EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2010

busy 2010.

hi everyone!

my name is Richard Teka, the current Principal of KGSA.

it has been a long and busy year for the KGSA family!. we were to have had our form four(grade 12) students sit for the national exams for the first time at our school and I'm glad the government supervisors and invigilators were were happy with the whole process. unfortunately the results won't be out until early March 2011.

December to me seems to be best month of the with so many things happening so fast! first i and Abdul went for the international conference on schools that sustain themselves.. i learned different ways we can come up with activities and businesses that can help sustain a school and i hope to initiate changes come next year.

we were also able to meet people from more than 30 countries who are involved in running schools and educational institutions and are able to sustain the schools from 5% to 100%!

i also experienced the calmness and the high discipline the Tanzanian people have starting from small children to the older people.

Hello Everyone,

I am just from a conference on sustainable schools in Tanzania. It was a great experience in that this was my 1st visit to Tanzania and the conference was in this town that has a very reach history called BAGAMOYO. I was amazed by the number of people who turned out for the conference and more surprising was the number of schools that have already started working towards self sustainability. I was also very happy because this is very much in line with our SECURE A FUTURE CAMPAIGN THAT Ryan has been pushing for in the US since his return from Kenya in July. There was a school from Paraguay that is 100% self sustainable with a budget of 300,000$ a year. Most were still counting on the percentages of their self sustainabiltiy and it was clear that this is the direction every educationist wants to go and fundacion paraguaya, the 100% self sufficient school has proved to all of us that this is indeed a possibility. Schools in Uganda are already talking of between 50 to 60% self sufficiency. It was indeed an inspiration hearing their success stories and an honor sitting with such successful people. I am now more convinced than ever before that this is the way to go and am sure KGSA will also be sitting in this conference proudly displayig its achievements come the next one.

I therefore would like to appeal to all KGSA family members to work with and support Ryan in the SECURE A FUTURE CAMPAIGN. That is the only platform to take KGSA a notch highre into sell sufficiency.I also hope to bring with me the knowledge I received from the conference into making KGSA realise this goal.

LIFE IS A JOURNEY AND NOT A DESTINATION.

I have always wondered why life could be so cruel , wicked and not even have a single pity.I have lived a life of lonliness and pain ,full of mystery and drama.
Let me give you a bit of my story,probably let me start from 2006 because if I start from the later years I will end up in tears.
In 2006 ,I finished my primary level and was due to start my secondary level .My dad had no money and we had to look for an alternative ,we decided to asked afew of our relatives if they could be of any help but most of them said they had alot of things to take care of.We decided to come to Nairobi and try our luck,my mum went to look for the bursary but she was told ''she had to give so as to receive'' I hope you understand ,my mum said NO! She came home her heart filled with sorrow ,that is when I decided to go and start some housework job to help my mum.The whole of 2007 I had no otherwise but to stay at home without going to school because I hadn't known KGSA by then.It was in May when my mum' s friend told us about the school ,but she told us that you had to pay 1000 /= to register my dad struggled to look for the money but she couldn't manage to get it and the year just ended like that.

In 2008 in March my grandmother died and my parents had to go to the funeral ,when my dad came back home I told him that we could go to KGSA and tell them to let me study then I could pay the 1000/= later the KGSA family were so kind and told us that the only thing you needed was a desk and a chair and a plate for lunch and that when I joined the kgsa family .

In 2010,now looks to me as the worst because:
[A]In April thugs came to our house and stole the few possessions we had ,unfortunately my dad was not at home and fortunately I was not in the house .
[B]August was now the worst ,I lost my beloved sister who was only nine she left me in this world of confusion may her soul rest in peace.On the same day when my sister was dying a grain of maize entered my youngest brother's nose my mum tried to remove it but it refused ,so he had to be taken to the theatre to be operated on it to remove it.
I now stay at a friends house because I fear staying alone since the thugs came into our house My dad is not around he has gone to another town to look for a job.
I have riends who encourage me whenever I fill lonely.Life is like a road which has no signs to show you the directions you have to struggle to aim for the highest ,all in all God has a purpose for everyone of us.
Thanks to the KGSA family for the much they've done to me.

BY LYNN SERU

World Cup Madness

A few days ago Teka, the Principal of KGSA, and I took the girls to the local movie theater where they were showing the World Cup games. It was the last afternoon game in group play so we couldn't miss this opportunity as the night games are too late for the girls. I told Teka that all of the schools in South Africa had taken off the entire month, as well as schools in Argentina, so I thought it was at least fair to lobby for a half day. After all, it is the 1st World Cup in Africa. Teka agreed, and we were off! One hundred and eight girls and staff marched through Kibera toward Nakumatt's theater excited to see the Portugal Korea match. On our approach, I realized I forgot one small detail... how the hell we're we going to organize and control 100+ girls with 3 staff, including myself?

Luckily I had told the theater about our group the day before and they had the popcorn prepared and were setting them out before the game. What a site! This poor guy had to scoop over fifty bags of popcorn and try to somehow organize them for our arrival. It all worked out though. We got into the movie theater without any problems but as soon as the cameraman panned over Ronaldo before the game, the girls went wild! Okay, I get it... he's a good looking guy, but they went crazy! I forget at times that they are still teenage girls, I never had a sister so I was never around the boy crazy frenzy!

THEN, Portugal scored their first goal. I digress for a minute. Now I had just come back from South Africa to watch some of the World Cup games. They have these things called Fan Parks set up all over the cities - basically a big park with food, drinks, and lots and lots of people. Needless to say, it gets really loud in there.

Now, returning to Portugal's first goal. You would think that there was actually a fire in the theater based on the decibel level that their screams reached. It was louder than any Fan Park in South Africa while only having 100 girls. They began jumping all over, screaming, running up and down the stairs (luckily no one else was in there thankfully) but we actually had the manager come in and tell us that the theater next to us could hear our screams and we needed to keep it down. It didn't really do anything unfortunately because Portugal went on to score another 6 goals and the madness followed just the same. In the end, the girls had a blast and both Teka and I were extremely glad that we did this.

Volunteering with KGSA

Hello KGSA family and community! I am Claire Raether, the first volunteer for Kibera Girls Soccer Acadamy. I studies Economics and African Studies in college and want to work with women in Africa. I came to KGSA to get that experience and try to understand women's issues within the context of urban poverty. I have been at KGSA for one month now, getting to know Kibera, the school and the girls. So far it has been a pretty amazing experience.

One of the project I have been focusing on is the micro-credit program for parents and relatives of the students. During my first week here, I attended the Africa-Middle East Micro-credit summit. Muhammad Yunnus, President Kibaki, and the Queen of Spain among others all spoke. It was crazy! I was fifty feet away as Kibaki stumbled over his speech, attempting to praise the work of microfinancing in Kenya! After the grandiose event focusing on rhetoric and the accomplishments of self-aggrandizing people within the field, I was actually able to see our micro-credit project work at a very grassroots level. Attending the meetings and watching people participate in their own form of poverty alleviation is really much more tangible and effective then the talking of "important" people. One of the greatest experiences has been going on home visits with Farida, the staff member in charge of the micro-credit program. Walking through the tortuous alleyways, through muddy paths, over trash, dead cats and seeing life thriving and dwindling in Kibera has been an amazing experience. To be challenged by these extreme difference between my life and the lives of others has been eye-opening and inspiring.

Another project I am lucky enough to be a part of is a poetry workshop held for twelve of the students at KGSA. We are working with Imani Woomera, a local spoken word artist, to develop not only writing and performing skills but working to develop confidence and self-awareness among the girls. It is great to watch the girls express their feelings and desires in poetic form. For me personally, it has been a great way to get to know some of the students and get their perspective on life, love and politics. One of the reasons I came to KGSA was to bond with the students and really get a greater understanding of daily life in Kibera. I can't think of a better way to bond with the girls then listening to them express themselves through rhythm and imagery!

It has been difficult adjusting to life in Nairobi, with its constant chaos, a bombardment of noise from cars and various animals, quixotic looks from people and engulfing clouds of exhaust and confusion. Yet within the new and different, I have felt so at home working with KGSA. The staff has been so welcoming and excited to work with me. I feel so lucky that I am able to be part of the KGSA family and hope to make a impact on the lives the citizens of KGSA!

Our First Kenyan Fundraiser!

Last night, with the help from Imani and Slam Africa, KGSA had its first fundraiser in Kenya to help fund a series of poetry workshops for a group of KGSA students which will be led by Imani herself. Between the 80,000 shillings that we raised, an incredible line-up of performances, over 150 people in attendance, and the injera and dorowot, it was a successful night! I was overwhelmed with the amount of support last night, and once again, was reminded why I feel so drawn to the artist community... in Minneapolis, Madison, Nairobi, everywhere. We are indeed changing the world we live in.

Two of the KGSA students - Salma, and Claire, came to the event and performed as well. They were able to get outside of Kibera and see other communities that support the school and that support them. Their performances were both received with huge applauses and several people shouted, "We want more!" Salma told me that after she heard that, she was starting to write another piece for later that night.

Not only did people love their poems, but two graduate school students studying journalism wanted to interview them and write an article about the school and the girls. This made their night! In addition, we were approached by a graffiti artist that was interested in setting up a project with the school and two individuals from US AID approached me about certain grants that are in the works over the next year and they would like to work with the school. We saw last night how art brings people together, it inspired, it creates hope, and it continues to grow and strengthen.

I still get stuck sometimes with events like this thinking about where we were 4 years ago and how I never thought that KGSA would be this established and bringing our girls to Westlands for performances. But here we are rocking the mic, spreading awareness, making change.



Information on the workshops & performance:

There will be a series of 8 writing workshops leading up to a final performance in June of this year. Imani will be holding her final show in Kenya and the girls will open for her at this performance. In addition, we are trying to film a documentary on this entire process so if you know anyone that is willing to contribute financially to such a project, please contact myself or Imani via email, any support is greatly appreciated.

Ryan Sarafolean: rmsarafolean@gmail.com
Imani Woomera: imani.woomera@gmail.com



Below is a poem that Claire performed at the fundraiser. Enjoy!

We tend to plan for our future everyday,
Desperately we strive to pave the way,
We save every little bit of time we can find
And to the people who can help achieve we are kind

If there is anything we want so bad, we are willing to fight
For a future filled with happiness and so bright
I really hate though to fill everyone’s heart with sorrow
But remember dear, our future is not tomorrow

It is not rudeness indiscipline or fame that will get us ahead
But the number of times we read our books, that is what will make our future
Our future imaginably great
So! Let us wake up and take control of our lives

Tomorrow is not the future you should be planning for,
But the day you will be enjoying your success
The day you will be remembering your toilings, hardships at home, and school

Remember dears, if you do good, you do good to yourself
And if you do bad, you do bad to yourself
Falling down does not make you a failure
But staying down makes you a failure
Watch out!

Hi, Kenya is wonderful, beautiful and has social people, I really love being in Kenya.

It is wonderful to live in Kibera, I really appreciate every time I spend my life in Kibera. Everybody is friendly and that makes it a very wonderful place to live in.

Like Yesterday, I had a wonderful time with friend who we worship together in church. We were going to another church to worship with them. I tell you I laughed the whole way.

We chatted and share stories. To be honest, I felt like I wanna spend the rest of my life in Kibera. As they say, never judge a book by its cover, even if you go to different parts of the world, home is the best.

-Lynn Seru

lovely time

For   the past few days the form four   students at kibera Girls ' soccer   academy had a rough time looking for   birth certificate for   Registration of K.C.S.E examination,but now the stresses have gone out .

Last Weekend I had a wonderful time selling the shedders magazine .I met acouple of friends who bought the magazine and interacted on the journalism skills .

Yesterday I was Really touched by the way somebody handle himself by the wonderful thing he did.

This weekend will be more funnier as I will be selling the magazines because,I love traveling and interacting with new  fiends. 

KCSE Results

In roughly one hour, the Kenya Certificates of Secondary Education (KCSE) results will come in. As you walk into Kibera and arrive at the school, you can feel how everyone is anxious for the results... the energy is in the air today. It is a monumental day for KGSA as we have our first graduating class receiving their results.

Obviously there are a lot of questions that are being asked today... Did we do a good enough job? What are we going to do now once we get their scores? Will we have the resources to provide for future schooling for the girls that are graduating?

These questions are good to ask, and will continue to be asked. But today, I want to tell both Abdul and Teka, that no matter what the results are, I want to thank you both for the commitment you have shown to these girls and this community over the past four years (and more). You have sacrificed so much over the years and it is slowly paying off. To think that the girls now have their own magazine, or to think that we now have a science laboratory and a library on the way is incredible! You two are inspiring many people, me included, all around the world and I really hope you know that. You have changed my life & will remain my brothers forever.

with love,

Ryan

I have always liked socializing with people especially the many visitors who come to our school. I have always liked spanish but I don't know it very well but always trying.

As a girl living in Kibera I see different kind of issues and things every time I walk on the streets. Some are positive while others are negative.

Let me not put you into much stories of Kibera. Yesterday I had a wonderful day but later on we were given a lot of homework, so I had to do my mathematics calculations before going home which is 2km away from the school and I finished the homework at8:00pm which was already late. After my chores at home I had to continue with my homework until 1:00am then sleep for at least 2 hours then wake up to do my studies again.

-Lynn Seru

Here are some photos of the recent teacher trainings where Abdul and the staff had to work together and build a lego structure matching the one outside. Only one person at a time could go outside and take a look at the figure for one minute. They had 10 minutes in total to create a replica. Also, photos of Lynn blogging in the new library!

Hey everyone. Yesterday on Saturday we started a series of trainings that will run for the next four weeks on leadership and teamwork management. The training was run by Mr. Tim Coburn who apparently is a member of the KGSA family. Tim ,who is a consultant for Kenya Airways shared his vast experience with the management, the teachers and the coaches at the new library at KGSA and it was both fun and a learning experience. We all enjoyed it and we look forward to next saturday.

Hi my name is Lynn Seru. I’m from KGSA and I stay with my dad and my younger sibling, that is my brother. A few days ago I went to the hospital then I saw something strange that is private hospitals are better than public hospitals. I was feeling a little bit sick and went for a laboratory check and the doctor said I had malaria. What bored me most was that I stayed there from morning to evening that is when I was given medicine then something else that i saw is that an old man was brought to the hospital but the doctors didn’t even take care of him. He fell down from the hospital bed and they didn’t even pick him up from down. But good luck, one of his relatives came and picked him up.

Yesterday I had a boring day because I had a lot of work to do. I take geography and physics and we were given many sums to calculate and so many diagrams to draw. In the evening I went home to do my usual chores like cooking, fetching water, and washing clothes. After all which I watch my favourite programme ‘STORM OVER PARADISE’ thereafter I felt sleepy and went to sleep before finishing my homework.

Today I came early for my physics class after which I went to meet with my journalism club which is now a magazine company called ‘KIBERA SHEDDERS’ which produces magazines after every three months. We went through the first issue of magazine and saw how perfect it was.

first time

hey i'm teka, the headmaster of KGSA. i have just bought a modem for a laptop and jake has just shown me how to blog. i'm glad its my first time and very soon the girls will be blogging. so stay in touch. 

Niaje. Am abdul and am a first time blogger. Am glad that beste yangu Jake invited me. Am happy that the school library and laboratory is coming up pretty well. The pictures will soon be on our website and you all could visit and have a look. It is great. Check back here because me and the girls will soon be posting up. Am sure it is going to be fun.