Live&Learn in Kenya School Classroom Construction

Well ... we "thought" the classroom constructions were nearly finished! We had only planned on two more classrooms for vocational training and zap - the Kenyan government's Ministry of Education took a turn for the better... and for us, it means six more classrooms need to be built - which will be so-called "workshops" - eight in all. Thank goodness we already have two. Our beautiful school library and our recently completed IT workshop are lifesavers in that aspect as they are both considered "workshops" - but we still must build six more as soon as we have the funding for them. The first three to be built will be "Home Economics" - which will develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, and values necessary to achieve optimal, healthy, and sustainable living for every child and youth as an individual, and as a member of their families and society. Three interconnected topics will be Food, Health, and Culinary Skills; Responsible Family Living; and, Textiles and Crafts. This will entail having to provide a small kitchen area for the students to learn how to cook healthy meals.
The next workshop will be for "Arts and Crafts" The curriculum sets out clear expectations for students, across the two integrated topics of Arts and Crafts. The qualities that Arts and Crafts develop are crucial components of the rounded general education that all young people should experience. These personal attributes include creativity, critical judgment, working with others or working individually, providing and receiving constructive criticism, and respecting differences. Our present Art teacher will be thrilled to have a "workshop" of her own filled with art materials to bring out the "artist" that exists in every child/person!

So now we just have to work on getting these two finished ... and then move on to the other four!

Asante san - thank you so much for any assistance possible!

Links:

• Read Aloud Friday at the Live & Learn in Kenya Education Center

It won't be long and the construction of the next classroom - now known in the new Kenyan school system as a "workshop" - will be completed. It is due to be finished latest by April 16th when the chairwoman of LIve and Learn in Kenya International - Brique Zeiner - and a group of sponsors will be officially dedicating the classroom during their visit to Kenya.

Yes, the Ministry of Education has made many changes. We thought that we would only have to construct two more classrooms and we'd be finished... Well - our work will never be "finished". According to the new school system regulations, we must build SIX more classrooms within a 3-year period or face our school being closed down. Although we have quality buildings, teachers, learning materials, and much much more - it isn't enough. So we will go on needing as much support as possible in order to make this work.

Many privately owned schools in Kenya will be closed down in 3 years - leaving thousands of children on the streets - but we are going to make sure that that doesn't happen to our school!!!

Asante sana - thank you for your support and for your future support in assuring our children a wonderful scholastic future within the walls of the LIVE AND LEARN IN KENYA EDUCATION CENTER! It can only get better :)

The Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center in Nakuru is about to grow again! Now that all 8 elementary school classrooms, 3 kindergarten classrooms, kitchen, dining hall, administration building with its offices, day clinic, and library are built and the first classroom of the Career Center is built - it's time for Career Center classroom number two! The cement slab is already in place - and the walls will go up as far as the donation takes us.

Having recently received a lovely donation to be able to begin construction - the plans are being drawn up for the IT classroom at the Career Center. This classroom will not only be used by vocational trainees - it will be used for all of the upper grades at our elementary school.

This is a major step towards independence for hundreds of children - as computer literacy is not only a necessity in today's world - it is the future of the world. We are so happy that our Live and Learn in Kenya Children will also be able to grow up with the ability to use computers to their advantage - and possibly their careers.

We still have a way to go to get the job done - and an even longer way to go to raise the funds to buy the necessary computers, but we know it will happen - because it always does  :)

Asante Sana - thank you so much for your caring support!

Sometimes it's just necessary to just stop - take a long breath -  sit back and look at what you've achieved and consider what still needs to be achieved in order to reach your goal.

This is the situation with the construction of the next classroom at the Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center.

Our construction plans for the Information Technology lab have been forced to pause for the time being. Covid 19 has thrown us off balance and we are wracking our brains trying to keep up with the ongoing costs of the education center, of paying all of the school, college, and university fees, paying our staff and teachers, and feeding the children. It would be one of those wonderful - out of the blue - acts of kindness to receive the funds to complete the construction of the next classroom. At least the base is finished.

It may take a while - we believe that we can - so we will! :)

Asante sana - thank you to all who have been supporting our word. Without our wonderful and generous supporters, we would never get anywhere!

Finally - one classroom/workshop has been completed at the Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center Career Center! Furniture is being built for it at the moment. We received a donation for the furniture just recently. This classroom/workshop will be our tailoring classroom. Live and Learn in Kenya youths will be able to learn the tailoring trade - and at the same time be sewing uniforms for our school children as well as dresses, shirts, and shorts that sponsors have sewn for their sponsored children as gifts. It is a HUGE step towards the future for many, many young people.

Not everyone is able to go on to higher education - and we need to accommodate them as well as possible at the Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center in Nakuru, Kenya.

Now that this classroom has been built, nearly furnished, and will be moved into very soon - our next project is getting classroom/workshop number two built and furnished. It isn't certain yet which trade will be taught there - either auto mechanics, computer (IT), electrician, or carpentry. But we do know that we will work hard to raise the funds to build it - and your support is essential!

Asante Sana - thank you so much.