Kodera Update Part 3 of 4

Here is Friday’s section (part 3 of 4) of Christopher’s beautiful report on Kodera. Previously we covered the impact of the medical clinic on Wednesday and the affect and effects of the church on Thursday. Today we visit the school to see the transformation of the future generation. Please enjoy!


THE KODERA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
By Christopher Sure
July 2008
(post 3 out of 4)

PINE LAKE ACADEMY

At every beginning of the school term the children all gather at the church for a special dedication service where we send them off to school. We have seen God’s hand working through this to bless our children with their studies. In the last two years, the children from our church have performed in exams better than other kids community. The girls who participated and remained true to the shared promises they made, came out with very good results. There are uncountable things that God is doing in our midst.

If anything, it has made a dreamer perfect the art of dreaming, it’s the school; Pine Lake Academy, The school has tremendously transformed the lives of the kids, their parents, and the teachers in an amazing way. To begin with , the school has kids from three different tribes so the kids grow up and learn to speak different languages. These languages are Luo, Luyia and Kisii. In the Kenya curriculum for education, rural schools begin teaching in the dominant mother tongue as a medium for instruction to all kids from preschool to the third grade. Then in 4th grade, the instructions are given in English. At Pine Lake Academy, we have cared for other who do not speak the Luo language by giving instructions in English from the very start. The kids at Pine Lake Academy find their learning enjoyable because they learn to effectively communicate in the very language they will do all their tests in, i.e. English. Parents who have more than one kid at PLA are always impressed that when their kids are home they only speak to each other in English and Swahili, the official languages.

Learning has been made more enjoyable and easy by the school supplies that came from America. These were learning tools that had never been seen before. The teachers have found their work very rewarding in the sense of the joy and satisfaction brought about by the learning aids that excite the kids and makes them learn faster.

The children, who used to eat at home every meal without even thanking the God who provides, now would never allow their parents to attack their food without giving thanks to God for the provision. The kids have taken the good news back home. The breakfast (porridge) and the lunch provided at school have transformed the lives of the once frail and gloomy kids to robust, sparkling, very active, (some hyper) bouncy kids. The nutritious supplement of Amaranth flour in their porridge and Ugali plus the Moringa supplement in their everyday lunch just worked a miracle. At the academy they do not just get teaching, they also get the right diet that their body needs and shapes their health to what it was meant to be. Even their parents have said that in the first month of attending PLA, the health of their children improved greatly.

Secondly, the schools around us fear to allow our kids to take a joint test with them. One time last year, grade three kids at PLA did take a test these grade three kids of the Mititi School. The results were: 1-9 PLA, then position ten was taken by best kid from the Mititi School. Then positions 11-19 were taken again by the PLA students. Since then we have asked for joint tests with Mititi and other schools but they are very reluctant to accept us. Lastly, those parents who in the past never use to bother about what goes on with their kids at school, now must always know what is going on. We ask the kids to report their daily work to their parents and that they do faithfully. Occasionally we invite parents to discuss the progress of their children at school. We are driven by the principles of collective responsibility where parents and teachers join hands and effort to shape the life of the child. Up to 10 kids who left to join other schools at the beginning of the year have come back. “PINE LAKE ACADEMY IS WHERE WE BELONG.”

Be Amazed at what happens through love and compassion! A little direct love and attention has helped to show these children and the community around them how to turn their views on life around from apologizing to exclaiming that they are children of Kodera and God! Sister Missions will be sharing knowledge in computer skills, Word, Excel, Power Point and Publisher with a group of Pine Lake Academy teachers so they will be better equipped to organize and create grade sheets, lesson plans, teaching tools, communication (with other teachers, the government, students and parents) and more. These teachers will then take the knowledge and pass it on to other teachers and students. Also, by learning and passing this knowledge on, teachers will begin their journey to fulfill the government mandate that all teachers be computer literate in 4 years. Thank you for helping make the teacher’s goal a reality with your donation. See what great things can happen when we all work together?! If you have not already, join in the adventure and donate today!