On 12th December 1964, Kenya was granted independence from Great Britain, and the following year became a Republic.
50 years on, the verdict seems to be out on how well the country is doing. In some ways it is developing well, with child mortality falling, increased numbers enrolling in schools and increased access to clean water for rural communities giving some indications of the progress that is being made.
It also has a very impressive aim that comes under the title 'Vision 2030' which aspires to raise education standards in Kenya to such a level by 2030 that the country will be in a position to move from being a low-income country to a middle-income country.
All very good, and I wish the country and its people the very best in it, but it does seem strange that amidst the focus on increasing educational attainment, schools such as Spurgeons Academy in Kibera slum are having to look outside their country to get the money to rebuild the school and ensure that it can continue to provide the top quality education that is currently available to the students.
Spurgeons Academy reaches out into the largest slum in east Africa, and offers a high-quality education to some of the poorest and most vulnerable children. About 80% of the students are partial or total orphans, and of those who have both parents, many work away from home if they work at all.
These children can't afford to buy school uniform, or books, or writing implements, or pay for the exam fees - all of which are necessary payments for the 'free' primary education that Kenya offers. Thanks to Spurgeons Academy, which subsidises these costs through child sponsorship and other funding streams, the children can still go to school, and as a result have a chance of learning their way out of poverty.
If the school wasn't there, what other chance would they have to get an education? And without an education what is the chance of getting a decent, paid job? Thus the continuing of the school is so needed, and yet finding the funds to keep it going is an ongoing battle.
Maybe it's because it is early days in the Vision 2030 process that funding for achieving this high level of education isn't more available, but I hope before long that things change for the better on that front. With approximately 42% of the population age 15 or under, there are a lot of children wanting to go to school. To allow them all a place will require that every school functions to its greatest capacity - Spurgeons want to do that, but some funds to help them wouldn't go amiss!
So, happy 50th birthday Kenya! May the next 50 years be good ones to you, and may you in turn be good to all those in your care - especially the young and old who are less able to take care of themselves.
50 years on, the verdict seems to be out on how well the country is doing. In some ways it is developing well, with child mortality falling, increased numbers enrolling in schools and increased access to clean water for rural communities giving some indications of the progress that is being made.
It also has a very impressive aim that comes under the title 'Vision 2030' which aspires to raise education standards in Kenya to such a level by 2030 that the country will be in a position to move from being a low-income country to a middle-income country.
All very good, and I wish the country and its people the very best in it, but it does seem strange that amidst the focus on increasing educational attainment, schools such as Spurgeons Academy in Kibera slum are having to look outside their country to get the money to rebuild the school and ensure that it can continue to provide the top quality education that is currently available to the students.
Spurgeons Academy reaches out into the largest slum in east Africa, and offers a high-quality education to some of the poorest and most vulnerable children. About 80% of the students are partial or total orphans, and of those who have both parents, many work away from home if they work at all.
These children can't afford to buy school uniform, or books, or writing implements, or pay for the exam fees - all of which are necessary payments for the 'free' primary education that Kenya offers. Thanks to Spurgeons Academy, which subsidises these costs through child sponsorship and other funding streams, the children can still go to school, and as a result have a chance of learning their way out of poverty.
If the school wasn't there, what other chance would they have to get an education? And without an education what is the chance of getting a decent, paid job? Thus the continuing of the school is so needed, and yet finding the funds to keep it going is an ongoing battle.
Maybe it's because it is early days in the Vision 2030 process that funding for achieving this high level of education isn't more available, but I hope before long that things change for the better on that front. With approximately 42% of the population age 15 or under, there are a lot of children wanting to go to school. To allow them all a place will require that every school functions to its greatest capacity - Spurgeons want to do that, but some funds to help them wouldn't go amiss!
So, happy 50th birthday Kenya! May the next 50 years be good ones to you, and may you in turn be good to all those in your care - especially the young and old who are less able to take care of themselves.
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