Kijiwetanga has one of the largest schools in the district, attended by more than 1,000 children aged three to 16. We visited the school and the pre-school and saw children playing under trees, using bottle tops to learn to count and drawing in the red sandy earth with sticks.
I asked how they managed with so few resources and what they needed the most. During the rainy season it was impossible for the pre-school staff to cook porridge on the open fires because the wood is too wet. Tina and I decided to raise money for a pre-school kitchen. Our host said 2,000 would fund a new pre-school classroom and a kitchen.
With help from family, friends, colleagues and the parents at Aldbourne Pre-school, we have achieved our goal. Last month we returned to Kenya. The new classroom looks great. It is large, light and airy, with large blackboards at both ends. There is a veranda under a tin roof and another blackboard outside. We painted numbers and an alphabet on the walls and laid vinyl flooring with mattresses and cushions. There was much singing, dancing, shouting and balloon popping at the official opening.
The experience has made me think about my own setting. We can get stressed by paperwork, inspections, finances and the demand for constant change and evaluation. Surely young children's needs are the same worldwide - play with natural materials and friends, and caring adults to guide them on their learning journey.
* Julie Kent, Aldbourne Pre-school, Wiltshire
