Educating 70+ children in Mathare Slum Kenya

Covid continues to influence what can and can't be done in the informal slum settlements of Kenya and Mathare is no exception. There are still restrictions and most people are aware of not gathering in large groups. Classes at St. Benedicts SoH were revising up and then took exams at the end of September and have now just had a weeks holiday at the start of October. and have since taken there exams. Considering this is a new SoH and that much learning opeortunities were lost during the pandemic this would be a real result to gain creditable results at exam time at the end of the year. Online lessons continue to be delivered by volunteer experienced teachers here in the UK in the Sciences,Maths and now English for at least 1 1/2 hrs each week. Pupils are again responding well and expectations are high.ChallengeAid is ensuring that the is a good stock of past papers over the past 5 years with questions & marking scheme answers in those areas.Two interesting developments are that we have secured 2 new Supervisors to join the current team. There is ongoing training for Supervisors including rules and regulations and good practice policy as well as lectures in Safeguarding policies.These are former pupils who have now left the SoH as pupils but want to give back as Supervisors. The second is that the teachers from nearby Informal Schools are attending the lessons devised for the pupils as they feel that they are gaining themselves from the experience.

As children can gather more freely together more time is being spent on our targeted sports such as cricket,volleyball, rugby and football. Before the pandemic ChallengeAid had won two national TV competitions for Informal Slum Settlement children winning the top two spots in two consecutive years. The competition was not held last year but there is a real expectation that that we can do well again this year with St. Benedicts especially training twice a week at all ages and genders.SoH's developing the talent of those who are keenest.We have also engaged another Chess trainer who is developing the talent of the Supervisors so that they will be better equipped to coach the pupils themselves.

Another key development since the last report is that we have engaged with a peripatetic art teacher who is going around the schools training the best & keenest pupils. We are hoping that the fruits of this work will soon become available to view. 

 The "new normality".has not been fully achieved as yet but it seems that the rhythym of life is starting to return to the environment but having said that there appears to be a new deadlier version of the Virus circulating which continues to take it's toll.

Despite some civil unrest and objections to curfew lockdowns schooling has just about returned to normal. There are still restrictions and most people are aware of not gathering in large groups. Classes at St. Benedicts SoH were revising up to March March and have since taken there exams. We are currently awaiting the outcome of these exams and the opportunity to rank them against other SoH but the forecast is for these exams to be at least comparable with other SoH. Considering this is a new SoH and that much learning opeortunities were lost during the pandemic this would be a real result.As discussed in the last report online lessons delivered by volunteer experienced teachers here in the UK in the Sciences and Maths for at least 1 1/2 hrs each week, have restarted with the new cohort of students.Pupils are again responding well and expectations are high.ChallengeAid is ensuring that the is a good stock of past papers over the past 5 years with questions & marking scheme answers in those areas.Two interesting developments are that we have secured 2 new Supervisors to join the current team. These are pupils who have now left the SoH as pupils but want to give back as Supervisors. The second is that the teachers are attending the lessons devised for the pupils as they feel that they are gaining themselves from the experience.

As children can gather more freely together more time is being spent on our targeted sports such as cricket,volleyball, rugby and football. Before the pandemic ChallengeAid had won two national TV competitions for Informal Slum Settlement children winning the top two spots in two consecutive years. The competition was not held last year but there is a real expectation that that we can do well again this year with St. Benedecticts especially training twice a week at all ages and genders.

 The "new normality".has not been fully achieved as yet but it seems that the rhythym of life is starting to return to the environment.