Newsletter: First Quarter 2023

After surviving disruptions associated with COVID, Hands of Love is back on schedule with three semesters planned for the 2023 school year.

Hands of Love is back on schedule for 2023!

After surviving disruptions associated with COVID, Hands of Love is back on schedule with three semesters planned for the 2023 school year.

• First Semester: January - April

• Second Semester: May - August

• Third Semester: September - December

The school opened on January 24^th with 40 new students, bringing our total to 162 children. The following articles detail our efforts this quarter in three main areas: Learning and Teaching, our Food Program and Current Challenges.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

A normal schedule allows time for co-curricular activities

Learning programs have returned to normal this year after a very compact schedule last year due to COVID interruptions. 

There was a small change in the curriculum which necessitated the purchase of new textbooks. However, the first semester has progressed smoothly and all the new learners have adapted well to the school routine.

One of the bonuses of being back on a normal schedule is that we have been able to restart our co-curricular activities including sports (soccer, athletics and ultimate frisbee) and our music festival. The students love getting involved in these activities, which are not only fun but teach important life skills as well.

Computer lessons get a boost with a new teacher and equipment

Last year, our director, Mr. Sami, provided computer lessons for students in grades one and two. 

This year, Mr. John Waruru is teaching the computer lessons and doing a fantastic job!

Teacher John is an older brother to one of our pre-primary 2 students. He graduated from Taita Taveta University with a bachelor's degree in computer science. Mr. John currently works part time for a survey and mining company but volunteers each Wednesday to teach basic computer skills to our students.

Many thanks also go to our Italian partners, Direttamente, who gave our computer program a huge boost by donating funds for five new computers and a projector.

The goal of the program is to provide students with skills to thrive in a digital world and to promote digital inclusion in Kariobangi.

Term 1 assessment tests are underway

After Easter, our students began participating in the Kararani district assessment tests. Last year, our students outperformed students in the same grade from other schools. We are hoping for positive results again and will report on the findings in an upcoming newsletter. 

Two new teachers joined our team

Two new teachers joined Hands of Love in February of this year. Mr. John, the computer teacher mentioned above and Diana Orego, the Grade 2 teacher, who is taking the place of Teacher Pauline while she is on maternity leave.

Teacher Diana has a diploma in early childhood education and six years teaching experience. Before joining Hands of Love, she was teaching at Little Jewels Junior School in Nairobi. Diana has been impressed by the quality of education and the welfare program at Hands of Love. She noted, “I really love the teaching methods and performance of students in this school. The food program here is also better than the one at my previous school.”  

Teacher Diana is a mother who lives with her two children (4 and 10 years old) in Kariobangi South, Nairobi.

FOOD PROGRAM

Food insecurity is prevalent and never-ending

Food insecurity remains one of the biggest threats to the welfare of our children and their families. To ensure our students are fed, healthy and ready to learn, we served a total of 17,820 meals to 162 children from January 24 to April 6, 2023. 

To address the challenge of rising food cost we made changes to our menu removing rice which was served three times a week and substituting it with Ugali (a type of corn meal made from corn flour). We buy corn in bulk and take it to a local miller. This is 30% cheaper than buying packed cornflour and has the additional benefit that we can use the byproduct of the milling process as chicken feed.

Our rooftop garden is thriving

Our rooftop garden is not only a great outdoor learning lab, it’s also an important source of food. We are currently growing tomatoes, spring onions and amaranth in a variety of pots. The vegetables were planted in early February and are now providing lots of nourishment for our twice-daily meals. 

Amaranth is a leaf vegetable that has proven to be very well suited to our garden environment. In fact, the growth has been so robust that we have been able to harvest the amaranth twice a week. We are also trying a new variety of tomatoes which look very promising.

The number of chickens has been reduced for two reasons: we harvested some birds last year for the graduation party and a disease outbreak in January killed additional animals. We currently have eight chickens that are laying eggs and eleven chicks.  

CURRENT CHALLENGES

A volatile political situation causes disruptions

Since March 20, 2023, there have been nationwide demonstrations concerning the cost of living. The opposition organized weekly protests which resulted in outbreaks of violence and police brutality. Consequently, businesses have been disrupted and schools have been closed as a precaution. Since Kariobangi was among the areas where violent protests occurred, Hands of Love was impacted by the school closures. The unstable political environment has also had a direct impact on the cost of living and access to services which were disrupted by the protests. 

Rainy season brings infections; shoes and sweaters needed

The rainy season started later than expected but the typical challenges are right on schedule. Exposure to water-borne infections has resulted in an increase in respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections. We continually work to ensure our school is a safe space by cleaning surfaces on a regular basis and providing hand-washing soap.

However, our students need proper shoes and sweaters to help protect their feet and shield them from the cold. Since we have not had our annual shoe drive since 2022, the 80 new students we’ve added during that time have not had the opportunity to get new shoes.

A tight budget in 2023!

We have always strived to keep our budget as modest as possible while making it possible to achieve our aims of educating and feeding and keeping over 160 children healthy and well clothed while making sure our staff and teachers earn a living wage. A strong dollar has been a blessing this year but it has not been able to keep up with the pace of inflation and the need to keep our facilities up-to-date. Any donation, large or small, would be much appreciated. Monthly contributions are especially welcome. Please support us to continue providing much-needed education and food security to the children of Kariobangi.

Thank you!