Kenya: Humane School
School furniture, farm management and learning material for the children of the Humane School
The Humane School is located in western Kenya and has about 80 students. The school exists since 2008 and this year (in 2022), it was possible to acquire a new piece of land for the school. For the new school building, the Humane School still needs school furniture. Much of the furniture from the previous building can be used after a maintenance or repair, but some new furniture will need to be bought as the school grows. In addition, the school needs stationery and learning material for all pupils, i.e. pens, notebooks and paper so that all children can participate well in lessons.
Another big cost factor is the management of the farm, whose main goal is to find a stable and sustainable solution for the food programme. Here, they produce agricultural products that complement and expand the school's food programme. In addition, the school would like to be able to increase the salaries of the employees and adjust to inflation.
In total, the Humane School needs support of about 6,100 euros for the school year.
About the project:
The Humane School is an institution near Kitale town in western Kenya. The small Waldorf initiative, which operates under Rudolf Steiner’s learning principles, exists since 2008. In 2022, after a long process, it was finally possible to acquire a new piece of land on which a proper school can be built.
In January 2021, a temporary structure was put up to act as a classroom. Currently, there are four classes with a total number of 82 children attending the school. All students are taught in the temporary building. Due to the long process to acquire the title deed for the land, the school was only allowed to build the temporary buildings on the site so far. They may need to build another temporary classroom by the end of 2022 to allow a smooth transition of the oldest children into the new class.
The school has a total of fourteen employees, ten teachers and four support staffs. Apart from classroom activities, the school has tried to manage the farm in order to produce farm produce that will be used to supplement in the feeding program. In October 2021, there was a tree planting activity that included planting (fruit) trees and rehabilitating coffee bushes, that had not been taken good care of.
Since April 2022, prices for raw materials, food and school supplies have increased unexpectedly. Overall, the cost of living for people in Kenya has increased extremely, while at the same time wages have remained the same. This is a big challenge for everyone and especially for the school, which provides food and school materials for almost 100 people and is planning to build a new building. The Humane School is grateful for any help that reaches them.
