Educating the Poor
There is a lot of talk on the importance of education for all. The Kenyan government took up an ambitious task of educating its populace in the year 2003. President Kibaki had been voted overwhelmingly even because he had promised free primary and secondary education for all. The announcement that education would be free was received with mixed reactions. Some people felt that it was a project bound to flop. Others applauded the move and even went ahead to pledge support. Years after that enthusiastic reception, we have many children out of school. Reason. Simple. You can not provide education without first of all providing the other basic needs.
Mwandiki is an orphan. He is the typical case of the poor of this country. He has no one and nobody at all. He has been in the streets of Meru town for several years. When he showed up in a children's home, he was accepted on condition that he would follow the rules and regulations of the centre. Having lived free and loose with the sky as his roof, he had not known obedience, cleanliness, order, leave alone good manners. After a few months, he sadly left the centre. He was not "fit" for a children's home.
When I met him the other day, he was begging for a few coins to be able to buy tea. Obviously for those who are Kenyans, Mwandiki would buy glue. Yes, glue is better than tea and Maandazi. Tea and Maandazi [snacks] are a luxury. I tried to pursuade him to go back to the centre but after hours of arguing, he dismissed me as a mean person. May be he was right. I was eager to have him reformed rather than fed.
Back to my point, educating the poor is an hercules task. You cannot do that kind of service if you are not ready to face all kinds of troubles related to behaviour, health, discipline and the like. Yet, there is more. A group of families whose children study at Cottolengo Boarding on a sponsorship basis fail to send their children to school at least two weeks in a term. Visiting their homes, you can see why.
A report by Global Campaign for Education puts the Netherlands on top of the class of countries that support the education for the poor in the world. The report, released on Tuesday by the international coalition of development agencies, teachers' unions and community groups, looked at 22 rich countries and how much of their aid budgets go toward boosting education in developing countries.
The report helps us to see how the countries are helping the world's children gain a basic education by the year 2015, under an "Education for All" initiative. In Kenya we have many children who do not attend school or do not attend regularly. There are more than 100 million children around the world not now attending school and another 150 million will not complete their basic education this year, the Global Campaign for Education estimated.
I have always wondered why so few people are convinced of what they say. In Dakar the year 2000, many countries promised to set part of their bugdet for the education of the poor. What is evidently true is that only very few have done this. Global economic crisis?
Well, some people have continued supporting the poor through "Distant adoption method". I have seen hundreds of children go through their education smoothly through this kind of support. Perhaps, rather than wait for agencies and governments to come up with funds, we may support a child with as little as 50 Euros a term. That will pay almost the whole cost. How many of us are convinced of the "Education for All" initiative? If there is anyone at all, let us take up this task seriously. There results are satisfying.
Mwandiki is an orphan. He is the typical case of the poor of this country. He has no one and nobody at all. He has been in the streets of Meru town for several years. When he showed up in a children's home, he was accepted on condition that he would follow the rules and regulations of the centre. Having lived free and loose with the sky as his roof, he had not known obedience, cleanliness, order, leave alone good manners. After a few months, he sadly left the centre. He was not "fit" for a children's home.
When I met him the other day, he was begging for a few coins to be able to buy tea. Obviously for those who are Kenyans, Mwandiki would buy glue. Yes, glue is better than tea and Maandazi. Tea and Maandazi [snacks] are a luxury. I tried to pursuade him to go back to the centre but after hours of arguing, he dismissed me as a mean person. May be he was right. I was eager to have him reformed rather than fed.
Back to my point, educating the poor is an hercules task. You cannot do that kind of service if you are not ready to face all kinds of troubles related to behaviour, health, discipline and the like. Yet, there is more. A group of families whose children study at Cottolengo Boarding on a sponsorship basis fail to send their children to school at least two weeks in a term. Visiting their homes, you can see why.
A report by Global Campaign for Education puts the Netherlands on top of the class of countries that support the education for the poor in the world. The report, released on Tuesday by the international coalition of development agencies, teachers' unions and community groups, looked at 22 rich countries and how much of their aid budgets go toward boosting education in developing countries.
The report helps us to see how the countries are helping the world's children gain a basic education by the year 2015, under an "Education for All" initiative. In Kenya we have many children who do not attend school or do not attend regularly. There are more than 100 million children around the world not now attending school and another 150 million will not complete their basic education this year, the Global Campaign for Education estimated.
I have always wondered why so few people are convinced of what they say. In Dakar the year 2000, many countries promised to set part of their bugdet for the education of the poor. What is evidently true is that only very few have done this. Global economic crisis?
Well, some people have continued supporting the poor through "Distant adoption method". I have seen hundreds of children go through their education smoothly through this kind of support. Perhaps, rather than wait for agencies and governments to come up with funds, we may support a child with as little as 50 Euros a term. That will pay almost the whole cost. How many of us are convinced of the "Education for All" initiative? If there is anyone at all, let us take up this task seriously. There results are satisfying.
I was educated at a mission school through a sponsorship by an Italian couple. My life and that of my family has taken a completely different course. You know, all the bla bla about the Vision 2030 is a schlock. We need a few generous Kenyans to support the education of the orphans and other destitute children in this country.
ReplyDeleteFather, believe me, I agree with you.
We have a choice to make in this case. We have to choose between literacy or illeteracy. Providing education for the many orphans in this country is a move to reduce crime, insecurity, poverty, and the bad image that a country whose population is not educated bears. You are right to say that many countries give empty promises.
ReplyDeleteEducation is a necessity we cannot risk to do without
ReplyDelete