April 2025

Jambo Happy Day family,

We closed school on Friday 4/04/2025 for the Easter holiday. We will open on 29/04/2025 for the second term of this academic year.

As we had reported before the attendance this term was fluctuating due to unavoidable circumstances which may include our lack of the feeding program. This is because most of our families cannot afford to bring food for their kids and so they opt to stay home with them and eat whatever they get or even go with them to look for help.

We have had a non-eventful term and we hope second term brings good tidings with it. There was a planned fun day which didn't take place. (The organizers didn't inform us in advance) We are informed that in second term we will be given the details early so that we can prepare.

In academics our staff is very dedicated in ensuring that the children get the best education in cbc (competency based curriculum). Despite us not having all the necessary items and teaching aids required for the cbc system, we try and improvise the ones we can. The cbc system is very very expensive for the parents especially when the school is unable to provide for the materials.

Teachers and kids need (mostly):
1.   Plain papers
2. Scissors
3. crayons
4. water paints
5. Brushes
6. White chalks
7. coloured chalks
8. counters
9. Balls
10. Toys (as teaching aid)
11. exercise books
12. Textbooks
13. Activity books (for teachers)
14. registers
15. Staples
16. manilla papers
17. Pencils
18. Biro pens
 
And some other items which are required from day to day. We have been asking the parents to provide their kids with the items but unfortunately most of them cannot afford. We therefore hope that we will afford some of the above items next term for easier learning.
 
Meanwhile our walls are worn out. The paint has faded and looks very dull and dirty. The wall need a repainting as soon as possible. A few repairs are also needed on the iron sheet class walls so that the wornout ones can be replaced. They are very dangerous to the kids and even adults.
 
However, it's not always gloomy here. Kids are angels and little cuties who brighten our days and we always look forward to having them in school every day. We always get concerned when they miss school. We miss them so much when schools are closed and we are very happy when we meet them during the holidays. We have asked the staff to follow up and know why some very vulnerable kids didn't report to school this term. We hope they come back next term.
 
Amongst our kids there are a couple of siblings from a very very needy family and their grandmother, who was their guardian, died before we opened for term one. We are doing a follow up to know their whereabouts.
 
Another kid’s house was swept away by the floods and she didn't report back and we are optimistic that we will find them and bring them back.
 
We wish you all a happy Easter season.
 
We wish our staff and children a happy and safe holiday.
 
See you on 29/04/2025 as we open for the second term of 2025 academic year. 

March 2025

Jambo Happy Day family.

We hope this finds you well. We are well too. This is our March 2025 newsletter.

We are glad to report that we are progressing on well and the first half of first term 2025 hasn't had any major events or occurrences so far. Our staff are always ready to be caregivers to the Happy day kids and we are trying to nurture good and wholistic citizens of the world. 

This term we have fluctuating number of kids in attendance per day. We attribute this to lack or absence of the feeding program. Parents are supposed to either bring lunch for their kids or the kids go back home for lunch and then come back to school for the afternoon classes. This is a very hectic and sometimes difficult thing for almost all the families of happy day. Reason being that the families are struggling to even have a meal. Some parents have resorted to taking their kids to school projects that have a feeding program. 

Currently we have approximately 45 kids. I say approximately because they don't usually attend.
We have asked the staff members to do a follow up and get to know why some kids come 3 days a week and why some take up to a whole week and come back later. The staff are willing and able to take on the task of visiting the affected Happy Day families. 

As we all know, 95% of Happy Day families are very poor and some extremely poor. ... Here are a few samples of the happy day families: 
1. Two siblings from a migrant family from Burundi. The parents are jobless and their other sibling is very sick. They can barely afford to put food on the table .  They are unable to buy school requirements for their kids and especially exercise books and pencils. We have been trying to assist where possible but due to the hard economic times we have not been able to provide the items for them. The oldest is a very bright and polite 9-year-old girl. Her brother is 5 years old and very withdrawn.

2. Another child is a 9 year old boy from a very humble background.  The mother is mentally unstable and unable to provide for her only child. The boy has very good vibes and blends well with his peers. Most of the times he comes to school crying because of hunger. We used to make sure that he and others get breakfast before classes but now we too are unable to. He is a go getter who doesn't give up easily. 

3. The last child we will present in this newsletter is a 7-year-old girl from another migrant family.
The mother makes baskets and mats as an income generating project. This work enables her to feed, clothe and educate her daughter.  Her mum is one of the few parents who are able to provide requirements for their children at happy day.

THE REQUIREMENTS THAT PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BRING FOR THEIR KIDS ARE :
1. 8 exercise books
2.  3 HB pencils
3. 2 manilla papers
4. Crayon
5. Modeling clay
6. Scissors
7. 3 tissue papers
The above are bought termly except the books which are bought after they fill up.

The above requirements costs maximum 1000 shillings, (approximately 86 NOK) from a bookshop and they are the most essential items for a learner. Unfortunately only about 10% of our kids families can afford that and it becomes very difficult for the teacher to teach without.

The last few terms we have had the feeding program ongoing. The parents were contributing 20 shillings each. We have not received any support from Norway for a long time due to lack of funds. Unfortunately, we have had to stop the feeding program because only a few of the parents continued to contribute and it became a huge task for the management here.

Teacher Mary is one of our staff and she doubles up as a community health volunteer.  This has given her exposure to many families lifestyle around the area and she helps our families to get medical help when they fall sick. She takes our playgroup class (the youngest of our kids) who rage between 2 ½ to 3 year olds. Teacher Kelli's is our longest serving staff and she takes our pre-primary 1 class who rage between 4 to 5 year olds. 

This term we have an upcoming fun day. The date has not yet been confirmed. During such events the kids get exposed to life outside their neighborhood and it's is an eye opener and a great motivation to them. Our staff too get to interact with staff from other schools and exchange an idea or two. Immediately we who get the details to when and how much to pay for the event we will give the details. We are hoping for support from Norway to be able to take our kids on this adventure.

Currently our school is in need of a renovation especially the wall paintings. This includes the outside wall which is worn out due to weather conditions.

As we reported earlier this term, our water system was tampered with during the Christmas holidays and we have been unable to bring water back. We have been buying water from a water vendor and it is not easy. We therefore require 3000 shillings to have the plumber come and repair (check what happened in our previous newsletter) and maybe buy the required items to help bring back water. We were not the only one affected.  Some of our neighbors were affected too and they brought back theirs by paying the above amount and buying the necessary items. We hope we are able to have the water restored as soon as possible. 

We really appreciate all the help and assistance accorded or extended to us from all our happy day friends. We are forever grateful because we wouldn't be where we are without your help. Feel appreciated and may you be blessed.

We will keep you updated. 

If you have any concerns, input and even compliments you are welcome to share with us and we will gladly tackle the raised issue.

ASANTE SANA

Requests for a new school year

 

Jambo you all and happy 2025.

We opened school on 7th January 2025 for term one of this academic year. 
We are glad to report that the kids are back and we even have new comers for our playgroup class.
The new curriculum is in place though the government via the ministry keeps adjusting ( bringing new changes) every now and then. We however have to adjust with the changes as stipulated by the ministry. 
We hope this year brings good tidings with it.

Below are our current requirements for this term.

1. Chalks.... @ 1600
2. Pens @...........400
3.pencils @......400
4 . Ream paper @.... 750
5. Fullscaps @.........750
6. Office glue 1 litre @... 550
7. Crayon 20 pieces @ 2000
8. Exercise books.....@ 3500
9. Marker pens.........@ 500
10. Stick glue....... @ 400
11. 6 padlocks @ 9001.
12.  4 class registers @ 400
13. 4 activity books ( teachers guide) @.... 2400

The above are the most essential ones as at now and we will appreciate if they are available for smooth learning. 

Water is not flowing into our premises due to a damage on the pipes . ( we can't tell what happened).
So we are currently buying water for use until when repairs will take place.

We require around 200 shillings for our daily water supply.  This is used in the kitchen and also in the ablution block.

We hope soon the pipes will be repaired. 

This term has many activities ( both academic and extra curriculum) and we will keep you updated as soon as we have an upcoming activity. 

Our feeding program is currently at a stand still due to lack of funds...

Some of the kids have stopped coming because we don't have the feeding program in place.
We hope to revive it because it is a key factor in us having our desired number of pupils.
It also helps ( so much) those who are very vulnerable and extremely needs because they at least get a hot meal in school.

Last year we tried so much to keep it running but it proved to be a tall order for us.

We wish you all a prosperous and productive 2025 .

BE BLESSED ALWAYS