Teach My Kenyan Children

Most Kenyans believe education is their key to a better future.

Primary school in Kenya (kindergarten through grade 8) has only been free since 2003. Even though the government supports free primary education, resources in the rural areas are very limited. Class size can be more than 60 students per grade, and teacher shortages are common. Classrooms can be poorly lit, primitive wooden structures. Teaching aids are often limited to a black board, with chalk in short supply, and other teaching aids non-existent. Books are usually out dated, and often rationed, with one book shared by three or four students. Rural electrification is just being completed in Kenya, ushering in new possibilities for the use of technology.

TMKC works with five public primary schools at the base of Mt. Kenya to correct many of these shortages and bring education into the 21st century through technology.

Secondary school (grades 9-12) is still not free; it is similar to attending college in the US. Kenya students are invited to secondary schools based on how well they performed on the Kenya Certification for Primary Education (KCPE), a comprehensive, standardized exam that is administered at the end of grade 8. If a child receives an invitation to secondary school, parents are required to pay tuition and fees, and in the rural areas, secondary schools are residential. As a result, parents must also pay for transportation to and from school as well as room, board and incidentals. For parents who are subsistence farmers or day laborers, feeding their children is often a challenge. Healthcare is expensive, and a secondary education for their child, no matter how much they value it, is often unattainable without financial sponsorship.

Teach My Kenyan Children is implementing agribusiness programs in conjunction with the local primary school to improve the economic resources of parents and the community. With education, income, and water, the community will be positioned to participate in the economic growth currently happening in Kenya.