Quality Education for kids in Kenya

Text: Hanne Eide Andersen
Photo: Human Practice Foundation

“This agreement means that more than 1200 students in one of the poorest areas of Kenya will have the opportunity of getting a better education, and through that, hopes for a better future,” says Pernille Kruse, director and founder of the Human Practice Foundation.

This funding from the Kavli Trust will benefit students from five different schools and will go towards achieving different goals.

Quality education

One of the principal ideas behind the Human Practice Foundation is that improving the level of education in a community has a crucial effect on development, both for the children and the community as a whole. Educating youth is important, and the quality of the education is crucial. A quality education opens up for a better future for the kids.

The core activities of the Human Practice Foundation include improvement of facilities and physical learning environments, and support for improvement of teaching. These measures were developed with the aid of funding from the Kavli Trust.

“We’re very pleased with the results from the Human Practice Foundation’s work with the Kavli School Package in Nepal. It is therefore with great pleasure we now enter into a new partnership that will ensure that more than 1200 Kenyan children also will have access to quality education,” says Inger Elise Iversen, CEO of the Kavli Trust.

So far, the work has improved the day-to-day life and education of 7000 Nepalese children.

Better classrooms and libraries

In Kenya, the funds from the Kavli Trust will among other things go towards improving classrooms and constructing school libraries. The latter will provide a space for the kids to immerse themselves in books of both fiction and fact, augmenting teaching.

“The teachers will receive training in how to make use of the new facilities, additional education, and training to strengthen their teaching skills,” says Pernille Kruse.

Homework café and playground

The teachers will also set up a homework café, where the kids can get the teachers’ help with their homework.

“Many of the kids aren’t able to do homework at home, either because they have to help out around the house or because they don’t have enough light to read by,” says Pernill Kruse.

The funds will also go towards the construction of school playgrounds.

“Being able to play and the joy that comes from that is an important part of a good life at school, which in turn is essential for getting a good education. This project will ensure that the schools can bring the kids on excursions to national parks, where they can learn about Kenya’s rich nature and how to live and develop society in harmony with nature.”

Teacher training

It is important that teachers are provided with the training they need, the knowledge they need, and that they know to use the improved facilities to their full potential.

“We want to give them the tools to inspire the students to take a more active role in class, as well as the knowledge needed to see every child, and meet their different needs in terms of learning styles,” says Pernille Madsen Kruse.

“We want to give teachers and students what they need in order to create a better education together,” she summarises.

Courses in entrepreneurship

The overarching goal of the project is to help reduce poverty in the poorest part of the Kenyan population, through education.

At the same time, the goal is to provide the students with specific tools to use in their communities and for self-development.

“We do that through courses in entrepreneurship that focus on local conditions and possibilities,” says Pernille Kruse.

Local involvement is important

With the funds from the Kavli Trust, the Kenyan division of the Human Practice Foundation will be keeping busy.

The first order of business is to hire a dedicated, competent project coordinator to manage the project and coordinate with the management of the five schools. All parties are to be involved in the work from the very beginning.

“It is extremely important that we make sure the schools are actively involved from the beginning of the project,” emphasises Pernille Kruse.

“Human Practice Foundation’s approach to development work is based on strong local involvement. That’s why we bring in the schools and students very early on, to hear what they believe will best benefit the school, the students and the local community. We then try to incorporate this into the project activities and the overarching goal of the project.”