MARA GETS FIRST PUBLIC GIRLS' BOARDING SCHOOL

In a bid to save hundreds of young girls from early marriages, a group of UK based teachers has pitched tent in the Masai Mara Game Reserve to keep them in school.

A non-profit organization, Educating The Children (ETC), is building a new public boarding school at Sekanani inside the game park. Phase 1 is just about to be completed to allow the first group of students to be admitted to Form 1.ETC Kenya point person Geraldine Feehally, who is the director of teaching and training, says they are partnering with the Sekanani community and Sarova Mara Game Camp to build the school.

The school will have full boarding facilities to host 400 secondary girl students in the heart of the Mara, opening their lives to new opportunities. ETC runs the teaching scheme ‘Adopt a teacher, Adopt a global learning’ in which UK-trained teachers are welcomed and adopted by primary schools in the Masai.

 

Mara, where they teach for three months. Pursuit of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education by 2015 has led to eradication of primary school fees in Kenya. Average class sizes have increased up to 100 in the Mara and although accessibility to education has been improved, quality has been compromised. 

ETC is here to help redress the teacher shortage and improve quality education. The school will be run by Kenyan teachers under the auspices of Narok County government’s education department, while ETC will play an oversight role.

ETC Kenya point person Geraldine Feehally inside the school building

In 2010, Feehally, an experienced teacher, joined the ETC Volunteer Teacher Programme and was sent with two other teachers to Sekanani Primary School to teach for a term. The UK efforts were directed at developing teaching and learning by helping to reduce class sizes, modeling spoken English, introducing a wider range of teaching strategies and giving focus to the pupils’ development of concepts and their applications to problem solving, rather than simple rote learning.    

 "Our experience showed us the great needs of the  local  girls. With insufficient opportunities to develop their potential amid abusive cultural practices and daily drudgery, we stepped in to help," she says. ETC set out to build a girl’s public secondary boarding school and in 2012 identified the Sekanani site. The county’s visionary leadership trusts ETC and its work.

The challenges of crossing cultures, negotiating local and regional politics, working within a different educational system are enormous. Nevertheless the cause is right and the Sekanani community vision has remained strong to sustain the donors’ confidence and ETC determination. Sekanai community members have assisted practically with the construction works and well-wishers have given their time and resources generously.

New skills are reaching not just the students, but also the wider community. This new girl’s secondary school at Sekanani will provide a broad and enriching secondary education offering skills and understanding, safety, security, mentoring and support to the development of local young women. Maasai women have been given an opportunity to realize their potential, honour their families and communities and help to bring about sustainable development.