Two years ago, the Sisters of Notre Dame in Kenya assumed administrative control of a declining girls school: Our Lady of the Visitation in Timau, Kenya. For five years, students were receiving poor or failing marks on national tests, administrators and teachers were resigning. As a result, the enrollment of the school dramatically decreased. The remaining students were members of the nomadic Samburu tribe who are dependent on livestock for survival. For the past two years, Sisters of Notre Dame have worked to rebuilt the school’s educational program and the community’s support. The SNDs are charged with improving test scores, the educational outcomes of the students, and fostering positive social and emotional development in the students. Lacking proper textbooks and computers has prohibited the students from learning and preparing adequately for the national exams that are crucial to their future prospects.
With a generous grant from the Hilton Fund for Sisters, teachers were able to purchase up to date text books and a small set of computers. There are now 16 computers, shared by 17 staff members and 120 students. There are still not enough textbooks for each student to have their own copy, but the materials are now current. The computers grant access to online books and supplemental learning materials that they would not otherwise have the means to purchase. Computer literacy is imperative for high school leaving exams and future university prospects as well.
This project not only improves access to education of the current students, but will also help to increase enrollment and elevate the quality of education available to girls across the region. The opportunities being offered to the nomadic tribes served by this school are not found anywhere else in the region.
Sr. Mary Teresa Theobald Kimario, who led the project shares her hope that, “the learner to be able to continue with higher education and become a resourceful person to herself and to the society, hence reducing illiteracy in the society, adding value to education, provision of job opportunities to the graduates, creating educated mothers for the future, preparing strong families, and reducing the poverty gaps. I have learned to be patient, give it time and trust that God provides for His people using his people. Through dedication, faithfulness and focus everything is possible in the world when we put our minds and hearts in it regardless of the challenges that may occur.”
The young women are motivated to learn using the new materials and teachers have already seen increased scores on summative evaluations and assessments. The number of students receiving poor marks fell by 30%. Future plans for the school include upgrades to the boarding facilities, new desks, and increasing enrollment. Support from donors in the US have made the expansion of ministries in across East Africa possible.
You can be a partner in this and other life-changing work in East Africa and around the world with a gift to our Global Missions fund. Visit www.sndusa.org/donate for more information.