We first met Boyye during our second week in Kenya. His hospitality, interest in learning English and commitment to his community was unique, to say the least. Over the course of the year, we have gotten to know Boyye better and recently decided to sponsor him through secondary school. It was enlightening for us to peek behind the scenes into the lives of those that are on the margins, to understand what education looks like here in Kenya and to think about what a 4-year commitment looks like in Boyye’s world and in ours.
When Boyye’s father passed away in December, it was tough on him and his family. He lives with his mother and grandma and near his sisters in Mathare, an informal settlement on the east side of Nairobi. While his fathers’ passing was difficult to swallow, it also meant that he, as an only son, would have additional responsibilities in caring or his family. The first priority in considering going to school for Boyye was to cautiously gain approval from his family. 4 years in school could have been translated to 4 years away from the house and unable to provide for his family. Thankfully, he won his mother over in the process and gained full support from his family.
The second priority was building up Boyye to a point where he understood the complexities of joining 14-15 year olds in Form I (9th Grade) as a 19 year-old…the realization that he would be 23 upon graduation was not only a strange concept for us, but also for him. Boyye has been committed to helping out at the Inspiration Center in Mathare over the past three years. Going away to a boarding school is going be a stark difference for him…high structure, new friends, rural setting, etc. We have yet to see how this transition will go, but are confident and hopeful that he will make the best of it.
Perhaps the most peculiar thing for us in this process was learning how quickly things could happen. We have been talking with Boyye about going back to school for a few months now. He had shown signs of interest along the way, and became serious about things over the past month. Last week, when we decided that this would be our best bet in investing in him and the Mathare community, we approached a friend who deals with educational sponsorship. Coming into our meeting with her, we figured that we would have to wait until the following year since 3 months had already passed in the Kenyan academic calendar. 5 minutes into the conversation, we had a book list, a breakdown of costs and an appointment with the headmaster. Can you imagine? No application, no waivers, no admission process.
Another important learning process for us along the way was learning about the economics of education in Kenya. Kenya is supposed to have developed a “free education” government program for all primary and seco
ndary students. This is an absolute joke! Boyye’s community, which is home to 500,000 people has only one government-run secondary school, leaving us with few options but to look elsewhere. We felt that being away from Mathare in a boarding environment would be more advantageous to his learning. When you add up the costs of tuition (which is the only part of government run schools that is free), transport, boarding, books, uniform, medical, an ID card and basic supplies, you are looking at $1,000 USD/year. Should we have chosen a “free” government school, we would be looking at $800 USD/year.
I joined Boyye, his mother, a good friend from Mathare and a volunteer from the sponsorship organization to his new school on Wednesday. It brought me back to our first weeks in Kenya as one of those breakable moments when any type of beauty is overwhelmed by affliction. After a 3 hour matatu ride on awful roads, we arrived at the school with a tin box of belongings, a backpack and 4 textbooks. Although the school’s setting was beautiful, the 6 years of its existence had taken a big toll. Perhaps the most startling realization was the dormitory, which I can best compare with a smaller version of my grandfather’s barn growing up. 10 x 25 meters, bunk beds lined up in rows, one big overhead light, nasty foam mattresses and a tin box for each bed. I was reminded of a college move-in day at PLU with moving trucks, TV’s, couches, carpet, computers galore…and people complaining about the size of our rooms. While the context is slightly different, our basic human desire for cleanliness and comfort remain the same. I began to wonder if we had indeed done a good thing by encouraging and assisting Boyye with going to school. 4 years down the road, we will know! In the meantime, if you can keep him in your thoughts and prayers with us, we would appreciate it.
We first met Boyye during our second week in 
Perhaps the most peculiar thing for us in this process was learning how quickly things could happen. We have been talking with Boyye about going back to school for a few months now. He had shown signs of interest along the way, and became serious about things over the past month. Last week, when we decided that this would be our best bet in investing in him and the Mathare community, we approached a friend who deals with educational sponsorship. Coming into our meeting with her, we figured that we would have to wait until the following year since 3 months had already passed in the Kenyan academic calendar. 5 minutes into the conversation, we had a book list, a breakdown of costs and an appointment with the headmaster. Can you imagine? No application, no waivers, no admission process. 
ndary students. This is an absolute joke! Boyye’s community, which is home to 500,000 people has only one government-run secondary school, leaving us with few options but to look elsewhere. We felt that being away from Mathare in a boarding environment would be more advantageous to his learning. When you add up the costs of tuition (which is the only part of government run schools that is free), transport, boarding, books, uniform, medical, an ID card and basic supplies, you are looking at $1,000 USD/year. Should we have chosen a “free” government school, we would be looking at $800 USD/year.
No comments:
Post a Comment