn to prostitution.
 |
| Kibera |
 |
| Kibera |
The teachers and administrators in this school are untrained, so the education these girls are receiving is subpar because the teachers can only teach what they remember from secondary school. The school is fortunate that they are able to provide lunch for the students through their donations. Yet still, when these girls go home, that may have been their only meal for the day. Since the school is not government funded, Kibera Girls Soccer Academy can only afford sanitary pads when the donations are high. This leads many students to miss school for the whole week they have their period or they simply must soil themselves while they sit in class. The girls stay at school as long as possible, dreading going back to their home lives. They aren't able to get any homework done because the "family" they stay with guilts them by making them work for their ability to stay there… These are 14 and 15 year old girls waking up at the crack of dawn to clean and cook before school, and after school, they're back to work again until late into the night. Kibera Girls Soccer Academy also does not have high scores in the tests they must take to go on to university. Very few go on to university, so when the girls finish secondary, many may still live life in the slums without many opportunities to get out…
 |
| Kibera Girls Soccer Academy |
The second school we visited was a private, primary school called St. Christopher's Preparatory School, located in Karen (the wealthy area of Nairobi). Wow! Pulling up to this school after just being at Kibera Girls was a stark black and white. It was immaculate. It looked like a fancy resort with pools, basketball/tennis courts, and playgrounds, on a very new/modern-looking facility. I had never seen anything like it. This school had about 400 students, with trained faculty, a special education section, extra-curricular activities, and a provided lunch program. St. Christopher's follows the British education system rather than the Kenyan system, so it is not exam-oriented. The principal was very passionate about what he does and believes each individual child has their own strengths and weaknesses. He works to try and find those talents and interests to further their growth in whatever area that may be. Because this school is private, students must pay tuition, and since the school does not follow the Kenyan system, many students in the primary school will go on to St. Christopher's Secondary and then to other countries around the world for university. I loved this principal's attitudes and beliefs towards education, and if more people were like him, the education here in Kenya (and in other parts of the world) would be much better off. You don't need fancy facilities to teach children to be strong individuals, able to think critically about the world around them, they just need to be cultivated in a system that's not exam-oriented and with passionate leaders taking charge of the schools.
The final school we saw was a village school in Ngong, about an hour outside of Nairobi. It was actually the school one of our program directors went to as a child, so it was fun to go there and have him show us around. This primary school also had about 400 students but was MUCH smaller than St. Christopher's. Because this school is government funded, they are able to provide sanitary pads to girls to keep them from missing school. In this area, it is also more common for boys to be taken out of school than girls because many families around the area need help on the farms.
For some reason or another, the government does not fund a school lunch program for the students at this school because of their location. So during the rainy season when crop production is high, the kids come to school and receive a meal, however, during the dry season and when funds are limited, the school cannot offer students any sort of food. During the dry season, those children probably go home to no food on the table either, so the time when the kids need the food the most, they don't have any. This keeps attendance rates much lower too. Some of these children also walk over 10 km (about 6 miles) EACH WAY to school every day. They leave at very early hours in the morning and don't get home until very late just because of the distance they have to walk to get to school. Can you imagine walking that far and having NO food for the whole entire day?
For the 400 students, I think the principal said they had 11 teachers… The classroom sizes range from about 45-60 students per one teacher. I cannot even begin to imagine trying to manage, let alone teach, 50 first graders all on my own, and this is common for many schools in Kenya. In addition, during the last elections, there was an initiative to provide laptops to every school (one for each student). This village school is starting to prepare for this by setting up desks, outlets, etc. in a special computer room. But first of all, the question still remains as to whether or not this initiative is ACTUALLY going to be implemented, and second of all, does this school NEED laptops right now or would those funds be better allocated for a lunch program or for more teachers?
Every day I see something I'm bothered by in Kenya's way of running things, and it's so hard to try to come up with ways to fix it. There are so many things I want to do to help, but the change needs to come from within their country. There are also things about America that make me angry sometimes, but this experience has made me realize how fortunate I am to have been able to grow up where I did and where I can trust that consequences will face those who break the law, I can (somewhat) walk around at night and not fear my safety, and everyone has the opportunity for education. I still love Kenya with all my heart and this experience has been life-changing, so don't think this post is about how I hate my time here. Not at all. I still love it so much that I may never come home. ;) I just wanted to give a little insight into other parts of my experience that aren't so glamorized (i.e.: the beaches, the giraffe kissing, the mountain climbing), and I hope I did so with this post. I cannot wait to share more stories, experiences, and pictures when I come home. See you in 50 days! :)
God Bless,
Jen
