Education, youth and culture consultation: Njenga segment 3 (Riara), 7.12.18
Where? St Stevens, Riara, Mukuru kwa Njenga
When? 7.12.18
What? Education, youth and culture consortium consultation meeting (the consortium = WERC (Women Education Research Centre), Reuben Centre, New School (New York), Oxfam, Plan International, Daraja Initiative, Mukuru Slum Development Project, Elimu Yetu Foundation, Data Vault Systems, Slum Dwellers International-Kenya, and Akiba Mashinani Trust)
Who? Residents representatives from Njenga segment 3 villages (Riara); Muungano alliance federation and support professionals; representatives of consortium organisations.
About the community consultations:
This note is from the first of three sets of community consultations by the Education, youth and culture consortium of the SPA.
This first set of consultation meetings are segment-level dreaming sessions, where residents share their views and aspirations with the consortium, and where the consortium works with the community to identify issues and challenges, community priorities, and ideas for potential solutions – all relating to education, youth and culture.
After the first consultation meetings, the consortium will develop a draft sectoral plan for the segment – this draft sectoral plan will be derived from the dreams shared in the first set of consultation meetings and tested against the existing reality of Mukuru.
In later sets of meetings, first at segment level, the consortium will seek residents’ feedback on these draft plans, which will then be revised accordingly. And then all 8 of the SPA consortiums will together share the final integrated development plan, for adoption by Mukuru’s residents.
Challenges faced by Riara village residents on matters of education.
Distance –most public schools are located at least one kilometre from Riara village.
Poor infrastructure – most roads in the area are congested and very muddy during the rainy season.
Over population – the schools that are in the area are so crowded.
Unqualified personnel – most schools employ unqualified teachers in the area.
Hygiene and sanitation – due to overpopulation in the schools the hygiene standards are low this causes diseases.
Distraction – most schools are located in very disturbing locations that is near clubs, liquor dens near plots hence noisy households.
Nurturing talents - most schools in the area do not have extra curriculum activities they do not help kids to nurture their talents.
Space – most classrooms in the area have little space one room is shared by at least 3 classrooms
Dangerous spots- most schools lack playgrounds and the students during break time, playing on the roads this at times cause accidents.
Flooding – schools flood during the raining season most schools flood this could cause diseases to the children.
Expensive – the schools in the area are very expensive.
Outbreak of diseases- most schools in the area do not maintain high hygienic standards this causes diseases outbreaks in the area.
Special unit – special needs children need a special unit to help them access quality education like any other kids.
Poor ventilation- most classes in the area are poorly ventilated.
Defilement – small young boys and girls get sexually assaulted by their teachers who are just hired randomly. There should be a standard hiring way this will reduce this cases.
No laboratory- the secondary schools in the area do not have a laboratory or the equipment’s.
No library- the place does not have a library for kids to practice what they have learnt during their free time.
Technical centres – Riara does not have a technical centre to help youths gain skills that could help them sustain themselves.
High crime rates- due to unemployment the youths who are done or dropped out of school have turned to crime as a way of living.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES
ISSUE 1: Distance
EFFECTS: Time wastage; Insecurity
PROPOSALS: Build schools near
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: 6 months -1 year
ISSUE 2: Under age
EFFECTS: Mental pressure
PROPOSALS: Kids to start school at the required age
RESPONSIBILITY: Community; County government
TIME: 6months -1 year
ISSUE 3: Poverty
EFFECTS: Drop outs
PROPOSALS: Government to build public schools
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: 6months -1 year
ISSUE 4: Congestion
EFFECTS: Sickness; Lack of concentration
PROPOSALS: Enlargement of classes; Enough learning materials ; Additional trained teachers
RESPONSIBILITY: Community; County government
TIME: 6 months – 1year
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
ISSUE 1: Lack of enough schools
EFFECTS: Congestion; Walking long distances; insecurity
PROPOSALS: The county government should provide public schools
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: 6 months
ISSUE 2: Lack of teachers
EFFECTS: Poor performance; Overworking of teachers
PROPOSALS: Provide enough teachers
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: Very soon
ISSUE 3: Lack of textbooks
EFFECTS: Poor performance; Class/homework are not done on time
PROPOSALS: Provide enough textbooks
RESPONSIBILITY: County government; stakeholders
TIME: As soon as possible
ISSUE 4: Poor infrastructure
EFFECTS: Congestion of pupils; diseases
PROPOSALS: Building of enough classes
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: 6 months-1year
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ISSUE 1: No secondary schools
EFFECTS: Walking long distances
PROPOSALS: Construct at least one public school for boys
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: Immediate effect
ISSUE 2: Private schools
EFFECTS: Non trained teachers; Very expensive; Exchange of teachers all the time; No play grounds ; No library; No laboratory; No security; Lack of classrooms; Lack of pit latrines which causes outbreak of diseases
PROPOSALS: Construct a government school
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: Immediate effect
ISSUE 3: Drug abuse
EFFECTS: Liquor dens are all over the village
PROPOSALS: Reduce the no: of liquor dens in the area by licensing
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: Immediate effect
ISSUE 4: Unwanted pregnancies/boys drop outs
EFFECTS: Engage in crimes in the area
PROPOSALS: Parents to be vigilant
RESPONSIBILITY: community
TIME: Immediate effect
TERTIARY EDUCATION
ISSUE 1: Drug and substance abuse
EFFECTS: A lot of youths are not ready to gain skills
PROPOSALS: Construction of a technical centre; Construction of a rehabilitation centre
RESPONSIBILITY: County government; Non –governmental institution
TIME: 1 -2 years
ISSUE 2: Prostitution
EFFECTS: Spread of disease
PROPOSALS: Community awareness on the effects of prostitution
RESPONSIBILITY: Parents, clergy/churches
TIME: immediately
ISSUE 3: Lack of finances
EFFECTS: High crime rates; Drug and substance abuse
PROPOSALS: Construction of a technical centre
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: 1-2 years
ISSUE 4: Lack of technical institute
EFFECTS: Youths in the area lack skills like tailoring, carpentry, welding
PROPOSALS: Construction of technical schools; Sponsorship to needy but willing students
RESPONSIBILITY: County government
TIME: 6months -1year.
About the Education, youth and culture consultation consortium:
The Education, youth and culture consortium is one of the 7 sectoral consortiums* under the Mukuru SPA. It is led by Nairobi City County and supported by several non-governmental organizations—WERC (Women Education Research Centre), Reuben Centre, New School (New York), Oxfam, Plan International, Daraja Initiative, Mukuru Slum Development Project, Elimu Yetu Foundation, Data Vault Systems, Slum Dwellers International-Kenya, and Akiba Mashinani Trust.
This consortium is mandated to establish the prevailing situation in the planning area, which encompasses the three areas of Mukuru kwa Reuben, Mukuru kwa Njenga, and Viwandani, in terms of education, youth and culture facilities in and around Mukuru and how they are run—and how the Mukuru SPA planning process relates to various relevant policies and frameworks, including:
Kenya’s 2003 move towards a free primary education program, which greatly improved the enrollment rates of both boys and girls in Kenya.
The creation of the Kenyan Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Development, a measure established by the Kenyan government, which supported the achievement of gender equity in the country. This ministry broke from the former Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services that seek to create systems that support gender equality in Kenya and improve the carrying out of international goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals, that support gender equity and equality.
The National Policy on Gender and Development, which was enacted in 2000 and was established for the government to have a usable framework to enhance gender mainstreaming within different areas of the Kenyan government and use resources for achieving gender equity within education development in Kenya effectively.
In 2007, a Gender Policy in Education was created through the Ministry of Education with the goal of having a framework to establish several gender-responsive education sector programs, including the measure to raise the levels of gender parity at all levels of education.
The strategy created by the Kenyan government known as Vision 2030, which was established in order to improve development programs being carried out to enhance Kenya’s economic growth until the year 2030.
A clear proponent that aims to help Kenya achieve gender parity within education development is the adoption of affirmative action as a policy by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. This policy was created with the goal of increasing access and opportunities for women in higher learning institutions during admission.
The Education, youth and culture consortium is doing this by: conducting theme-specific surveys and research in Mukuru; identifying gaps in the existing literature and information; and preparing a sectoral situation analysis report.
Key to all of this is the consortium’s community consultation mandate – which is to sit with Mukuru’s residents, and listen and gather their views on how they want education, youth and cultural services provision in their neighbourhoods to be transformed. These views will then be adopted into revised sectoral plans, and finally harmonized—together with the community views collected by the other 6 SPA sectoral consortiums—to create an ‘integrated development plan’ for Mukuru.
The SPA process is designed to be community driven, and participation of the community is a requisite. The Kenyan Constitution makes the County governments responsible for ensuring this right to participate in decision-making on matters affecting citizens is observed. But crucially, in order to ensure that the community contributes to such participation forums from an informed perspective, it’s important for them to properly understand their situation.