Kijana Educational Empowerment Initiative

32 Boxes of Books Arrive at Mwituha

kijana_admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:14:26 +0000

In December, members of The Benjamin School International Club collected close to 3000 books to donate to our schools in Kenya. Coupled with several hundred more books donated by Tullar Elementary School in Neenah, WI, we have received over 3000 books and have shipped them to Bunyore, Kenya. 32 boxes arrived at Mwituha two weeks ago and members of the school community opened the boxes last week with Kijana Kenya team members. 12 more boxes of books are on the way. Most of the books will stay at the new Mwituha Library but many are in the process of being sent over to Ebukuya Primary School. Ebukuya Primary has had a library for several years now but it has very few books. The infusion of books will create a much more dynamic learning environment at the school. The new Mwituha Library and Amphitheater (designed and developed primarily by Jeremiah Awori) will not only be one of the most creative multi-purposed buildings in rural Kenya, but will now additionally have one of the largest and most diverse book collections for a rural school library in Kenya. We look forward to updating you more soon with stories of the impact of the book donations. Thank you again to all who helped make this happen in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and in Neenah, WI.

Students are delighted as they open boxes of books at Mwituha.

Bishop Charles Anabaka Appointed to Presidential Advisory Committee

kijana_admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:26:49 +0000

Bishop Charles Anabaka, our Kijana Kenya Chairperson from 2006-2011 was appointed last October to the Power of Mercy Advisory Committee by President Mwai Kibaki. Bishop Anabaka will serve for 5 years on the committee. The committee is chaired by Attorney General Githu Muigai and has one representative from each province. Bishop Anabaka hails from Western Province. The other members of the committee are Florence Kajuju Gitonga, Regina Saira Boisabi, Ann Wanjiku Waihura. Dr Hemed Twahir, Rev David Sawe and Mohamed Omar Ahmed. The Committee meets generally at least weekly in Nairobi and is responsible for assessing and advising the President on pardoning people who have appealed to him.

Bishop Anabaka continues to serve as a member of our Kijana Kenya committee. He was instrumental in introducing us to the Mwituha community and helped guide us significantly in the development of Mwituha Secondary School. He is an elder statesman, not only for Kijana, but for the western Province of Kenya and the nation as well. We are grateful for his role in leading us as an organization and look forward to benefiting from his judgement and professionalism in the future. Bishop Anabaka is pictured below in front of the new Mwituha Library.

Bishop Anabaka at the new Mwituha Library

Kijana Holds First Music and Drama Festival

kijana_admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:06:28 +0000

On Saturday March 10, we held our first Kijana Music and Drama Festival at the new amphitheater at Mwituha Secondary School. Students from ten local primary and secondary schools enlivened the day with their creative performances. For most of the students it was their first opportunity to perform on a stage and for virtually everyone in attendance, it was a new venue for viewing local dance and drama. We are grateful to the local Kijana team, spearheaded by Mr. Rune Naftali (Chairperson), Susan Okola (Coordinator), and Fridah Mbati (Assistant Coordinator). We expect the opportunity for many to perform at this event will enhance their skills and confidence at the once a year school competitions.

Primary Student Dance performance

Mwituha Secondary Students Perform for audience

Primary Students Dance for peers at Mwituha amphitheater

New desks and textbooks donated to Ebbiba Primary by Neenah Rotary Club

kijana_admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:51:38 +0000

In March, Kijana Kenya Coordinator Susan Okola and Maseno Rotary President Razour Ongalo, delivered several desks and many books to Ebbiba Primary School in Bunyore. The books and desks are the beginning of a larger gift to Ebbiba from the Rotary Club of Neenah, WI. The Neenah Rotary Club, through the leadership of member Jeff Hanes, worked to garner a $2000 grant to assist Ebbiba with the much needed capital and materials. Students, teachers and community members are very thankful for the gift. Students are lacking desks and many materials. Ebbiba, a local primary school that we have assisted since 2005, has over 700 students in a very small compound.
The gift reflects a partnership between Kijana, Neenah Rotary, and Maseno, Kenya Rotary. We are strategizing on ways to make this significant contribution a stepping stone to a stronger partnership between the entities in the future. We are appreciative particularly to Jeff Hanes for his efforts over quite some time to make this happen. Ebbiba students below demonstrate their satisfaction with their new clean desk.

Kijana plants 1200 trees in Honor of Wangari Maathai

kijana_admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:52:59 +0000

In October 2011, Kijana officers in Kenya and students in various schools planted over 1200 tree seedlings in honor of the late Wangari Maathai, who passed away in September 2011. Professor Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement- which is credited with planting over 40 million trees in Africa, was the 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Tree planting is dear to the mission of Kijana and one of the first activities we embarked upon as an organization. We planted these trees to honor, cherish and encourage the continued legacy of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In the photo below, students at Ematsuli Secondary School, pose with some of the trees that they planted. At left in the photo is former Kijana Kenya chairperson, Bishop Charles Anabaka.

Boom in Ebusiloli Alums at University

kijana_admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:36:46 +0000

Ebusiloli Secondary School- our flagship secondary school- is seeing a large expansion of students going on to the University. This is a direct result of our longterm and sustained commitment to the school. In the early 2000s, Ebusiloli was sending at most one student a year on to university. Today at least 14 Ebusiloli alums are studying at various Kenyan Universities or on their way. Rhinah Ondiso was the first female student from Ebusiloli to go on to the University (at University of Nairobi and now recently completing at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, Arkansas). Since 2007, 6 more young women from Ebusiloli have entered university, including Rhodah Musimbi, Bether Kangu, Christine Minayo, Ruth Apisi, and Millicent Afandi. Many of these alums gathered with headmaster Naman Anjichi at Ebusiloli for a small reunion in December. The community is proud of the growing number of students with higher education. It is a testament to the development of the school, including strong leadership, the commitment of the students, and the partnership with “Kijana.” Congratulations students, teachers and Ebusiloli community.

From left: Principal Naman Anjichi, John Mulima (Kenya Polytechnic University

College- University of Nairobi), Bether Kangu (Kenyatta University), Ruth Apisi

(KenyaPolytechnic University College- U of Nairobi), Richard Otanga (Kisii

University College-Egerton University), Kennedy Oywaya (Maseno University);

Front: Elisha Odongo (Kenyatta University) Back: Rhoda Musimbi (Kisii

University College- Egerton University), Christine Minayo (Maseno University),

Robert Ouko (University of Nairobi), Elphas Otanga (Karatina University College-

Moi University), Jack Onjote (to join Maseno University). Absent: Peterson Ongong’o and Beverlyne Kenyani.

TBS Students collect 3000 books for Mwituha Library

kijana_admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:30:35 +0000

Students from The Benjamin Upper School International Club (in Palm Beach Gardens, FL) held a holiday book drive for the new library at Mwituha Secondary School- recently built by “Kijana.” The students collected 3000 books of a huge variety of titles which we will be shipping over to Mwituha. The diversity of titles and number of books should make Mwituha amongst the best equipped rural schools in Kenya. Students from The Benjamin School in this photo stand outside the van of books they collected awaiting transport to the “Kijana” office. We are grateful to the TBS International Club for their initiative and energy in striving to enrich the reading opportunities of their fellow high school students in Kenya. Thank you TBS International Club for your contribution toward a “global partnership for development.” We look forward to showing photos of the books arriving at Mwituha in a few months.

Kijana contributes to artistic growth in Bunyore

kijana_admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:01:03 +0000

Students perform on the stage of the new amphitheater at Mwituha Secondary School- financed by “Kijana” and developed under the guidance of Kenyan architect Jeremiah Awori. The beautiful new multi-purpose structure will house thousands of books and encourage the advancement of the visual arts and architecture in western Kenya.

New Mwituha Library

kijana_admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:20:54 +0000

Members of the Mwituha School community are proud and appreciative of the new library/amphitheater we have constructed at Mwituha Secondary School The opening ceremony was held in July of 2011. Students have a new comfortable place to enjoy reading. We are busy working to add resources to develop one of the best and most creative educational structures in western Kenya. In this photo students are studying in the recently completed library.