Potential or Problem: The Kenya Youth Challenge
Potential or Problem: The Kenya Youth Challenge

One would wonder what it means that Kenya has a Ministry for Youth within the government. It might even be more puzzling to note that there is a Youth Fund that was launched by the President himself not too long ago. 40 % of Africa is aged 15 and under. This continental average is not too far from that of Kenya, which is slightly higher at 42.2 % (according to worldstat info). For a continent that has a myriad of ailments, this may be genuine reason for concern.There is no doubt about the enormity of the task ahead for the government. But it can only do so much. There is no doubt about the enormity of the task for the work of eduKenya in Mathare. Indeed we can only do so much. But how much is that much? The fact remains that there is no public (government) school within reasonable walking distance (for most cannot afford, nay, even think of affording any other means of transportation). Majority of the population in Mathare therefore depend on “informal” schools for their children to acquire an education.This then is the space we operate in. We have put ourselves in a place where we can be accessible. Most of our children can walk to school and back home in relative safety. And it is not only the children who can access us. We have opened ourselves to the parents as well, who are free to discuss their children’s progress with the teacher. In the coming week we will have our termly meeting where we discuss our expectations of one another for the term ahead.This comes at a cost. Because of where we have chosen to locate ourselves, there is hardly room for expansion. This coupled with the desire to provide education with a difference that leads to transformation means that we have limited opportunities. And the community has caught onto it. In the last interviews we did for places in the school, it was more than 5 children for one place. How we long to do much more. Yet we also rejoice in what we are doing knowing that it is more than an education for papers. It is an education for life – in the heart, the head and the hands. And per adventure that for most of the children who pass through our hands, the generations after them will experience a different life. That’s potential.

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