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 have been spending time revising before more exams present themselves in a month’s time. Considering this is a new SoH and that learning opportunities were lost during the pandemic as all schools were closed down for 6 months this would be a real result to gain creditable results at exam time next month. 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 in each subject each week. Pupils are again responding well and expectations are higher compared to previous years. One of the challenges is that the standard of teaching in the Informal Scools surrounding St. Benedicts is variable to say the least and there are substantial gaps in the students’ knowledge in different subjects. Providing the text books during the evenings and weekends can really benefit the students but there is no substitute for good teaching. ChallengeAid is ensuring that there is a good stock of past papers over the past 5 years with questions & marking scheme answers in all of those 5 subject 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 and the SoH is currently running regular football practices. 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 are 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 supervisors are also soon to be trained by a University expert in teaching reading to those who are just starting or entering primary school by each student who will be transitioning to secondary school after their exams will be expected to mentor a young pre-primary or early primary pupil to help them through basic reading techniques to give them a head start for when they arrive in Class 1 of Primary. Each Mentor will be supervised by the SoH Supervisor.

 The "new normality" has still not been fully achieved as yet but it seems that normal life is starting to return to these slum areas but with the concern as to how and when the surrounding areas will be rid of all the variants in addition to the normal sickness and ailments that plague these areas.