A Plea For Donations

KST would like to ask anyone who is concerned about what has occured to the KST schools over the past few weeks to read Harry V-C's report from Kenya. If you feel that you are able to help out with any sort of financial help, please send through a cheque made out to Kariandusi School Trust.

Posted to: Paula Slater, Vale Farm, Sutton, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 3EE

Please click here to download a Donation & Gift Aid Form.

We have already recieved numerous very generous donations which we would all like to publically say a big thank you to. Please click here for our official thank you.

A Letter from Harry V-C

Dear All

The impact of the post election chaos is being felt in nearly all our schools due to the flood of refugees in this area. We are at the edge of “the safe homelands” of the Kikuyu tribe. Our comfortable idea that we were providing beautiful schools that would help to lift the standard of education has been shattered by the realities of what we are now experiencing. We are being overwhelmed by displaced families leaving their children at our schools' gates, all of whom clearly must be admitted.

“My name is Amos Mahuh. I and fifteen years old and live in Kariandusi. I am a short, robust boy. My hobbies are drawing, riding, reading, playing football and running.”

Recent figures from Kariandusi PS are that at the end of last term, before the election, the school had 402. On 1 Feb when we called in there were 491 children in the eight classrooms. On 5 Feb we again called in to find there were 524 on the roll. The prediction is that the figure will rise to 600, but will eventually fall back and settle, when peace is sure, to about 550. The Government’s 2005 guidelines allowed 40 per classroom when we designed and built the school for a maximum of 320. At the time it was opened the average per classroom was about 35, thus allowing for a bit of expansion. Now it is, on average, 65 and the numbers are increasing by the day. Four of the classes have over 80 pupils!

On that fateful last visit on 5 Feb I discovered that the full parent body had waited all day to see us. I felt we had to do something so I promised to build them at least two semi-permanent classrooms using Wendy Birrell’s memorial money and to use Peter Ellse’ most generous and timely donation to pay for the salaries of two ‘half teachers’ to be employed there. Peter has been our only visitor here this year and was quick to understand the need for action.

That night I lay in bed feeling quite pleased with myself until it dawned on me that I was, again, playing around the edges of the real problem.  What that school needs is four additional classrooms and four additional teachers – not just two of each.  But where will the money come from to fill this vital need?  And where will the money come from to build in similarly overwhelmed schools?

You may be interested to know the figures. One classroom, 20ft by 24ft, capable of holding up to 50 children, will cost about £1500. It will consist of a hard-wood timber frame with corrugated iron walls and roof. The windows will be steel framed and glazed and will be of such a size to enable them to be re-used at a later date when/if we build permanent classrooms. The doors will be lockable. The floor will be compacted murram with a sand and cement screed. My guess is that they will have a 10 year design life with minimum maintenance. My project manager is visiting the school tomorrow to attend to the details such as siting, and will order the stores and start construction next week. I have told him I want two classrooms ready for occupation by 5 March and he believes that is possible. Every day that goes by does damage to so many already disadvantaged young Kenyans.

Our part of qualified teachers’ salaries is 2500/- per month per teacher, or £18 a month. This is £215 a year and the contract I have prepared guarantees them three years. By simple mathematics this is £645 per teacher over the three years. It could be cheap at the price! Our charity already employs, since early in 2007, six qualified teachers at two other schools from the 20 from which we take our Langalanga scholars. The arrangement has proved to be an unqualified success. I want to extend it, not one day - but at once! There appears to be no shortage of unemployed teachers seeking work. I feel there is no time to spare and I would dearly love to be able to set things in motion before we must go back to England on 12 March. Alison’s and my knowledge and ability to target accurately where money would best be used is current and ‘auditable’! All we need now is financial help. Ever heard that before?

I have just returned from a meeting with the Area Education Officer (AEO) who told me that this very day he has posted one teacher to Kariandusi and will post another two, recent clash victims, as soon as possible.  If that happens Kariandusi will have sufficient teachers to work in four semi-permanent classrooms if we are able to find the money to build.

The other problem that arises with this kind of influx is that there are nothing like enough text books to go round.   At best there is one text book for 3 or 4 children.   Now the figures are a lot worse and we would love to be able to buy some more text books for the clash victims in the schools that have taken them and make sure that there is 1 book for 2 children for the most important subjects.  Got to educate them somehow!

As you can see we are having a dramatic but fascinating time.   It now seems much more peaceful over most of the country and Gilgil, which has never had a real problem, continues as ever.  We are moving freely and visiting as many of our 20 schools this fortnight as we can so we can see how they are faring.

No-one will predict the future and certainly not the Africans themselves!  We hope and pray that Kenya can slowly (or even quickly!) recover from this ghastly time and become again the stable, welcoming country it has been for so long.