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Education
is the key to improving the standard of living for all members of
society. Education leads to an improvement in health and nutrition
and provides tools for better decision-making at all levels of society.
If enough of Kenya's children are allowed to stay in school, change
is inevitable.
Our
programs to aid education in Kenya provide cross-cultural experiences
for the sponsor, the child and their family members and thereby
increase tolerance of different cultures. Our students and families
benefit in the following ways:
- As
literacy rates increase, family size and infant mortality rates
decrease.
- Each year of formal education translates into a reduction in
teenage pregnancies and therefore a reduction in maternal deaths
due to birth or abortion.
- Each
additional year a student is in school equates to higher and
increased family income.
- Education
results in healthier, better nourished children and families
and is a deterant to child labor and commercial sexual exploitation.
One
child's story
Julieta
works in the scorching heat to dig up the last of 112 holes
which will be used to plant trees for forest conservation.
For every hole she digs, she is paid 18 Kenyan shillings,
or the equivalent of 23 cents. She has been digging holes
at the South Horr Mission every holiday since she joined
secondary school to raise her school fees for the next term.
Julieta lives in the Samburu District which is in the throes
of a serious famine and, even though she has not eaten at
all for the past two days, she works with a smile on her
face. Not every girl has been lucky enough to get this chance.
There
are many stories like Julieta's throughout Kenya. Although
primary education is now free for all students in Kenya,
the secondary schools still charge fees and require uniforms
for attendance. Thousands of children come from pastoral
communities where family income is limited which means they
must not only convince their parents to let them attend
school, but they must also work at raising their own fees.
In many cases, it's an impossible dream. Hope for Kenya's
Kids wants to help. |
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