Simitsi SS - CES Students Face Acute Poverty

Travelling north out of Kakamega is a feat few Canadians would dare. It’s akin to driving on the surface of the moon. Bumps, potholes and other craters lie in wait for the unsuspecting driver. The one who hesitates or panics is lost. The problem is that crazed matatu drivers, tractors pulling rigs filled with sugar cane, Kenyans on foot, bicyclists and motorcycle maniacs all figure that they have the right of way. Travellers criss-cross the roadway at odd angles and different speeds to avoid the worst offending crater. Alas, the pedestrian is the one who is left to dodge a vehicle too close for comfort. Livestock, goats, chickens and an assortment of dogs also play havoc with the traffic. Auto mechanics have chosen the right profession, especially if they know how to repair broken axles and punctured tires. The best advice I can give is that if you’re heading north out of Kakamega, don’t be in a hurry. And never travel after dusk.

The goal was Simitsi SS, a mixed school with a resident student population of 150. Founded in 1971 by the Society of Friends it now has a population of 498, the highest of any of our CES Canada schools. Along the way we passed some fascinating enterprises that collectively make the Kenyan landscape so enjoyable. Love and Truth Hope of Glory Church appears to have it all in abundance. Malava Glory Store and Hallelujah Super Hotel appeared in a tiny village just next to the Annointed House. Kenyans take their religion and politics seriously. The doors were closed at St. Anne’s Medical Centre. On the opposite side of the roadway was a little girl, barely five years of age dressed in a green and white dress, likely the only dress prepared for such a little one. Barefoot, this dear child was chewing on a piece of sugar cane. I wondered where was going and if anyone really cared. The first and only gas station I encountered all day sold the precious liquid for 120 KSh/litre or $2 Cdn. Many vehicles carry extra tanks and containers of gas just in case they run out. The Malava Homeside Butchery was open for business. Conveniently, a cow and a pig were grazing on the front patch of grass. Perhaps one or both would not live to see the day through.

Off the main road we encountered the typical red dirt road that sloped 10 degrees on each side beginning from the middle. Thankfully the roads were dry. After a typical afternoon downpour, the same skills of driving are required as for those who drive on ice and snow in a Canadian winter. Flooring it just gets you into deeper trouble. After one hour and thirty kilometers later we arrived at Simitsi SS.

The first person I saw after we had cleared the officious watchman at the school gate was Shango Meta. She and a colleague were raising the beautiful Kenyan flag. She smiled with the gracious and compelling “Jambo sana…habari” that Kenyans are famous for.

We stepped into the Principal’s office and spoke to the Deputy Principal Wilbrodah Sasaka. The Head teacher and Principal Isaac Shavia arrived shortly after. The office was rather dark with no lights and no electrical hookup. As in every office in the country, whether a school, public or private institution or place of business, there was a photo of His Excellency Hon. Mwai Kibaki, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kenya.

Also prominent were signs to indicate what the community was expecting through its school.

Vision: “Effective Teaching for Quality Results”
Mission: “Put in place and maintain an enabling environment for the promotion of quality education”

Each CES Canada student at Simitsi SS has a unique and tragic background. Shango comes from a very poor family. Her mother makes and sells chang'aa, an illegal brew that has caused much criminal activity, including sexual harassment and physical assaults. To raise a few shillings in order to survive, Shango’s mother forces her daughter to deliver the alcohol to various people. This is a huge dilemma for this bright Form3 student. She knows that alcohol abuse in the village is wrong; yet, to have enough food to eat she needs to do her parent’s bidding. Recently Shango was very sick with malaria and had to miss three weeks of school. Despite her hard life Shango still ranks first in her class.

Zablon has never seen his father. It has been rumoured he is living somewhere in the Lurambi District. Child and family abandonment is far too common. Zablon appears to be well adjusted and happy.

Victor wakes up at 5am to attend school. Besides walking 5 km to and from school, he is the only one to cook for his family comprised of mother and three younger siblings. His father is dead and his mother too sick to do any work. Cooking of course requires gathering wood and ensuring that water is available. Even if Victor had any energy left at the end of the day he could do no preps. There is no electricity in his area and he is too poor to purchase paraffin. His marks were beginning to slide and we quickly came to the conclusion that CES could only continue to sponsor him if he became a boarder. He jumped at the chance when it was brought up in discussion. Arrangements will be made and hopefully this bright boy will begin to once again experience his potential as a learner.

Last year Nathan was accepted into a well respected Provincial School. With a KCPE grade of 398, he had the highest marks in his zone comprised of 20 schools. Without funds to purchase a uniform he had to forego this chance. A Provincial school like Musingu SS would be a golden opportunity for him. Adequate resources are given to these schools first. They are the next best tp private schools where the tuition is out of reach except for the wealthy. Unlike the schools CES Canada serves, Provincial schools are better equipped and are viewed as having higher standards of teaching. Nathan remains number one in his class at Simitsie SS.

Shango Meta - Form 4 stands 1st out of 120 in her class
“I love Canadians…they are generous people”

Zablon Mutama – Form 2 stands 1st out of 130 in his class
“I am very happy for the support I have received through CES”

Victor Soita Lumbasi – Form 2 stands 69 out of 130 in his class
“I wish one day to visit Canada…thank you for the support”

Nathan Muyumbia – Form 1 stands 1st out of 140 in his class
“Without CES I would not be attending school”

Principal Isaac Shavia remarked that “no other organization is supporting our students. On behalf of the management of the school and our school community I am very grateful.”

As we left Simitsi SS I was struck by the fact that the school facilities reflected the poverty all around. Building were worn out and in disrepair. It really needed some fresh paint and some TLC. The latter can be gotten but the paint costs money. Therein is the major problem in this rural area. When families live in acute poverty on less than $1 a day, paint does not compute in the hierarchy of needs.

We were now on our way to Musaga SS. Passing through the village of Musaga, CES Kenya Chairman Ben Udoto relayed some stories about growing up in this area. As a young boy he attended Musaga PS. Fortunately he received an education and became an outstanding educator, ending his career as Principal of Kaimosi Teacher’s College. We passed by the shamba where he was raised. Surrounded by fields of maize and cows grazing in between the stalks, I realized that life in rural Kenya had not changed in the past century or more.