Fr. Symon's Blog

HABARI: NEWS APRIL 2012

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:11:00 GMT

HABARI NEWS APRIL 2012

HABARI : NEWS MARCH 2012

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:07:00 GMT

HABARI: NEWS MARCH 2012

HABARI: NEWS JANUARY 2012

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:04:00 GMT

HABARI: NEWS JANUARY 2012

END OF THE YEAR NEWS

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:52:00 GMT

HABARI : END OF THE YEAR NEWS

At the end of November the schools in Kenya went on holidays after three months of their final trimester in our school year. This ended our third year since the first students enrolled in Father Symon’s Jubilee School for Nomads. In our third year we had children in third through seventh grade and are looking forward to having our 8th graders which will be the top and final year in our school. We have already bought text books for our top class and a classroom is already furnished for them with the good desks and chairs that were in the container that we shipped to the school from America in January 2011. I hear the children cannot wait to use this beautiful furniture that is not found in many schools in Kenya. Gradually we are using the items that we shipped. Chairs and dining tables were put in use as soon as they arrived. The desks and other chairs will all be in use beginning in the new year (January) and other items will be used as time goes on. New third graders will also join our school for the first time in January 2012.

The application forms that were given to those who wish to bring their child to our school are being returned to school and invitation letters are being given out. Generally all reports indicated that things have been going reasonably well in the school and I am happy to say that my dream about this school five years ago has become a reality because of the generosity of many people. We have well-trained teachers and other domestic staff and following all that is required by the ministry of education in Kenya, our school is doing well and participating in all activities that give the children opportunities for their days ahead. We ended the year with 165 students and this is a good number for such a school.

Like all other years 2011 included challenges to our school. Drought and the declining value of Kenyan currency kept escalating the cost of items such that the financial plans were not expressive any more. In Kenya, the Heads of public schools that get government grants are asking for more than double the increase on the current allocations per child and still they have all their teachers and other school workers’ salaries paid by the government.

In our school we have to budget on the fees paid by the parents and have to meet all the running cost including paying the teachers and other workers. I have not increased school fees for the last three years. Each child is expected to pay about a hundred dollars for each of the three trimesters in a year but some families have not been able to pay all the money by the end of each year.

We have a few children who are orphans under the care of grandparents who may have six to ten grandchildren left by their sons and daughters who may have died of HIV. To many grandparents and single parents this is a big source of stress. Some of them may be looking for a place where the children may be for most of the year.

With drought sometimes the few animals they may have been depending on die and they turn to famine relief or handouts from any charity if they can find one that comes their way. I am mentioning some situations here and wish to be clear that some people are able while others are not and may be in the extreme situation of not being able.

It is reported that back-to-school shopping is a responsibility every parent cannot escape and can be a nightmare for some parents. It is an expensive affair, especially with the prevailing harsh economic times, yet, parents have the task to ensure that their children get the necessary items they need. Sometimes I ask my niece who helps me with banking to buy some necessary items like soap, copy books, pens and pencils to keep them with the Matron so that they may be given to the children who may come without them.

Inflation in Kenya is said to be at 18 per cent and uncertainty surrounds the local currency, which at one point sunk to its lowest ever in 2011. Consequently, the cost of living has become unbearable.

CONSTRUCTION WORK: Is still going on and we had some good jobs done in 2011. Two more dormitories have been complete, one for girls will take 80 girls and one for boys will take 60 boys. Our school now has a capacity of 268 boarding children and this is 144 girls and 124 boys.

In her last school website blog letter of Oct. 17, Barbara mentioned my friends from Austria Europe who decided to make a donation for construction of boys and girls night toilets and showers. This has been going on for the last three months -- two buildings attached to the dormitories with about nine toilets and fourteen showers each have been roofed and are being plastered. Hopefully sometime in January the children will have better facilities.

Among the Maasai people, spiritually a baby belongs to a clan, a tribe and not only to one family so they understand why all people of the world can celebrate one baby Jesus for all.

Heri ya Sikukuu: Merry Christmas Fr. Symon

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HABARI: NEWS SEPTEMBER 2011

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:31:00 GMT

HABARI: NEW SEPTEMBER 2011

HABARI: NEWS JUNE 2011

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:17:00 GMT

Jubilee school news

Habari> News May 2011

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:29:00 GMT

News from Jubilee School May 2011

HABARI: NEWS APRIL 2011

frntaiyia@yahoo.com — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:11:00 GMT

HABARI : NEWS FROM JUBILEE SCHOOL KENYA- MARCH 2011

Since I left Kenya for the US on 7th March 2011 after my five weeks’ visit to Kenya -- and mainly the School, there have been various happenings in the school; notable is the recent participation of the school in the regional sports competition which was held at another School in the central division of Narok County on 25th March 2011. Our boys participated in 400 meter by 400 meter relay while the girls took part in a walk. This was a perfect opportunity for the pupils to better their skills and talents in extra curricular activities. It was also a chance to mingle and exchange topics with students from other schools. Two teachers accompanied the children to the ballgames where students represented their school in the sub zone level.
Our school has also sent one of the teachers, Elizabeth Mwizi, to a school’s music training workshop to train in sets of music in preparation for the music festivals which will be held next term. It is hoped that with the skills she acquired Elizabeth will be able to teach and train the students so that they can participate in next term’s event. This event is held annually and schools all over the country show their prowess in various items they present such as choral verses, traditional dances, skits and short plays among others. It is also presented in different languages; kids get a chance to know other tribal cultures and interact with their peers. This has become an annual event in Kenya and draws a lot of euphoria when the season starts because almost all primary and secondary schools and training colleges in the country participate. It is such a huge event in Kenya and Schools that win get an opportunity to perform before the Head of State. This will be a noble effort to help the kids gain self confidence and to improve their self esteem.
Generally the students have been doing well in their academic and other school activities. We always have challenges during this first term of the year when we get children in class 3 who are transferring from different schools to our school. Most of them come with very poor academic backgrounds for their age and teachers have to keep trying so that all the children may come to one level. Another challenge is that because of the change to a new environment most new children take a while to become acclimated. Children keep getting sick with common colds, malaria and this keeps us visiting the local hospitals and clinics.
This report is coming at the end of the term (semester) when the children take their internal examinations to measure the work of the term before they break for four weeks. Children will be home from 7th April 2011 for four weeks. It is always exciting the night before the children leave for holidays. They sing almost half the night and I believe a warm welcome awaits them at home as they reunite with members of their families and relatives. No bell for a while.
I left Kenya after laying foundation of two dormitories and I have been communicating with the workers who are doing well; four layers of bricks have been rounded up in both dormitories. As I instructed, the carpenter has been fitting the new kitchen with necessary shelves / lockers and this makes it easier for the cook to go about his duties. The school now has six trained teachers, a matron, a cook, a maintenance person and a night watchman besides the construction workers who are not permanently employed. The school has an advisory committee in which I am represented by my niece Grace and has the Head teacher as secretary.

He who is unable to dance says that the yard is stony. Maasai proverb Fr. Symon Ntaiyia

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