News from Kenya - #6

Journal Entry 6-Day 8

Easter Sunday April 4, 2010 11:15AM

I just returned from Easter Sunday Mass. It was scheduled for 9.00AM but they started at 8.30 AM. Luckily we got there about 8:40 and only missed part of the opening song. The Mass was in Kiswahili and the singing was wonderful. I was sitting close to the choir. (They sing from the pews accompanied only by drums) They did sing the Lamb of God in English today so I was able to understand something. It was the main celebrants 45^th birthday so toward the end of Mass after communion everyone came up to receive an individual birthday blessing from him. He simply placed his hands on each person’s head. The Mass ended at 10.30AM. The next Mass was scheduled to start at 10.30 and many people were lined up outside the church waiting to come in. It will not start until 11AM. Time is rather fluid here.

Yesterday, Saturday, I went to the village of Kaloleni as scheduled to see the Posho Mill, the borehole well behind the mill, and to interview students. The mill is doing well and making a small amount of money. They give much of their grain away to people who would otherwise starve so they don’t make any real profit. They requested FIOH-USA to purchase two 90 Kilo bags of grain for them. It will cost about 40 or 50 dollars and I agreed to this.

Many villagers came for the free porridge flour and to fill up their buckets or Jerrican’s at the well (holds 20 liters). They pay 2 shillings for the water (2-3 pennies). About 75KS = 1 dollar depending on the exchange rate. The water is clean and has made a big difference in the health of the village.

Alcohol is a problem, especially in Kaloleni village. People of all ages are frequently drunk.

The local alcoholic brew is called busaa. It is a common drink among the Luo and Luia tribes. It is made of fermented corn, water, and finger millet/sorghum. It is illegal to make and sell but the policemen are given a small bribe and then leave the people alone.

Cecelia Muthoni, the mother of several of our sponsored students earns her living by making and selling busaa. I wish she could find a different way of supporting herself but she has done it for a long time and she takes care of many children, is a very hard worker and helps out the people in her village.

I chatted with 6 sponsored students for about 30-45 minutes each. I really enjoy talking to the students and it helps me understand their problems and way of life. I am still amazed by the length of the school day for these children- from 6.30 or 7 AM to at least 5 PM- sometimes 6 PM.

Evance Ooko was first. He graduated from high school in December 2009 and scored a B on his KCSE. That is very good and qualifies him to attend University or college but not to obtain a government scholarship. He would like to go to Nairobi University and study economics but without a scholarship the tuition is $1200.00/year. There is a University here in Kisumu where he would also like to attend if he can’t go to Nairobi U. That tuition is about $900.00/year. He will instead be advised to take a 3-year diploma course as that cost is about $400/yr. When he gets a job after getting his diploma he can go back to school on his own to get a University degree if he wishes.

Paul and I were talking after I interviewed Evance and he helped me understand more about the Kenyan college school system. I will try to explain some of it here.

The score each high school graduate gets on the KCSE test is sent to the government. Any female student scoring 65 (B+) or greater and any male student scoring 67(B+) or greater is automatically sent a letter from the government telling them they qualify for a scholarship in the amount of 70,000KS/yr. ($933). They are also told which University they must attend and the course of study they must take in order to receive the scholarship. The total cost of University is about 90,000KS ($1200/yr). The student is expected to “top up” the remainder 20,000KS themselves plus purchase books and food. They are provided housing along with the scholarship. The amount we ask our sponsors to pay, 24,00KS($350) will cover the difference between the 70,000KS scholarship and the 90,000KS cost with a little left over for books and food.

However if a student gets at least a D+ in their KCSE they may still qualify to attend University or college but they must pay the entire tuition themselves. The system is then similar to that in the USA. They fill out an application for the college or University they wish to attend indicating their preferred course of study along with their KCSE scores. If accepted, they are required to pay the entire cost as outlined above.

None of the students sponsored through FIOH-USA can afford to pay that amount of money. Therefore, if they don’t get a scholarship, they need to take a three-year diploma course in their chosen field of study at a cost of about $400/yr. Then the sponsor’s $350 dollar donation will cover most of their expenses.

I feel bad that we can’t send Evance (and all the other students) off to University but we don’t ask our sponsors to pay that amount of money/yr.

I then interviewed Cecelia Muthoni who is in high school. She is doing OK but needs to do better if she would qualify for a scholarship.

Halima Hadifth is 25 years old and completed 2.5 years of high school and then did not have a sponsor. Now she is studying tailoring through FIOH-USA. A two-year course is usually $220. She wishes to open her own tailoring shop after graduation and would need her own sewing machine. That cost is about $150 for a foot powered machine.

Next I chatted with Mwanisha Athmani. She is in high school and is an excellent student. She ranked 4/86 students in her form 3 class.

Cecylia Nyambura is 25 and is a single mother with two young children. She did not finish high school. She would like to be sponsored for tailoring.

Lastly I talked with Elizabeth Awuor Odhiambo who is sponsored in college. She is studying Community Health and Development and will complete her course next month. It will take about 3 months to find out the results of her exams and receive her certificate. Then she will qualify for a job. She states she knows someone who works for an NGO and is hoping to get a job with the same NGO. She has a 16-month-old son named Michael Charles. She also has asthma and has to go frequently on an emergency basis to the hospital for a shot due to attacks. She cannot afford an inhaler. We will purchase one for her.

We returned briefly to the flat and then went to seven/eleven for dinner. I had a delicious piece of chicken with rice. I came home, “showered” and washed my hair and did some computer work. I went to bed about 11.30PM.

End of Journal Entry 6