Eradicating a culture of poverty through Education

Eradicating a culture of poverty through EducationPlanting the seed

DefinitionsFor our purpose, poverty means deprivation of basic human needs i.e. food, water, sanitation, shelter, good health and education.

Education shall be defined as any experience that shape the way we feel, think and act. Its also a form of learning in which knowledge skills and habits of a people are passed from one generation to the next through teaching, training or research.

We choose education To promote environmental awareness and encourage sustainable use of natural resources.

To positively impact reproductive health and nutrition. Improved health and reduced birth rates reduce poverty.

To increase opportunities for social, cultural and economic growth. Foster social cohesion, increase productivity and nurture leadership.

To encourage participation in social, political processes quickly and effectively.Embu People, statisticsCounty Headquarters:Embu TownCounty Offices:Embu Municipal Council County Coverage Area:2,818.04kmTotal Population:516,212Male:254,302Female: 261,910Population Density:183.18 people/kmTotal number of Households:131,683Total Number of Constituencies:4Total Number of County wards:20

General InformationEmbu County is located in the former Eastern Kenya. Embu County has an average altitude of 1350 meters above the sea level close to the foot hill of Mt. Kenya. The slopes of the county slopes from west to east, the highest point in the county is at Ruvingaci River. Temperature range between 12 C to 27 C. average annual rainfall is 1495mm.

Embu County borders Tharaka Nithi County to the North, Kitui Countys to the East, Machakos to the South and Kirinyaga County to the West.Statistics continuedKenya National Bureau of StandardsEmbu County Males Females Totals Households Area sq m density 54,302 261,910 516,212 131,683 2,818.0 183.18 National Average19,192,378 19,417,719 38,610,097 8,767,954 581,309.29 66.42

http://kenya.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/profiles/Embu_Dec2011%2022.pdf

http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/embu-county.html

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv1-msgr&p=embu%20town%20video&type=

St. Marys Primary School

The Students & Principal

The schoolSt Marys is a mixed day primary school that was begun in 2000 by Consolata missionaries in Karaba-Wango parish in Embu diocese. The missionaries later handed the school to the Diocese of Embu. Over the years, the school has received support from AVI in Italy but sponsorship ended in 2011.

St Marys primary is located in Embu county, Mbeere south district. It is 5 minutes walk from the nearest town center- Makutano. Currently, the school has a population of 220 students drawn from 3 neighboring counties- Embu, Kirinyaga and Muranga.St Marys was begun by the missionaries for the sole purpose of eradicating high levels of illiteracy and to empower the communities through child education. There was and still is high immorality in the area and the school was and is still considered a safe shelter for the children. The school is in a semi-arid region. Most parents are peasant farmers living from hand to mouth. Other parents are identified as sex workers with a high risk for HIV. Makutano is a major truck stop serving many towns in the eastern part of Kenya.

On realization that children in the area were academically talented despite their impoverished/low socioeconomic status , St Marys sought to identify, recruit and nurture talent thus helping children and the community realize their potential through learning.

The school contThe school year runs from January to December. Students are in school for 3 months consecutively and break for a month. Specifically, school runs from January to March, May through July and August to November.

Kenya School SystemPre-school (Nursery School at age 6}Elementary School : Class 1 through 8High School: Form 1 through Form 4Four Year University : Year 1 through 4 or2 Year College or1 Year trade school.

St. Marys admits students from Class 1 through Class 8.Teachers are hired by a local committee chaired by the parish priest. They are well trained in the countrys state and private colleges and meet government minimum hiring standards. Education delivery is very competitive. A local committee oversees the quality of education and is in charge of hiring and firing staff based on performance.Teacher student ratio is 1;30 students. This is comparable to nationwide standards.During school hours, students are fed by the school. The church community and part of tuition and fees goes to this effort.The school has affiliated itself with the best performing private schools in the district and students get to compete in End Grade Tests raising the bar for academic success.Students & Parents

Parents

A meal at the school

John KatikuJohn KatikuClass 7 student residing in Karuku a distance of approximately 2 miles from the school. John is an orphan and is raised by his grandmother. He lost both parents to HIV/AIDS per the head teachers report. Report further states that he is highly disciplined, self driven individual. He is considered a very promising student with good learning exposure/resources. John is a good volley ball player.John would like to be a pilot or a doctor

2013 Academic PerformanceTerm 1: 304 marks out of 500Term 2: 358 marks out of 500Term 3: 304 marks out of 500

John Gatiku & grandma

John Katiku Kelvin GitutoKelvin GitutoClass 6 student residing in Kirwara area approximately 7 miles from the school. Kelvin is raised by a single mother with meager means. Head teacher considers him bright, self driven with a promising future if academic resources are provided. He enjoys playing soccer.Kevin would like to be a pilot or join the navy.

2013 Academic PerformanceTerm 1: 364 marks out of 500Term 2: 319 marks out of 500Term 3: 348 marks out of 500

Francis kimaniFrancis KimaniClass 3 student residing in Kirwara approximately 4 miles from the school. Francis is an academically gifted child despite being abandoned by both biological parents. He is raised by his grandmother of meager means but continues to show exemplary performance.Francis would like to be a pilot

2013 Academic PerformanceTerm 1: 443 marks out of 500Term 2: 434 marks out of 500Term 3: 465 marks out of 500

Francis kimani & grandma

Francis kimaniMark NjeruMark NjeruClass 7 student residing in Kamweli a distance of 8 km (approximately 4 miles) to school. Mark comes from a very needy family which limits education access. Father is reported sickly. The head teacher reports that he is bright, hardworking and a performer in class despite many school absences. Mark could do better academically if he stayed in school. He plays soccerMark would like to be a pilot or a computer engineer

2013 Academic performanceTerm 1: 323 marks out of 500Term 2: 314 marks out of 500Term 3: 337 marks out of 500

Mark Njeru at the Principals office

Mark Njeru & a relative

Ephraihm MutwiriEphraihm MutwiriClass 1 student residing in Karuku which is approximately a mile from school. Ephraihm was abandoned by his biological parents and is raised by his grandmother of meager means. According to the head teachers report, being raised by grandma has impacted his performance with many absences from school due to lack of tuition. He is considered humble and with great potential.Ephraihm would like to be a doctor

2013 Academic PerformanceTerm 1: 342 marks out of 500Term 2: 382 marks out of 500Term 3: 347 marks out of 500

Ephraihm Mutwiri & grandma

Ephraihm Mutwiri & Grandma

Rachel Njeri

Rachel NjeriClass 6 student residing 4 miles from the school. Rachel is an orphan. Head teacher reports both parents succumbed to the AIDS virus. She is raised by her grandmother and is considered one of the best students in her class.Rachel would like to be a lawyer in future.

Academic PerformanceTerm 1: 362 marks out of 500Term 2: 364 marks out of 500Term 3: 391 marks out of 500

Rachel & grandma

Eunice NjeriEunice NjeriClass 5 student from a single family residing in Rukanga approximately 5 miles from the school. Mother is reported to suffer epilepsy and is a peasant farmer. Eunice is raised by her grandmother. Head teacher considers her gifted despite grandmothers inability to support her education.

Academic PerformanceTerm 1: 387 marks out of 500Term 2: 401 marks out of 500Term 3: 420 marks out of 500

Eunice, mother & sibling

Budget and AccountabilityThe cost of tuition and fees per student is Kshs 15,000 ($177) per yearAll the students on profile are day scholars. This means that they operate from their homes making education affordable for most parents in the region.

The students we screened have difficulty accessing education despite the cost savings of day schooling.As such, tuition and fees can be paid per term or semester.

AccountabilityThe catholic church is a very credible and socially uplifting institution specifically in this region. The church constructed the school, pays the human resource personnel, has a system in place for donations and has many development projects including a health clinic in the community.A committee runs the school and can be reached at any time by anyone during office hours.We picked education because tuition costs are definite and public information. If you purpose to sponsor a student, you pay tuition by wire transfer to the school account on behalf of the student. As a donor, you are linked with the principal of the school, education committee, parents and students Donors are encouraged to develop a nurturing relationship with recipients and educational partners.Think about it: Every educated person is not rich, but almost every educated person has a job and a way out of poverty. So education is a fundamental solution to poverty. -- Governor Kathleen Blanco