By Kirsty McLullich | Project Leader
Over the last few months, the team at Kibera Mpira Mtaani has been working hard to set up a new education programme. From the 1st October, their resource centre which is currently used for after-school tuition will be used as an Early Childhood Development Centre during the day. A group of sixty young children will take their places in the Baby Class, Nursery Class and Pre-Unit Class of the new school. As KiMMta's Chairman, Vincent Kegode, explained to the students' parents, the intention of the centre is "to give children a good foundation for when they start in government primary schools". Vincent also stressed that the centre must deliver quality education to the children who are enrolled and their progress in primary school will be followed up through KiMMta's after-school tuition programme which currently supports over four hundred children on a daily basis.
The opening of the centre has been made possible thanks to a grant from a foundation in the UK which will support the programme for two years. Plans are already underway to introduce income generating activities which will ensure the programme remains sustainable. Vincent made sure that parents attending today's meeting were aware that the community is also expected to contribute to the sustainability of the centre with each student paying a small fee of 300ksh (2.30, $3.50) per month. As well as paying for teachers and providing a school uniform for each student, the grant will allow a feeding programme to be put in place whereby students will receive a cup of porridge at morning break and a hot lunch every day during term time. Vincent said "we thank Vision Africa for working with us on this". Vision Africa Field Director, Deborah Kimathi, congratulated Vincent and his team at KiMMta on setting up the ECD centre. She said "We are very excited about this new programme and we want the ECD centre to be a success. Only one thing will make it a success and that is teamwork.
Everyone has a role to play - Vision Africa, KiMMta, teachers, students and parents." Thanks to everyone who has supported Kibera Mpira Mtaani through Global Giving. This has helped the organisation go from strength to strength and we hope you join us in celebrating this latest success.
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