Use soccer as a tool to educate 2500 Kibera youths

Another academic year is over in Kenya and it has been another great year for KiMMta.

Students in primary and secondary schools have now completed their national exams and they are now anxiously waiting for their results. On a recent visit to the afterschool project with Vision Africa Chairman, Bob Dowty, we heard that a large number of students have now completed their secondary education. Many of these students used KiMMta’s afterschool programme while they were in primary school and this helped improve their grades to help them secure a place at secondary school.

Last week I had the absolute honour of attending the closing ceremony for KiMMta’s students at the opposite end of the education system. Children from the ECD (Early Childhood Development centre) were in high spirits when we entered the school. They were being given a treat of energy biscuits and juice as part of their Christmas party. When we handed over balloons to one of the teachers the excitement reached another level but the teacher quickly used the balloons for a lesson in colours and had the attention of all of the students.

It has been amazing to see the transformation in these young children over the past year. They are settled in class and have made great progress academically. Their health has also improved thanks to the nutritious breakfast and lunch provided by KiMMta.

As we sat with the students we saw a few parents pass by for the closing meeting. What we didn’t realise was that the classroom upstairs was already full of parents! The attendance was overwhelming and so was the attitude of the parents who offered support for KiMMta’s committee and encouragement to each other to play their part in ensuring the success of the school.

The impact of the feeding programme was brought home to us when one mother stood up and said “When my daughter joined this school she was weak. Walking was difficult and climbing up these stairs was a problem. Now….she runs!” This improved health allows this girl and her classmates to concentrate on their studies and be more sociable as they can join in games and activities that would previously have been a great effort for them.

Several other parents mentioned that people ask them “Where does your child go to school?” because they are so impressed with the progress of the children. This is a wonderful tribute to the work that KiMMta is doing.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project throughout the last year. We look forward to bringing you the results from the primary and secondary school students in the new year.