We got up early this morning to get on the road toward Nairobi to visit two very different schools: Joytown and the Dagonetti Orphanage. When I say I got up early, I mean when I woke up this morning, it was actually 9:30pm the night before in Oakville! After a quick breakfast, De. Bransford, Dr. Stewart, Dr. Patey, Noel, Pierre, and I hit the road in a land rover ambulance from the hospital. The land rover is necessary on the roads here.
We arrived at the end of rainy season which has worked out well for the weather which has been beautiful and sunny during the day, and pleasantly cool in the evening with no rain. However, the roads are a mess. Many of the roads are simply dirt, rocks, huge ruts and ditches that have formed from the water that cut through during the rainy season. The result is bumpy and shifting left and right all over the road to Nairobi back and forth inside the landrover. I feel like I’m inside a television commercial for SUVs.
The two school visits were chosen to highlight the stark contrast between the conditions of both schools and students. We drove past the endless roadside markets (you can see some photos in the slide show on the right of this blog) to visit a school for children with disabilities called Joytown. Joytown was originally started by the Salvation Army but is now run by the government. We met with the new Headmistress who took over after the last headmistress was caught embezzling funds from the school. After a conversation in her office about the operating budget, the philosophy of the school, the children, curriculum, and boarding situation, we had the chance to wander around the school. The children who live and go to school there have severe physical disabilities such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus – the main conditions treated by the doctors at Bethany. Children were outside in their wheelchairs and on their crutches, taking refuge from the sun in the shade. I had the chance to chat with a few of them, while others struggled with English and spoke only Swahili (though all educational instruction in Kenya is in English). The conditions were appalling. From the clothing to the repair of the wheelchairs and crutches the children were using to the state of the dormitories and classrooms, I found myself wondering how any learning could be taking place at the school. The Headmistress told us that there is a waiting list of disabled students waiting to get in. I asked how she selects the students who do get in. She told me it is based on an interview process where they determine the academic capability of the students as well as their potential response to rehabilitation. I asked how many therapists were on staff. She said none. I asked how they assess academic potential. She replied that she just knows. I was baffled.
Students sat against the wall or on wheelchairs around the campus and happily obliged for a chat and photograph. I wandered into some of the dorms and saw tiny metal springs with wires sticking out placed side by side by side in cramped quarters. The spirit of the children was remarkable considering the conditions.
Children are sent to this school as a boarding school by their parents. Many cannot pay the fees, the school is grossly underfunded, and the conditions suffer as a result. They have a marvelous school choir whose voices are incredible and a positive outlook from what I could tell during my brief visit and based on the comments of others I was there with.
I left Joytown thoroughly depressed.
We drove to the other side of Nairobi to visit another school which is also an orphanage. The Dagonetti Children’s Centre was established in 1960 as a place for boys and girls who had been abandoned. It served as an orphanage and a school for these children, many of whom had physical and mental disabilities which are regarded as the assumed reason why they were abandoned by their parents in the first place. As the years went on, the conditions at the facility deteriorated significantly until they resembled very closely the conditions we witnessed at Joytown. However, in the late 1990s, Larry and Frances Jones, founders of Feed the Children, came for a visit, were shocked at the conditions, and decided to do something about it. Feed the Children, students of St. Vincent will be happy to know, is the same foundation which we donated our Halloween Candy to these past two years as part of their work overseas.
In 2001, Feed The Children took over the facility and did a complete overhaul of the existing buildings, and rebuilt new buildings and administrative offices as they took of all aspects of the running of the facility, also adding a food distribution warehouse on the site for the main aspect of Feed the Children which is providing food and nutrition to children around Africa. We met with the director of the facility who shared with us the remarkable process of transformation that took place. At the moment, they are currently feeding 120,000 children across the slums of Nairobi in their schools, along with the children at the school on the site. For more information about what is happening here in Kenya with the Dagonetti Centre and Feed the Children check out http://www.feedthechildren.co.ke/
We took a tour of the school from the pre-school programs to JK and SK to the primary school and were amazed at the facilities, the cleanliness, the ratio of staff to students, and the students around campus. Though many of the students could not walk, they were helping one another with toys and bikes and playing games together. From the cafeteria to the classrooms to the dormitories for the students who live there full time, I was thoroughly impressed with the level of care and education that the students were engaging in. Each month, approximately 40 students are adopted from the centre and 40 more abandoned children arrive.
The most exciting thing for me about the day was meeting all the different students in these two schools and getting a chance to connect with them for however brief a period. The other encouraging aspect is the evidence that the Dagonetti Centre provides for the ability to make an impact and turn around a school in need. As little as 7 years ago, the Centre was in an appalling state similar to Joytown but in the few short intervening years, they were able to turn the school and orphanage around into a facility to be proud of that respects the dignity of the children living and going to school there. What is required is the vision, the right people, and the means to put it all in place.
The reason Dr. Bransford wanted to take us to both schools was for the reason I just mentioned because Bethany is seriously considering intervening in Joytown in a similar way to Feed the Children at the Dagonetti Centre. Many of the children can be helped medically, and a rehabilitation centre at the school would provide a place to do so at the boarding school, but it would need to be done as a complete overhaul of the facilities, staff, and mission of the school. There is so obviously a need, and what we were talking about is how it can be done. The Dagonetti Centre is proof that it can be for the benefit of the students. We are not sure about where to go from here. Today’s visit was simply an exploratory expedition where we found out facts at both locations about operating budget, who owns the land title, staffing, government funding and intervention or lack thereof, enrollment, etc.
The photos I’ve attached include two from Joytown and two from the Dagonetti Centre (though you can scroll through the slide show to see many more) so you can see the obvious contrast. While these photos (and the 127 others I took during the visits) provide a grim picture on the one hand of students who have been given very little opportunity for survival, let alone success, the other pictures hopefully provides some hope for what can be with the right intervention, people, funding, and intention.
We arrived at the end of rainy season which has worked out well for the weather which has been beautiful and sunny during the day, and pleasantly cool in the evening with no rain. However, the roads are a mess. Many of the roads are simply dirt, rocks, huge ruts and ditches that have formed from the water that cut through during the rainy season. The result is bumpy and shifting left and right all over the road to Nairobi back and forth inside the landrover. I feel like I’m inside a television commercial for SUVs.
The two school visits were chosen to highlight the stark contrast between the conditions of both schools and students. We drove past the endless roadside markets (you can see some photos in the slide show on the right of this blog) to visit a school for children with disabilities called Joytown. Joytown was originally started by the Salvation Army but is now run by the government. We met with the new Headmistress who took over after the last headmistress was caught embezzling funds from the school. After a conversation in her office about the operating budget, the philosophy of the school, the children, curriculum, and boarding situation, we had the chance to wander around the school. The children who live and go to school there have severe physical disabilities such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus – the main conditions treated by the doctors at Bethany. Children were outside in their wheelchairs and on their crutches, taking refuge from the sun in the shade. I had the chance to chat with a few of them, while others struggled with English and spoke only Swahili (though all educational instruction in Kenya is in English). The conditions were appalling. From the clothing to the repair of the wheelchairs and crutches the children were using to the state of the dormitories and classrooms, I found myself wondering how any learning could be taking place at the school. The Headmistress told us that there is a waiting list of disabled students waiting to get in. I asked how she selects the students who do get in. She told me it is based on an interview process where they determine the academic capability of the students as well as their potential response to rehabilitation. I asked how many therapists were on staff. She said none. I asked how they assess academic potential. She replied that she just knows. I was baffled.
Students sat against the wall or on wheelchairs around the campus and happily obliged for a chat and photograph. I wandered into some of the dorms and saw tiny metal springs with wires sticking out placed side by side by side in cramped quarters. The spirit of the children was remarkable considering the conditions.
Children are sent to this school as a boarding school by their parents. Many cannot pay the fees, the school is grossly underfunded, and the conditions suffer as a result. They have a marvelous school choir whose voices are incredible and a positive outlook from what I could tell during my brief visit and based on the comments of others I was there with.
I left Joytown thoroughly depressed.
We drove to the other side of Nairobi to visit another school which is also an orphanage. The Dagonetti Children’s Centre was established in 1960 as a place for boys and girls who had been abandoned. It served as an orphanage and a school for these children, many of whom had physical and mental disabilities which are regarded as the assumed reason why they were abandoned by their parents in the first place. As the years went on, the conditions at the facility deteriorated significantly until they resembled very closely the conditions we witnessed at Joytown. However, in the late 1990s, Larry and Frances Jones, founders of Feed the Children, came for a visit, were shocked at the conditions, and decided to do something about it. Feed the Children, students of St. Vincent will be happy to know, is the same foundation which we donated our Halloween Candy to these past two years as part of their work overseas.
In 2001, Feed The Children took over the facility and did a complete overhaul of the existing buildings, and rebuilt new buildings and administrative offices as they took of all aspects of the running of the facility, also adding a food distribution warehouse on the site for the main aspect of Feed the Children which is providing food and nutrition to children around Africa. We met with the director of the facility who shared with us the remarkable process of transformation that took place. At the moment, they are currently feeding 120,000 children across the slums of Nairobi in their schools, along with the children at the school on the site. For more information about what is happening here in Kenya with the Dagonetti Centre and Feed the Children check out http://www.feedthechildren.co.ke/
We took a tour of the school from the pre-school programs to JK and SK to the primary school and were amazed at the facilities, the cleanliness, the ratio of staff to students, and the students around campus. Though many of the students could not walk, they were helping one another with toys and bikes and playing games together. From the cafeteria to the classrooms to the dormitories for the students who live there full time, I was thoroughly impressed with the level of care and education that the students were engaging in. Each month, approximately 40 students are adopted from the centre and 40 more abandoned children arrive.
The most exciting thing for me about the day was meeting all the different students in these two schools and getting a chance to connect with them for however brief a period. The other encouraging aspect is the evidence that the Dagonetti Centre provides for the ability to make an impact and turn around a school in need. As little as 7 years ago, the Centre was in an appalling state similar to Joytown but in the few short intervening years, they were able to turn the school and orphanage around into a facility to be proud of that respects the dignity of the children living and going to school there. What is required is the vision, the right people, and the means to put it all in place.
The reason Dr. Bransford wanted to take us to both schools was for the reason I just mentioned because Bethany is seriously considering intervening in Joytown in a similar way to Feed the Children at the Dagonetti Centre. Many of the children can be helped medically, and a rehabilitation centre at the school would provide a place to do so at the boarding school, but it would need to be done as a complete overhaul of the facilities, staff, and mission of the school. There is so obviously a need, and what we were talking about is how it can be done. The Dagonetti Centre is proof that it can be for the benefit of the students. We are not sure about where to go from here. Today’s visit was simply an exploratory expedition where we found out facts at both locations about operating budget, who owns the land title, staffing, government funding and intervention or lack thereof, enrollment, etc.
The photos I’ve attached include two from Joytown and two from the Dagonetti Centre (though you can scroll through the slide show to see many more) so you can see the obvious contrast. While these photos (and the 127 others I took during the visits) provide a grim picture on the one hand of students who have been given very little opportunity for survival, let alone success, the other pictures hopefully provides some hope for what can be with the right intervention, people, funding, and intention.
3 comments:
Wow it truly is quite an experience for you to go to Kenya and get to see all those who are suffering. You look at our every day lives and we are so grateful that we can have them, when you look at how others have to live. Yes, everyone has complaints but when you compare them to others who are so less fortunate than us, they truly seem like nothing to worry about. Some trips are wonderful places to go to and relax but when you can go on a trip like this and experience how others live and see what it’s like first-hand it really has the power to amaze you. Everyone here at St. Vincent’s wishes you the best of luck on the rest of your trip Mr. Browne.
Vanessa Akey.
Today, the students in my class saw your blog on the smart board. We read some of your comments and looked at the pictures. The students want you to know that they are thinking about you and praying for you and the children in Africa.
We miss you here, but are glad that you have this opportunity...memories that will last a lifetime. Thanks for sharing with us everyday. Have a safe trip.
Love and prayers,
Mrs. Glinski and the Grade 5 students.
Thanks Vanessa and MRs. Glinski's Gr. 5s. This continues to be an amazing experience. I just spent another day at Bethany visiting the wards today. The stories I have are incredible. I think at this point I have at least met, if not had the opportunity to speak to most of the children or parents currently at Bethany. Posting photos continues to pose difficulties for me, but I will persevere. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers back home. I look forward to seeing you next week!
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