Schools Still Closed in Kenya
The second term would be coming to an end in a week or so here in Kenya had Covid-19 not disrupted normalcy in all learning institutions across the country. In the rural areas, this time has been difficult, too long, and unsettling as schooling has been keeping children in check and more controlled to learn good morals as well as skills useful for the rest of their lives.
Some teachers have made efforts to keep an eye on their students with the help of parents but it is not easy as most of the head-teachers lamented. They experience a number of challenges that include residing in counties away from their workplace and poor telephone services in rural areas. For the teachers who live in the same county as their students, they have been trying to keep the learning going, refresh the memories of their learners, as well as help them understand why we are experiencing all these changes at this time.
Right before Covid-19, Libraries for Kids Int’l had shipped to 11 schools and the difference is noticeable. Learners in these schools have been flocking at their teachers’ residents to request a book or return the ones they had borrowed earlier. Others come to the teachers with questions seeking answers as well as ask for the teachers to recommend a book where they can read on their own on certain topics. We couldn’t have given these children a better gift, one that is not only helping them solve their short-term problems, but also the long term challenge of eradicating poverty in the rural areas.