Waunifor Primary School

This week, during Worship, the children were told about a primary school in Kenya with whom we are making a link. Waunifor Primary School was opened on the farm of Mr and Mrs S D Whetham (Mrs Crampton's grandparents), in 1953 for the children of those working on four farms which neighboured each other.

The school now has 11 classes, and over 500 pupils.

This shows part of the school. It sits around the edge of a central grasses area. The classrooms have dirt floors and not all of them have complete roofs.

The classrooms are basic, as you can see. The desks and chairs are made from rough timber

These are some of the youngest children in school. They take great pride in their uniforms and value learning. There are 22 different ethnic groups attending the school, each with their own language. In the first two years of school the children are taught in the language of Kiswahili and after that in English, in which they become fluent.

There are 11 teachers. The government pays for 9 of them, but the school has to find the money for the other two. Families are asked to contribute towards this, so although school is officially free, they still have to pay.

Some of the children have very little money at all, yet still make the effort to come to school everyday, as they value the importance of education.

This is the very clever system created to help children to be able to wash their hands.

This is the kitchen. All children are required to bring something to put into the pot. It is then turned into a soup for them to eat. If children cannot afford to bring something to go in it, they do not get a meal.

The school has a computer lab, with lots of tablets and computers which were donated by a Canadian charity. They are very proud of this. The children have to do some of their school work, and tests on the computers, which are monitored by a central government agency in the capital city of Nairobi. Electricity bills are very expensive and the school has to find the money to pay for half of the school bill.

The library, however, has very little in it. Mrs Crampton has been discussing the books that would most benefit the children with the headteacher, Mr Chesire.

Each of our Amberley classes has been set the challenge to raise money so that we can buy the books that are so desperately needed. They have been given a £5 note to get them started with buying whatever resources are needed to make more money. They may work together to have a cake sale, and use the money for their ingredients, or work as a single class to make and sell Christmas gifts, for example. Many of the children have already started planning what they can do to help, including a Year 2 child, who has generously donated the contents of her piggy bank- what a wonderful way to see Christian values in action!

In Worship, we regularly ask the children to reflect on what they can do, not only for themselves, but for the community and the wider world, and here they have the perfect opportunity to do something that will have a positive impact on others.

If you would like to read more about the charity work we do in school, please visit the page on our website.