Kibera School for Girls: Faith

It all begins with a girl like five-year-old Faith.  When Faith’s father died two years ago, her mother lost all hope of being able to pay to send Faith and her siblings to school.  Unable to read herself, her mother knew that without an education Faith’s life prospects were bleak.  Faith’s mother left for the market at 4 am each morning to try to earn enough to provide her children with one daily meal.  Left unattended, Faith was raped repeatedly by a neighbor.  Faith’s life changed forever when she started at the Kibera School for Girls and became one of six students to move into our newly opened boarding house for abused girls: Margaret’s Safe Place.  Now Faith is happy, healthy, and can often be found playing spelling games with her boarding house “sisters.” When asked what she wants to be when she grows up she replied, “a doctor.”

Kennedy Otieno

In February of 2010 a neighbor sexually assaulted the youngest student at The Kibera School for Girls.   That night her father, Kennedy Otieno, stayed up waiting for the school to open the next morning.  He knew that if he could just tell someone at school we would be able to advocate for his child in a way that he wasn’t able to.  In the midst of this darkness, the school was a beacon of hope for him and for his family.  Our social worker and volunteers stayed with the family as the student was admitted to the hospital where her cervix was repaired, ensuring that she received the highest quality of care, and providing emotional support to her parents.  George, our Programs Director, took the entire school to visit her in the hospital—arranging all of the transportation himself.  When she was released from the hospital, we continued to help the parents follow up with the doctors to get the letters we need for the police (an excruciating and frustrating process).  Ultimately, with the help of the school, Kennedy was able to bring his daughter’s assailant to justice.  He has now become a leading community advocate against rape and gender violence, and is one of the founding members of the SHOFCO Gender Development Committee.

Community: Emily Awuor

A new wave of feminism in Kibera? Perhaps that isn’t exactly how 20-year-old Emily Awuor would describe her work with SHOFCO’s health clinic and girls’ group, but she is certainly launching a career focused on empowering women and girls. Drawing strength from her mother, who always emphasized the value of education and independence, Emily is determined to live life on her own terms. While many of her peers became pregnant and abandoned their education at a young age, Emily vowed to take a different path. She found support from her involvement with the SHOFCO Youth Program, which motivated her to complete high school. Through her work as a community health worker and mentor for the SHOFCO girls’ group, Emily educated women of all ages about issues surrounding safe sex, sexual violence, and self-esteem. Emily hopes that one day she might continue her own education at a university.

Kibera School for Girls: Prudence

Julia, our Kindergarten teacher watched one girl named Prudence run around the playground, the “It” in a game of “tag.”  Just then, she turned to Jessica and said, “You know something? There is absolutely no way that Prudence would have lived without this school.  No way.”  In fact, earlier this summer, the same child had been suffering a hacking cough that had lasted for weeks, and Julia watched her go from a loud, happy – and incredibly stubborn – little girl to the subdued, tired child that was so ill she slept on the floor, unable to participate in class.  KSG staff spent over 20 hours bringing the student to health clinics, demanding that she be accurately diagnosed and treated.  Today, Prudence is back to her lively (and bossy!) self, and we have seen yet again the tangible impact that the school has had for these children and their families.

Kibera School for Girls: Student Strike

The girls so look forward to school that they never want to go home!  Earlier in the summer of 2010 summer, we faced (an adorable) example of this: while the older classes participate in an after-school program from 3:30-5:00, the youngest two classes go home at 3:30 after what for them is quite a long day.  However, the Kindergarten class did not like this – one Friday in July, the whole class staged a protest, reminiscent of the sit-ins of the 1960s. They refused to leave until they were allowed to attend after-school with the older girls (we were eventually able to bribe them with marshmallows)!  This feistiness is strikingly absent in other girls in Kibera, and we are proud to watch these girls demand what they feel is their right, in a place where the expectation is all too often nothing.

Kibera School for Girls: Sarah

Five-year-old Sarah Omariba came to school one morning and told her teacher “my parents went away and said they aren’t coming back.” Sarah’s father abandoned the family as his wife lay dying from HIV/AIDS.  Soon after, her mother left too—leaving Sarah alone.  One month ago, Sarah moved into Margaret’s Safe Place—the boarding facility for the most at-risk students at The Kibera School for Girls.  Sarah had been despondent and quiet at school for months, but the next day she raised her hand during morning assembly and as a smile broke out across her face she said, “I want to sing a song.”

Stories like Sarah’s illustrate why our projects and your support really do make all of the difference. She has been struggling with her vision for the past year.  We took her to a local hospital for sight-saving surgery and were delighted to hear that since she moved into our boarding house and is finally receiving the care she needs, she no longer requires surgery!  We can’t wait to continue sharing with you the success stories that your support makes possible.

Kanini

One day in December, JJJ clinic CHWs were out in the field, advertising the clinic’s recent opening and doing mini-health talks in the community.  One of our CHWs handed a flier to a woman, who proceeded to explain she had a young girl who was sick.  Our CHW went inside the house and saw a baby girl on the bed. “I thought she was two months old at most,” the CHW explains.  In reality, the child one-and-a-half-years-old and weighed only 4.9 kilos (under 11 pounds).  Immediately, the CHW brought the woman and child to the clinic, where Kanini, which means “something small” in Swahili, came under our care.

The woman taking care of her was Kanini’s grandmother. Her son was the father, but he and his wife had abandoned the girl when she was born prematurely.  The grandmother in turn thought of Kanini as a curse – she didn’t have enough money for herself, let alone someone else’s child, she explained.  The odds were against Kanini, but the JJJ Clinic staff refused to give in, buying the grandmother flour, porridge mix and milk for Kanini.  When it was clear to CHWs that she wasn’t improving, the staff went even further.  Kanini now spends her days in the clinic, under the supervision of the staff to ensure that she gets the food designated for her. After just one week she has vastly improved.  Her listless eyes have been replaced with curious stares, and she even grabs hands offered to her.  Kanini is beginning to look like the one and a half year old she is.