July 7th, Korogotho Slum

Today I went to the Korogotho Slum. We went to deliver books to two schools and participate in a ground breaking ceremony for a kitchen at a school. We went with Osnet, a friend of Vickie Winkler (the founder of HEART). Osnet is the wife of the Israeli ambassador to Kenya, as Vickie says, she is not the typical diplomats wife. She is involved with several schools in the Nairobi area; she has worked to improve health education and to bring clean water to 11 schools. As a result of Osnet's programs school attendance is much higher and the ranking of each of the schools has improved. Osnet is now working to expand the programs, she is are working on nutrition, self sufficiency, and general education.
It was a great experience to get to go into the schools. One of the pictures shows kids sitting against a school building the other shows a teacher dancing with students in the background. The schools were all extremely clean and had posters on the walls. (Clean considering they were in slums, they still had dirt floors in many areas). The students all shout out "how are you?" when you arrive, they exaggerate the you so it sounds like "how are youuu?". It is charming. The students performed for us at every school. At the first school one class sang a traditional song and then two students performed a poem. The school had a drama program and it was obvious in the way that the students performed that they were taking full advantage of the program. One of the poems was entitled "Silence". Two girls announced their poem, struck a pose and then thanked us for our attention; their comedic timing was perfect. At another school they danced for us, I can not fathom moving my hips that way!
The students were enthusiastic, grateful and clearly healthy. The kitchen will be really important for the school, it is going to be well constructed (not slum construction) and the students will be able to get a nutritious meal while they are at school. The school administrators are working out the lunch program so that the parents pay around 10 shillings (it is 80 KSH per dollar) for their child's meal. I didn't get the details but the parents are paying for the food and the upkeep of the kitchen, an assortment of NGOs and private individuals are funding the construction of the kitchen. The lending library is also going to be run by the school. They have worked out a system so that students from sister schools are able to check out books. The kids who have access to books do much better on their eighth grade exams.
Tomorrow I am going to an orphanage. I am going as part of HEART's Freedom For Girls program. HEART discovered that girls stopped going to school, not, as commonly assumed, because they got pregnant, but because they got their period. Girls are often forced to miss up to a week of school a month because they have no way to deal with their periods. HEART has partnered with Proctor and Gamble to provide girls with a years supply of feminine hygiene products. We will also be talking to the girls about general health issues.
I will post pictures and a report of my trip to the orphanage.
Best,
Margaret