by Emily Townsend
On a late weekend afternoon, Cynthia Mumia, age 15, sits on a wooden bench in a warm classroom at Uweza Foundation.
She is bashful to talk, but thankful and respectful to Uweza staff members as
they give her free textbooks for all of her standard eight classes.
As of Sunday the Uweza Sponsorship Program
now includes free books for supported students within the program. Currently
there are 25 students participating, who attend either Ayany Public Primary or
Olympic Primary. Last year two students continued onto secondary school.
Cynthia says she likes Uweza because they help her pay Saturday school ‘tuition’ classes and now they pay for her books. Last year she was forced to borrow books from a friend. She admits it was difficult to share the books between two different villages and her grades suffered as a consequence.
Aside from free schoolbooks, Uweza
Sponsorship Program provides school fees, uniforms, and school supplies. Also if the child
falls ill, Uweza uses a specific chemist for medicine and a hospital called
Inshankai to treat the student.
Beatrice Njoki from Kianda Village
is the mother of an 8-year-old attending Ayany Primary. She is grateful to
Uweza and said, “They help children to learn and help parents enjoy life more.”
Her daughter receives uniforms, books, and school tuition.
All 25 children visit Uweza every fourth Sunday to meet other kids, play games, and learn life skills. Students that receive a tuition scholarship may also choose an Uweza club and
meet every weekend. There is an art, journalism, and football club. Mathew
Muema, Sponsorship Coordinator, says, “Education comes first but then a supplement
is important, too.” Njoki daughter chose to go to art club, because she likes
to draw and paint.
First time volunteer, George
Odhiambo, helped pass out books to children and talk to parents. He said the
experience was, "positive. The parents are uplifting their children with
books. Now they have the materials to succeed."
Muema says Uweza is planning to start a secondary school sponsorship in the next year.
Emily Townsend has been volunteering with the Uweza Journalism Club. She hails from Lansing, Michigan in the USA and majors in Journalism and Philosophy at Kalamazoo College. She is currently on Study Abroad at the University of Nairobi and interning at the Voice of Kibera, Pamoja FM. At Uweza she hopes to teach youth the importance of disseminating peace through community journalism.
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