Project Beneficiary
Nkaimurunya School Karen and specifically targeted at benefitting the children who have already entered and those who are soon approaching adolescence.
Project Start
May 2016
Objective
To undertake a 2-3 year literacy support program at Nkaimurunya school by providing ‘dignity’ packs and reproductive health counselling for both girls and boys in the upper primary segment.
Scope
The project has four key following components:
- Dignity Packs for 400 students ie 240 girls and 160 boys. Each dignity pack will contain 2underwear, 1 piece of soap, 5 litre bucket and sanitary pads (for the girls).
- Reproductive health education, counselling and training of trainers – that will provide the upper primary children and three champion teachers with information, tools and support with regard to:
- Menstrual health management specifically for the girls.
- Responsible reproductive health for both boys and girls.
- Monitoring – monthly collection of data to ascertain usage of the donated items, class attendance and any other performance indicators / feedback that can help RCK measure the benefits of the program.
- Communications – With the support of the communications committee, this project will be communicated internally and externally.
Background
The children who attend Nkaimurunya School hail from the neighbouring Mashimoni and Kericho slums in Rongai. The school itself is fairly young, having started in 1998, as a public school. It currently has 1250 students and 26 teachers, with each year averaging 150 boys and girls. Gataka sub-location, where the school is located, has seen its population grow considerably as a result of quarrying activities and springing of new institutions such as the Cooperative College. However, despite these potential sources of employment and income, the social dynamics of the slums render the children disadvantaged: poverty, parental disinterest in children’s well-being and children’s early (and damaging) exposure to alcoholism, sexual activity and other related social ills.
The school’s challenge is the ability to cater for the growing population of children, even with the government sponsored FPE (free primary education). Meals, uniforms, text books, menstrual support for the older girls are some of the areas of sponsorship the school is seeking, as outlined by the headmistress to the Rotary team that visited.
The school is supported by the commendable leadership of Teacher Terry, who has been its headmistress since 2002. She has successfully partnered in two other Rotary projects namely the borehole and the plastering of 4 classrooms. These two past projects are still benefitting the school. In the current project, she will be supported by three teachers within her staff compliment, who have in the past, volunteered and championed through mentoring and supporting both girls and boys through their MHM and sexual health matters. To RCK, the willingness of the school administration to support the children (independent of this project), is an illustration of the beneficiary’s commitment to the children’s welfare.