Activation Trust Report

February 25, 2007

Kisumu, Kenya November 2006

Expectations

I was eager to be apart of the Activation Trust workshop to share my knowledge and belief that an early introduction to environment and conservation is an increasingly important component of early education. I was also keen to work closely with a group of children whose lives have been so affected by poverty and AIDS. With the help of Activation Trust, I am hopeful that the future of many of these children will not be determined by their unfortunate circumstances. My experience with Activation Trust in Kisumu was very positive and eye opening. I certainly gained a great deal from the experience.

Preparation

Before leaving for Kenya my pre-knowledge of what to expect during the program was limited and this proved to be a challenge in terms of preparing for the week. It would have been very helpful as a first time teacher with these students to have a clearer idea of their personal and academic backgrounds as well as their English skills. As a result of having little pre-knowledge, I spent a great deal of time preparing for students at a range of levels so that I was able to be flexible upon meeting them.

Upon arrival in Kisumu, due to time constraints it was not possible for Colin and Myself to meet with the rest of the team before the start of the week. It would have been helpful and insightful to have met with Leah, Morris and Anne to discuss the week, expectations and to discuss the lessons that were prepared in case any adjustments should be made.

Itinerary

It was very helpful to have the schedule of the week’s sessions before arriving. In terms of planning it would have been more helpful if the itinerary were available at an earlier date. The daily routine worked well with having a combination of field trips and in-class lessons. On a few of the afternoons, the schedule was too loose and the students started loosing focus. Having the children from 9-5 is a fairly long period of time. It would help to have a more of a rigorous structure to keep the students focussed and motivated. Additional field trips or classroom sessions could help fill the gap.

The Wastahili Center

It was excellent to have access to the Wastahili Center to offer lessons and have a place offering meals. The Wastahili Center provided a great structure to work out of and it also broadened the network of people involved in efforts to assist with children in poverty.

Field trips

The field trips to the pool, K-Core and the Ndere Island were enjoyable and educational by offering the children a chance to apply some of the concepts that were addressed in the lessons. They also provided a chance for the children to bond and exercise responsibility. If possible in future, more field trips could be added and lessons could be conducted at the various sites. This gives the kids a change of scenery and opportunity to make valuable connections between lessons learned and the real world.

The Kenya Team

It was invaluable to have Morris, Leah and Anne as part of the team. They have all developed a fairly close connection with the children and are knowledgeable about the children’s backgrounds and family dynamics. They were very welcoming and generous with their time during the week and the children obviously trust all of them. Without having a team in Kisumu it would have been very difficult to have carried out the session so smoothly.

Student comments:

• Irene. Very articulate, expressed on a number of occasions how grateful she is to Activation for encouraging and enabling her continued education. Very good spoken and written skills. Irene mentioned her difficulty with not having enough funds to pay for some basics (menstrual pads) and that she often had to ask classmates to lend her what she did not have.

• Millicent: Millicent was happy and content with the other children but seemed to lack confidence during lessons. She was hesitant to contribute or answer questions but this seemed more to do with her lack of confidence than with her lack of knowledge.

• Stephen: Stephen seemed content and sociable with the other children. In class a little shy to contribute.

• Kevin: Very shy but seemed focussed and hard-working.

• Julius: Very focussed and bright. With a little encouragement Julius became quite willing to contribute in the lessons.

• Kefa: Quite content and adjusted however shy and hesitant to contribute in classes.

• Fred: Very bright and enthusiastic to contribute to the lessons. A pleasure to have with the group

• Victor: Victor had a difficult time focussing and getting through the

exercises during the lessons. He seemed to be able to relax with the other kids but was often confused and unwilling to participate in classroom sessions.

• Jonathon: Jonathon seemed also quite happy and relaxed with the other kids. When prompted he was usually willing and able to give answers and contribute to the class

• Lillian: under the weather on a few of the days. Health issues? Bright but had trouble focusing in class.

• Mariam: Again delightful and content to have with the group. She needed a bit more help than the others with explanations, but her age may have contributed to this.

The children all seemed to gel very well with one another. The group dynamic was generally very positive and they all seemed to have fun together which was very encouraging to see. From a teaching perspective, the teacher-student dynamic was something very new for me. There is obviously a very formal, authoritarian relationship between teacher and student in Kenya, which is very different from the education system in Canada. I think this affected the ability of the children to be comfortable to contribute to the classes and offer their suggestions. It certainly was challenging to draw ideas from them, which may or may not have been intensified by the language barrier.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be apart of the workshop. I sincerely hope that Activation Trust will be able to continue to aid these children in furthering and enhancing their education.

Theresa Douthwright

Public Education Department

Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

Bamfield, BC

Canada