Chef Jamie Oliver’s ‘School Dinners Campaign’ in the UK has been instrumental in changing attitudes and behavior, as well as the quality and nutritional value of the meals. We are a long way from this in Kenya, just ensuring that there is food in schools is still the baseline. Kenya need’s its own Jamie Oliver! …
The lack of school furniture, specifically cupboards in which to safely keep our lovely books, has been a problem. We have gradually been rebuilding our collection of books, with thoughtful choices and generous donations from our friends. In our dusty environment it is important to keep the books in closed cupboards, it takes a lot …
There is no mains water in Olng’arua or any of the surounding villages, and no piped water in any of the homesteads. The water comes from the river, if there isn’t any water in the river, there isn’t any water. During the dry season the river gradually retreats back towards its source in the Ngare …
Since the attack on the school I have often been asked about the violence here. What the is violence about? Why are they attacking things like schools? Isn’t raiding just about cows? I came across a statistic that helps answers some of these questions. The livestock industry in Kenya (largely unregulated and under reported) is …
Thank you to everyone who has been helping us to rebuild our library by sending us books. If you want to help, if you have a book at home that your kids loved but have grown out of, you can pop it in an envelope and send it to us, where it will get loved …
In our current circumstances, it is the older kids that it is most difficult for us to support properly. Yet in many ways this is the very group that needs the most help. Younger kids need comfort and food, if they get that they are generally happy. These older children, 12 to 16, have more …
From the very first day, the school had life because of the women who were part of it. The mothers who came to help, who were interested in the idea and who cared what happened in their community. Almost all of our teachers have been women. The cooks, all women. In a traditional pastoralist society, …
Anybody interested in education, should look through some of the graphs in this very accessible report on the state of Kenyan education. As a follow on to the the vital call to action on education across Africa, by Nana Akufo-Addo and Jakaya Kikwete (see my last post), this report clearly shows what a country like …
‘Today, 40% of all Africans are under 15. Another 100 million children will be born here by 2050. With (good) education, young Africans can fuel a colossal powerhouse.’ These are startling statistics, even to me, living in the midst of it. An important part of the power that could be realized are the skills, drive …
2023 has been an extremely challenging year for all the students of Olng’arua School, but those who were studying for their final exams have suffered the most. Eight of them were due to take their KCPE exams in November, and six of them did. We are extremely proud of them for sticking with it, through …