Well, this was a good idea... Actually, we are asking God to provide a person who could really develop this program. Cheri (who set up this blog site for me) got busy with the rest of her responsibilities; I'm just trying to figure out blogs now. Try my other site for current news.
Meantime, know there is a huge need for people to help in the area of education here in Kenya - but it does need real supervision and an ability to communicate with donors - and I don't think that is me!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, March 17, 2008
Jane Awour Onyango
Jane is 20 and in Form 2 (equivalent to Grade 10). She enjoys art and music, plays volleyball, writes poetry and loves the Lord.
Her father and mother are elderly and live on the family farm where they barely make enough of a living to feed their 6 dependants. As far as I can find out, Jane is the first person in her family to go through high school. She has an older brother who is in Class (grade) 8. She was brought to Kisumu by a free lance consultant and his family, who saw that she seemed quite bright. Though they provide a home for Jane, they are unable to meet her school fee needs, as well as those of their own children.
Jane appears to be very reserved in the classroom and it has been my delight this term to discover an entirely different side to her since she has been a part of the drama club. I had one role for a "cockroach" in a play and all the students were too self consious to get the funny walk and characteristics of the insect. All, that is, except Jane, who probably surprised many of her classmates as much as she surprised me when she broke out of her shy, studious shell and started scampering across the floor.
I hope to find many more surprises in this girl as she continues to learn and grow this year. I pray she will be sponsored so she can stay at our school.
Her father and mother are elderly and live on the family farm where they barely make enough of a living to feed their 6 dependants. As far as I can find out, Jane is the first person in her family to go through high school. She has an older brother who is in Class (grade) 8. She was brought to Kisumu by a free lance consultant and his family, who saw that she seemed quite bright. Though they provide a home for Jane, they are unable to meet her school fee needs, as well as those of their own children.
Jane appears to be very reserved in the classroom and it has been my delight this term to discover an entirely different side to her since she has been a part of the drama club. I had one role for a "cockroach" in a play and all the students were too self consious to get the funny walk and characteristics of the insect. All, that is, except Jane, who probably surprised many of her classmates as much as she surprised me when she broke out of her shy, studious shell and started scampering across the floor.
I hope to find many more surprises in this girl as she continues to learn and grow this year. I pray she will be sponsored so she can stay at our school.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Oliver Jack Okeyo
Oliver is 19 and in Form 4, the last year of high school. He is very studious and wants to go into business, his favorite subjects are math, history, English and business. He is also involved in the drama club and loves to play soccer. His single Mom works as a hairdresser and has two other children besides Oliver to care for.
Oliver is very tender and carries a servants heart. He often volunteers to help wash dishes in the cafeteria or any other task that needs to be done. During the holidays he helped work on the new high school building, and proved himself to be quite adept with a hammer.
Last year Oliver asked me to go with him to the hospital to pray for his best friend, a girl about his age. She had sickle cell anemia, and Oliver had been caring for her while her mother worked to try and get money to pay her hospital bill. I was amazed to discover that Oliver had been going to the hospital after school to be with her, would spend the night by her side, then show up the next day with the same big smile he gives to all his classmates and teachers.
Oliver gives himself to others every day. To his classmates, to the primary kid who needs a "big brother", to his mom - as he helps her raise his little brother. I hope one of you will be able to invest into the life of this remarkable young man.
Monday, February 11, 2008
How the Sponsorship Program Works
Proposed Sponsorship Program for
Christ Church Kisumu High School
The Vision
Since 1990 we at Christ Church Schools have had a vision to bring Christian primary education, based on a Biblical worldview, to Kenya through our school. We began with a few children in grade one and proclaimed our motto “Equipped to Serve”. Through the years our primary has proven to be one of the best in Kisumu. In 2005 we expanded that vision to include secondary education (high school), still carrying the same heart for service. We do not look for the best students, as many schools do, but pray for God’s grace to help each student achieve their best.
The Need
Because of the high unemployment rate, a secondary education is virtually essential to all Kenyan citizens seeking employment of any kind. However it is difficult to get into a high school especially if your scores are below average. This last year over 700,000 students sat the KCPE, a national exam all students take after standard 8. There are only places for about 200,000 students in secondary schools.
Once a student gets into a high school, secondary education is a great expense to many families, often utilizing 50% or more of a family’s income. The government will now pay the base line tuition for students attending public schools, however only those with the highest scores are accepted, leaving hundreds of thousands looking for places in private schools.
At CCK Schools we try to help families that struggle with school fees by keeping our fees competitive with the other day schools in town and by allowing families to pay on a 3-term or 8-month payment plan. Our yearly fees are 14,800 KSh (approx. US $230). We have come to realize in the last two years that even these efforts are not enough to enable some students to attend school. Many of the students at CCK Secondary School are orphaned or have single parents who are not able to afford the school fees. We are submitting this proposed sponsorship program to help those students in need.
Candidate Eligibility and Selection
The students eligible for scholarships will be decided by the High School task force from a list submitted by the principal. In order to be eligible students:
Must have paid all caution and admission fees.
Must maintain regular attendance - a maximum of three unexcused absences per term
Must maintain passing marks
Must be of outstanding character as determined by the principal and staff
Must be recommended by the staff
Can not be a family member of either the Church or School Staff
Investigation must reveal desperate need in the home situation
Application Process
Students will submit the application which will be reviewed by the principal and high school staff. The principal will then make a recommendation to the task force of those the staff deems eligible. The students approved by the task force will have their picture and story posted on the site. Sponsors can choose partial or full sponsorship of individual students. Students will be notified if a sponsor responds to their posting.
Payment Procedure
Sponsors will be able to send funds to the Kisumu Development Fund, channeled through Christ Church Monroe, a non-profit organization in Washington State. The monies will be deposited from the Fund directly into that student’s account at CCK Schools.
The full address is:
Christ Church Monroe
235 S. Lewis St.
Monroe, Wa 98272
Please specify on your check "Kisumu Spsonsorship Program -"
Christ Church Kisumu High School
The Vision
Since 1990 we at Christ Church Schools have had a vision to bring Christian primary education, based on a Biblical worldview, to Kenya through our school. We began with a few children in grade one and proclaimed our motto “Equipped to Serve”. Through the years our primary has proven to be one of the best in Kisumu. In 2005 we expanded that vision to include secondary education (high school), still carrying the same heart for service. We do not look for the best students, as many schools do, but pray for God’s grace to help each student achieve their best.
The Need
Because of the high unemployment rate, a secondary education is virtually essential to all Kenyan citizens seeking employment of any kind. However it is difficult to get into a high school especially if your scores are below average. This last year over 700,000 students sat the KCPE, a national exam all students take after standard 8. There are only places for about 200,000 students in secondary schools.
Once a student gets into a high school, secondary education is a great expense to many families, often utilizing 50% or more of a family’s income. The government will now pay the base line tuition for students attending public schools, however only those with the highest scores are accepted, leaving hundreds of thousands looking for places in private schools.
At CCK Schools we try to help families that struggle with school fees by keeping our fees competitive with the other day schools in town and by allowing families to pay on a 3-term or 8-month payment plan. Our yearly fees are 14,800 KSh (approx. US $230). We have come to realize in the last two years that even these efforts are not enough to enable some students to attend school. Many of the students at CCK Secondary School are orphaned or have single parents who are not able to afford the school fees. We are submitting this proposed sponsorship program to help those students in need.
Candidate Eligibility and Selection
The students eligible for scholarships will be decided by the High School task force from a list submitted by the principal. In order to be eligible students:
Must have paid all caution and admission fees.
Must maintain regular attendance - a maximum of three unexcused absences per term
Must maintain passing marks
Must be of outstanding character as determined by the principal and staff
Must be recommended by the staff
Can not be a family member of either the Church or School Staff
Investigation must reveal desperate need in the home situation
Application Process
Students will submit the application which will be reviewed by the principal and high school staff. The principal will then make a recommendation to the task force of those the staff deems eligible. The students approved by the task force will have their picture and story posted on the site. Sponsors can choose partial or full sponsorship of individual students. Students will be notified if a sponsor responds to their posting.
Payment Procedure
Sponsors will be able to send funds to the Kisumu Development Fund, channeled through Christ Church Monroe, a non-profit organization in Washington State. The monies will be deposited from the Fund directly into that student’s account at CCK Schools.
The full address is:
Christ Church Monroe
235 S. Lewis St.
Monroe, Wa 98272
Please specify on your check "Kisumu Spsonsorship Program -
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