If
you have checked out the website for The Kilgoris Project, or even if you have
just seen our cool new t-shirts, you have seen our tag line of "Education.
Health. Opportunity." The education piece seems fairly straight forward,
given that TKP operates 6 preschool and primary schools. But getting on the
ground in Kilgoris gave me such a deeper appreciation of why TKP's work is
truly revolutionizing the delivery of education in this community. I can go on
and on and on . . . come on, that's no surprise, right? But for now I'm going
to focus on three ways education is SO different in Kilgoris vs. your own
community. Just a few of the things that
blew my mind . . .
<check
out my friend in one of TKP's awesome new tees! Contact me to order one.>
Here: When most American preschoolers and
elementary students need to get to school each morning, they have choices. They
might take a bus, typically provided for free by public school districts. They
might hop in a car, whether driven by a parent, carpooling neighbor or nanny. A
few may walk or bike to school (or even take a subway in big cities), if they
live very close to the school and a parent or older sibling is available to
walk with the child.
So
what if the child is too young to make it that far? Then they sit out of school
for that year and every year until they ~can~ make the walk. That means some
kids are starting preschool (which is mandatory to keep up in primary school)
at age 5 or 6 or later, instead of the recommended age 3. Starting school late
greatly increases the chances that a student will drop out, which is just as
devastating to prospects in Kenya as in the US.
TKP
difference: TKP typically builds schools in communities that are unfairly
written off or ignored by the government schools. Maybe the community density
doesn't warrant building the typical over-crowded gov't school (more on that
below). Maybe the community has struggles with tribal or community conflicts.
Maybe the area is just off the gov't radar. But every child deserves the
opportunity to get educated and succeed. By building schools in these
unserved/underserved areas, we reduce the distance these kids have to travel to
school. That means they are physically
capable of getting to school so they can start at age 3, putting them on track
to finish primary school and hopefully high school on time. It certainly
reduces the societal pressure to drop out at least.
Here:
American parents bemoan increasing size sizes, as early elementary grades swell
to 25 or 30 kids to one teacher. Most preschools run more like 10-15 kids per
teacher. Heavens knows I wouldn't deal with that many kids for what we pay
teachers!
There:
government run schools are over-crowded. So over crowded as to redefine that
term. Think I'm exaggerating? Picture one small preschool classroom. Pictures
one teacher. Now picture 78 3-4 year olds. SEVENTY EIGHT. Some desks sitting up to four little bottoms.
When we asked this teacher how she copes, all she could say is "you just
have to double your efforts in everything." Can you even fathom?!?! Cause y'all, I don't like sitting in a movie
theater with 78 kids, much less trying to teach that many kids their ABCs. Yet
these preschool teachers aren't just teaching the ABCs but also teaching early
math skills and most importantly a second language (Swahili, as the students
come to school speaking one of numerous tribal languages, most of which the
teacher doesn't even speak!).
TKP
difference: Against all tradition and
expectation in this community, TKP limits class size to approx 35 kids per
teacher. Even my less than exceptional math skills tell me that any teacher can
accomplish more with a class less than half the typical size. There is more
room to work, more teacher time per student, more teacher energy per lesson.
Here:
our classrooms are bright and aggressively cheerful. Our preschoolers sit at
tables, learning beside and from their classmates. Our teachers use all manner
of toys and manipulatives to teach everything from basics like ABCs to critical
thinking skills, like pattern recognition and classification.
There:
kids sit many to a single desk, a desk they are required to build or buy and
bring to the school themselves. Lessons are all rote memorization and
recitation. Walls are bare or have a few hand-drawn "posters" made
out of maize sacks. Manipulatives are unheard of and teachers are stretched too
thin to even consider teaching critical thinking. The most critical tool the
teachers have is a single chalk board and a box of chalk.
TKP
difference: classroom walls are covered in bright educational posters, bought
in the US and in bigger cities in Kenya.
Preschoolers sit around perfectly proportioned tables where they can
work together. Each room has a closet of supplies, like manipulatives and
games, that teachers can use to demonstrate new skills and students can use to
practice/master those skills. There are also three chalkboards, one right at
little kid height, available to practice those skills.
CONCLUSION
There
are amazing teachers all over the world, including in Kenya. But when schools
are far away with no transportation but bare feet; when class rooms are
bursting at the seams with little bodies; when teachers are hamstringed by
inadequate facilities and materials . . . There is only so far a great teacher
can take his or her students. TKP brings schools closer to the kids, makes
class size reasonable and stocks class rooms with great materials. Seeing these differences in person just drove
home the importance each of these factors serve in changing the face of
education in Kenya.
On
this Giving Tuesday, 2013, I would be honored if you would consider a year-end
donation to The Kilgoris Project. Donations can be made HERE.
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