A THORN IN KILIMANI TURNED INTO A ROSE.
Three months ago, Milimani Primary School, located in the leafy suburbs of Kilimani, Nairobi, looked unwelcoming. The school, littered with defaced buildings, worn-out ceilings and broken desks was becoming an eyesore in the midst of the swanky neighbourhood it occupied. For a school to perform better academically, better amenities are necessary for it will spur the development of young ones and motivate the teachers to obtain good results.
Having in mind the situation at Milimani, NALSA(K) and Proudly Kenyan had to make a timely intervention. The buildings now have a fresh paint coat, ceilings repaired, teachers’ staffroom renovated, and the pupils have proper desks to sit on. The eyesore previously experienced is now a thing of the past.
This is well articulated in a poem recited during the unveiling function at the school on 12th of May. The students joyously narrate the current state of their school, “classrooms look brighter, the staff room is beautiful, and the school banner looks wow.”
For a time now, NALSA(K) and Proudly Kenyan have been collaborating on a series of projects spread across the country. These are social and community outreach programmes geared towards achieving our objectives as an organisation.
Why the project?
i) Boost the morale of teachers
ii) Directly linked to better performance in the school
iii) Improves self-esteem of both the students and teachers
Although located in the suburbs, do not be mistaken. The public school mainly caters for children from the informal settlement of Kawangware. The parents’ economic situation cannot allow them to provide funds for such school upgrades.
Who better describes the upgrade than Bishop Njoroge, Chairman, Board Of Governors at the school. He states, “The school is shining.”
Proudly Kenyan
Aside from promoting local businesses, Proudly Kenyan is actively engaged in community outreach and social programmes to communities lacking the capacity to do so by themselves. Tiffany Muema,Proudly Kenyan’s Organising Secretary stated during the unveiling event that the intervention at the school came after a special request by NALSA(K) chair, Mrs Electina Wanyonyi, as the school is neither in her constituency (Westlands) nor was it part of the first phase of projects. This is a special arrangement made for the school.
Conclusion
Generally, being a child is the most formative garage and somehow the most challenging stage of human development. It is unacceptable for our public schools to look uncared for. It is a collective effort by the government and other stakeholders to make them attractive. Whether in public or private schools, our children deserve equal treatment. They are the ones who, in the future, will manage and build our country.
Much has been done, but more needs to be done to facelift our often neglected public schools. Schools in an abandoned state like Milimani Primary are spread out across the country and would readily welcome a facelift. This is a clarion call to all stakeholders to make public schools attractive as this directly impacts the life and performance of students.
By Brian Anyanzwa
Photography by Julia Laval