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| Foodsdtuff received from Recover Mission For Life (NGO) with appreciation |
Milami School: Overview
Milami Primary School is located within the fast-growing suburb of Athi River, in the village of Joska. It is 38 kilometers from Nairobi city center along the Eastern bypass towards Kangundo town in Machakos County-Kenya. Currently the school hosts 400 pupils from Kindergarten to year 8 (class 8). Milami School also accommodates 195 pupils with high needs. Public speaking talent is natured early Ours is a two-in-one model where both mainstream and needy pupils are accommodated within one setting.The classrooms are
purpose-built to accommodate the entire learning community. Notwithstanding its temporary structured status the infrastructure consist of ten
classrooms, one kitchen, staff room, and store including a minimalist assembly area.
Although the
school has been connected to the power supply grid, it lacks the information
Technology infrastructure that can allow teachers to take advantage of the
latest Information Technology initiatives. The teaching staff doesn’t have
whiteboards such as iPads, laptops, etc.
Milami Primary School enjoys warm interaction
with the community around. Parents are encouraged to interact closely with the
school especially in assisting in areas such as sports, educational trips and
other activities. The school board meets once a month to evaluate progress and
planning of the school. The board meets regularly in order to review and
develop policies of the school. The board is actively committed to assisting
the school in soliciting for resources. Tuition is encouraged as a way of
fostering intensive academic support.
The curricular timetable
has been designed to enable pupils to boost their numeracy as well as literacy
skills. For instance, pupils in grade 8 have their learning time extended from
5.00 p.m to 8.30 p.m in the evening. Kids know how to sing and they do so with
passion.
Another unique
feature in Milami Primary School is the existence of a wealth of experience and
knowledge among the diverse staff. Teachers incorporate
different strategies including using curriculum supplementary materials to help
pupils realize their full potential.
The Genesis
When Milami Primary School registered its first cohort of candidates to sit for
their national exams, everyone was tense. The pupils had their own worries as
to whether they would make it to secondary school.
The founders, Mr.
Michael Otaro and his wife Melab Otaro were equally uneasy and so were the parents. Being a pioneer in
anything always comes with mixed feelings. So, in 2013, the school presented its
first cohort to do the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (K.C.P.E). It was
spine-chilling even to parents and the community around because the poor
infrastructure, dilapidated classrooms, unqualified teachers and poverty
around said it all. However, Mr and Mrs Michael Otaro kept their fingers crossed as the 19
candidates were paraded as prototypes.
The D-Day came and lucky enough, Milami was
registered as an exam center. So, the candidates did their exam from home
ground. The candidates arrived at 6.30a.m. A little too early. Michael prepared
porridge for them to which they were thankful. All, including Michael, spoke in
low tones, as if something terrible was about to happen.
“You will make it” said Melab. “You have done all that was required to be done, and I know you are the best,” She assured them. When the invigilators arrived at 8.00 a.m. tension mounted! So they did their papers and were through after three days. We could see the confidence on their faces. They confessed that all was not bad as everyone was able to answer all questions.
The Unexpected Triumph
On December, 27th, 2013, the KCPE results were announced officially over the Radio and Television. The examining body, Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) provided a short code where one could send his/her index number to and be able to see their individual results.
Unlike any other
time in the community, everyone wanted to know how the dilapidated Milami
School performed. And, to their surprise the results were awesome; all of them
had passed the exam. Word went round that pupils of Milami had performed well
and for the very first time, the school was ranked among the top 5 in Machakos
County. Michael and Melab were at a loss; whether to
celebrate or shed tears because the next stage for the pioneer pupils was very
crucial.
Although they passed very well and managed to secure places in high school, the prospect of getting school fees was bleak. High school fees in Kenya are very exorbitant and an average Kenyan cannot afford. Private schools charge even more except for newly established ones that are yet to gain a reputation. Among the nineteen candidates, only nine were able to get support from their parents.
How We Understand Support
Child sponsorship is a special way of supporting a needy child; a giving that leads to long-term impact. It goes beyond the satisfaction that comes with it but permeates into long-lasting benefits and well-being of the disadvantaged child. We thank God for everything In order to realize their full potential in life, children need to follow the road provided through education. Yet, too many disadvantaged children such as we have here in our community; the door to such an opportunity is tightly padlocked by the prevailing poverty. Future CEOs shall spring up from today’s children-so are industry employees, managers, customers etc. The best way they can be assisted to face the challenges of life in the future is by investing in them now.
How We Utilize Donations
Funds obtained are collectively pooled in the school account to benefit the entire school community. However, Milami School is open to the following types of support: Donated foodstuff are well received
•Individual: Individual child
sponsorship where the sponsor chooses to relate with the child on a one to one
basis. With this kind of arrangement, the child and the sponsor are able to
communicate via air mail, phone, and email or through the school contacts. The
sponsor is at liberty to visit the school community and interact with the
child/children. Furthermore, the sponsor has the opportunity to pick a specific
child based on gender, age, sex etc. This way, the sponsor-to-child
relationship develop into long term friendship that carry special meaning for
both of them.
• Many-To-One:
In a case where many sponsors support one child, the child is deemed to
represent the entire school community; hence, there is no one-on-one
association between the sponsors and the child.
• Program
Support: With program sponsorship, there is no sponsor-child association at
all. Instead, the sponsor is at liberty to contribute in support of the
school’s development programs.
How Much To Donate
Anything you donate will go a long way in helping needy children and the school community. If you are able to support one or more children, you will assist us towards achieving our goal. You can even choose to skip a meal and donate towards our noble course. We anticipate creating long term transformation in the child you sponsor as well as the community around by way of programs that focus on childhood development. It is our conviction that sponsorships from various sources ensures that needy children without direct support also benefit from your donations and our programs.Why Sponsor
In the short time of our existence, we have been recognized by those who have come along and indeed, helped support a number of needy children to meet their high school fees, food, textbooks etc. And the banana party was truly phenomenon. We encourage sponsors to pay fees for the child they choose to support directly to the school where they are. Our fiscal accountability has since earned us good ratings..
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| Rewarding bright, needy pupils at Milam Primary School is our tradition |