Training of Informal School Teachers

Training of 180 SoH Volunteer supervisors
By iestyn thomas - C.E.O. & Founder 

As we come out of Covid and life returns to some kind of normality the opportunity to get back to a fully operational organisation is paramount and is becoming more feasible. Immediately after getting the recent marks for KCSE secondary exams we had a new cohort of Form 4 (Yr.13 in UK terms) leavers asking to become Trainee Supervisors before going off to University. There is a driving momentum by these individuals to "give back" as they realise that many would probably not have been able to progress to University if it wasn't for the Schools of Hope. These extra Trainees are also essential as the numbers of students has grown now to almost 4,000 students requiring more supervisors and coaches. So not only are we continuing to train our original cohort of Volunteer Supervisors but we are also starting the process again with the new cohort. Much of the training therefore has become ongoing with a mixture of starter & refresher courses. Certificates for the equivalent of CRB/DBS can be obtained in Kenya at a fee but it is often suggested that the check is not always as important as the fee. For this reason all our Volunteer Supervisors are known to the Community in which they work and known personally by the SoH organising Committee. Thereafter the training in Due Diligence and Child Protection as well as the disciplines and the roles and expectations of volunteer supervisors goes a long way to create a safe and secure environment for the supervisors and students to operate. Life skills, Girls Empowerment programmes and Expectations and Responsibilities for boys along with Good Citizenship courses as well as sports coaching courses creates a firm framework for our Schools of Hope to prosper. 

This year ChallengeAid will be introducing an exciting new initiative whereby we will be piloting a reading programme for Pre-primary, Primary Yrs 1 and 2 and any child in primary education who is struggling with reading and writing. Our Supervisors will receive training on basic reading technique and training to pass on to all students who have graduated into secondary school. Each of those pupils will be asked to adopt as a mentor a child who is just starting to learn to read. Each of our students will receive at least one basic reading book to use and keep and be expected to adopt/mentor at least one child. Last year 750 primary students graduated into secondary education and there should be more this year. This should allow at least an equal number of young learners to receive a head start with their reading and writing which is the foundation stone of all education.