Education Fund

Without training, you end up in the rubbish ....

We ALL know it. Education is certainly one of the most important cornerstones of a decent human life. Of course, there are many other elements, some of which are also extremely important, to enable a young person to live in freedom and dignity. At this point, however, we would like to emphasise in particular the dimension of initial school education for children and young people in Africa/Kenya. Even if the headline sounds a bit harsh, it is unfortunately only a short distance from reality … But to the facts:

Education here in Kenya is, in theory, a fairly well-organised affair by the state. Unfortunately, as is so often the case in African countries, the constitutional rights remain, but in practice they are completely different. The schools here are generally available, but are almost always completely overcrowded. Between 50 and 150 children in a class (i.e. for one teacher) are not uncommon here. The school fees should actually be limited to the purchase of school materials and books etc., but in fact most teachers here “collect” so-called “motivation fees” because they cannot live (properly) on their salary. In reality, many children are also placed in public schools, whereby the name public school here is not comparable in value with European ideas. A public school here in Kenya usually has fewer children per class and possibly better trained teachers. Of course, there are also public schools run by Europeans, for example, which are then partly funded by their patrons/sponsors, but in many cases the parents of the schoolchildren still have to bear comparatively very high monthly costs. Overall, however, these schools only cater for a small, rather elite group of children. The majority of public schools here are schools run by Kenyans, which simply represent a (mostly good) alternative to the overburdened and poorly run state schools. But: these public schools cost quite a lot for “average parents”, in most cases the mothers and/or fathers have to save food from their mouths so that they can send their children to a public school. But those who are self-respecting (and have a job) try to put their children in a public school, because in the end there is almost certainly more “learning success” than at state schools. We are convinced that it definitely makes sense to provide children with schooling AT ALL, regardless of the level and quality.

If you have no education in prospect, any education is a gain in life!

Because there are still a relatively large number of children (here in the village) who don’t even go to school because their parents don’t have the financial means. Or they only send their sons to school and leave the girls at home to save costs (unfortunately a mainly Muslim phenomenon). So we support parents whose children cannot go to school, or those who send their children to school but have problems paying the school fees or the uniform costs (a requirement here). These contributions are often small and modest by our standards.

We at GARDEN of LIFE repeatedly give various loans for school fees over the course of the year. Often these cannot be repaid, or only partially, or as recently again “only after almost two years”! Nevertheless, this father was very proud to have repaid most of the loan on his own – also because he knows that his repayment now “makes room” for new help!  However, it is a great financial burden for us when we have to pay for such emergencies with our own modest budget. In addition, many demands, especially with regard to education at secondary schools or so-called “polytechnics” (a type of commercial school for skilled trades), are always left in the drawer and cannot be realised because we simply do not have the financial means.

But it is precisely these technical schools, even if they do not teach at the level of quality we would like and do not impart the latest knowledge, that are of enormous importance for the often poorly educated young people so that they can start a working/professional life. Self-confidence increases enormously when a young person gets the chance to do an apprenticeship here and then even has a real, realistic chance of getting a job! Not to mention that it counteracts marginalisation, drugs, gang formation, violence, gambling and alcohol addiction enormously.

And in Kenya, many, many tradespeople are needed. The job potential is huge, even here in the country on the south coast, not just in the big cities. The new middle class is building (simple) houses and the higher earners even have water and electricity connections. This new level automatically calls for technicians, craftsmen who design, build and repair. Above all, carpenters, electricians, solar technicians, plumbers, drivers, bricklayers and many other specialised lights are in demand. With the current level of training, this is “a disaster” to say the least. Far too many untrained unskilled labourers are vying for the (poorly) paid jobs in the so-called “jua cali” sector, and there is a widespread lack of real craftsmen, professionals! Nowadays, anyone who can operate a hand saw calls themselves a carpenter. Anyone who has ever held an electric jigsaw in their hands has the potential to become team leather … We want to counteract this with support for training. We want to see more children going to school – and you know what? Children really enjoy going to school here! Even in poor conditions, the absolute majority are proud to be at school! wow! And we want to give more young people the chance to complete a vocational training programme. A dual system like the one in Switzerland with apprenticeships is still a long way off, but initial efforts are already being made to implement it in Kenya. The first companies and schools have been set up. But as always – and this is the bitter pill of most government projects – it takes an endless amount of time, not least because of the very high level of corruption.

As a small and efficient organisation with local roots, we can do a wonderful job of helping people to help themselves. Taabu and I take great care to ensure that investments are carefully scrutinised and used as efficiently as possible. Those who support us can be sure that their investment will not get caught up in administration, advertising and infrastructure, as is unfortunately very often the case here in Kenya. As multicultural partners, we not only bring both perspectives (Kenyan and Swiss) into play, but also personal involvement based on our experience as parents and grandparents.

We therefore call on you to support us with a donation in our endeavours described above!

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and would also be delighted if you would like to discuss your questions or concerns with us at any time, tell your children about them or even visit us one day, spend a holiday with us (we have a guest house for a family) and take a look around the real world of Africa! Karibu sana !!!