There's been great excitement among the 8th grade graduates since the 29th of December when their national government exam results came out. Around 700,000 eighth graders countrywide took these exams. Only about half of them will get a place in high school this January, so there is great jubilation among those who did well. And sadly, a lot of tears for many. At home in the States, it's just assumed everybody can go to high school. Here it's a great treat and privilege, and parents struggle hard to get their kids in better grade schools to give them a better chance of making the cut. Here on our mission compound, Our Lady of Visitation Boarding Primary School is run by the diocesan fathers, i.e. the parish priests. It once again performed very well which is a great joy for the diocese, the administration, the students and staff. We gave our best performing St. Elizabeth School student a scholarship to do her upper primary at Our Lady of Visitation.
One of the reasons I built St Clare Technical School was to help some of those who cannot go on to high school. Sometimes after spending a year or two at the technical school, where they study English, and get good nutrition along with practical skills, we see that they really are able to do high school work, and then we find a way for them to attend.
This January we are giving a scholarship to one of our sewing girls who has been doing so very well, and just passed her government trade exams with us. Although she's already in her 20s, she's overjoyed to be able to follow her dream and go to high school. We are also giving a scholarship to a man in his late 20s, married and with children, who worked here as a security guard, to go to a teacher training college. He was eligible but was never able to afford it, but has long nurtured a dream of being a teacher.
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Best wishes to these students - may all their dreams come true -
ReplyDeleteSr. Joanne, what a wonderful surprise to come across your blog. My name is Bridget Burpee and I met you in Sept 2008 when I was on a MAT. My sponsored child is Yvonne Gatwiri Lucy and you were absolutely wonderful in providing assistance with getting her into boarding school. According to her letters she is doing well in school. She is at Our Lady boarding primary school. Is this the same one you are referring to in your blog? I love getting her letters. She is such an optimistic child. She and her mother Lucy are so grateful for the sponsorship.
ReplyDeleteMy letters to her used to be addressed to you but now go to Peter Ndungo in Nairobi. I wondered why the change. I was really afraid that you had left the project but now that I have come across your blog and find you are still there I am so excited.
May god bless you always.
Bridget Burpee
Oh, yes, how well I remember your visit and trying to find Yvonne's home as darkness came on, and everyone was rushing you as the bus wanted to get to Naromoru by dark. Yes, Our Lady is the school I'm referring to. I'm still at the mission running St. Elizabeth's and St. Clare's Schools, but the CFCA left the compound as they now have their incorporation (they've become a Company, Ltd.) and needed to establish their own identity separate from the missions. They've moved off all the mission compounds on the continent and set up separate offices in the towns. Their main aim is to form mothers' groups and work through those groups for development. It has worked well in India so they want to try it here. So nice hearing from you. And I guess it's not too late in the year to say Happy New Year!
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