Street children speak out ahead of the Day of the African Child

Written by Daniel Saenyi

Altogether for urgent action for street children is the theme for the Day of the African Child celebration which will be celebrated all over the world on 16^th of June. In Bungoma County, street children are set to have day of their life as they prepare to celebrate these day at Bungoma Poster Grounds.

As much as the day is to make these children forget some of their troubles, they still can’t put behind them the difficulties they have to face daily. The hustle through life with each day taking care of itself. They have to sleep through the cold nights and sunny days with no one to look up to but themselves for survival.

One of the bright and hopeful face of Africa's future through its children.

Salim Alfan narrates, life on the streets is survival for the fittest as they constantly fight for food and have begged for leftovers. Their only plea is that some of them are willing to go to school if they are given a chance.

“Out here we have children of all ages; sometimes the streets get really tough for them as some of the children are too young to be out here. The easily get infected with all kinds of ailments and we don’t have money to take them to hospitals,’” said Alfan

As though life is not hard enough for these children, they are constantly harassed by residents of the town and the police as most of them claim. Suleiman Kioko a street kid says they are always the first suspects of any theft.

“We are mostly harassed by the residents and the police saying we are thieves even when we are innocent. We get beaten up and no one cares to help us because we are children of the streets. We are always running from someone daily,” said Kioko.

Salim Alfan (middle) one of the street children in Bungoma town. photo/ Daniel Saenyi.

Life on the streets is clearly hard enough as it is, but the streets are always getting an increase in the number of street kids. Most of them claim that life on streets is way better as compared to their homes; some of them are just runaways while others are orphaned due to different issues.

“Most of us out here are run away from home because of different issues, some ran away from ill treatment of step-parents while some see the poverty on the streets is better as compared to their state at home,” said Kioko.

The streets are getting high numbers of street children because Bungoma doesn’t have a centre for street children that can accommodate them.

On celebrating the day of the African Child, the Bungoma committee for the African Child has organized the celebration to address the issues facing the street kids and how to help them. The day will involve sensitizing the community of how we can put up with these children and to help them.

They will get new clothes and food donations from different organizations and have football matches against non street children which the street kids promise to win.

According to Pastor Patrick Siabuta, the chairman of the African Child Committee, as much as the celebration is all some of them will get, those who are willing to leave the streets will be given a chance to go to school by the African Child Committee.

“Some of the children who want to leave the streets will be given temporary home while the committee looks for a permanent home them. Bungoma has enough resources to accommodate the children who want get education’” Said Pastor Siabuta.

As Bungoma is on the eve of the African child Celebration, its about time we take in consideration the tough life they face and try to come up with ways to help them.

Strengthening the quality of education through Innovation is key in achieving Vision 2030

Written by Daniel Saenyi

 
Freinds School Kamusinga receiving their award for emerging the best boys school after the closure of  49^th National Science congress held in Bungoma high school. 

Western province emerged as the most improved province nationwide in the concluded 49^th National Science congress held in Bungoma high school   with Kamusinga high school being the best in Chemistry exhibits and presentations taking the best boys’ school award.
The best girl school however went to Central Province with Bishop Gatimu Gandu taking the award and SCLP Samaj taking the best mixed school.

The competition was dominated by Oshwal Academy from Nairobi which took six trophies generally and came to be number two in overall school ranking. In the top Five, the only Western school was Friends School Kamusinga which was number four overall following Aga Khan from Mombasa in third place and followed by Jalaram Academy from Nyanza province.

SCLP Samaj emerged the victor of this year’s National Students Congress on Science and Technology.

The top five schools were said to be ones with the most talented innovators and the most relevant ideas to the theme: Science and Technology for Sustainable Development”.

The overall best in chemistry were Riruta Central from Nairobi and Friends school Kamusinga from Western in exhibits and talks respectively. Riruta Central is set to receive Sh 120,000 for emerging the victors.

At provincial level, North Eastern province tailed the competition following Eastern Province with 562 marks. Coast province made it to number six with 573 marks following Nyanza at position five with 672 marks. Rift valley province managed position four with 682 marks behind Central province with 722 marks. The top two were Western with 723 marks immediately behind Nairobi Province which was the ultimate champion.

 

Mr. Esbius Juma Mukhwana (writing) the Managing Director of Sacred Africa Bungoma examining some of the students' exhibition.

Mr. Esbius Juma Mukhwana the Managing Director of Sacred Africa Bungoma revealed that Incorporating theoretical knowledge into practical is a challenge in many Kenyans and a negative aspect in achieving the country’s vision 2030.

Mukhwana noted that, the country needs to establish good policies that will be pointed at actualizing some of the project that are invented by the students as it heads to Vision 2030.

“ We put more emphasis on exams more than we emphasize innovativeness, the country should not waste talent because some may not make it to university but has the potential to develop good strategies so we should create centers that nature the talents of those who don’t make it academically, Said Mr. Mukhwana.

Mukwana was addressing teachers, students after the 49^th National Science congress came to its climax at Bungoma High School on 11^th June with over fifty schools from the entire country showed up to expose their talents in innovation with regard to these years theme Science and Technology for Sustainable Development.

 

Oshwal Academy from Nairobi.

The three day’s event was peaceful with students upholding discipline. The judges did not miss to mention that the process was fair and there was a noted improvement as compared to last year.

According to Steven Mugoba, the Deputy Chief Judge, this year they have the best innovators so far.

As observed in the competitions, the students lack mentors who would give them a direction. Some students could not answer simple questions on their own projects. It was as if they were forced to present someone else’s project or they didn’t carry out enough field experiments.

The entire competition was dominated by low reception on their power point projects and frequent blackouts as its common in Bungoma County. In terms of relevance to the theme, most projects were linked well with the theme, i.e. Automatic Feeder, DVD controlled Irrigation System, Egg Hatcher and Water Purifier.

The Science Congress did not only manage to bring innovation to the public but also enabled the students interact and share ideas for development both personally and academically.

Next year’s Congress will be held in North Eastern at Garissa and will base on the theme, “Science and Technology for the Realisation of Vision 2030".