GPS Fun Day

Fun Day at Galilee Primary School!

Earlier this week the children at Galilee Primary School experienced a very special event called "Fun Day!"  This is a full day devoted to fun, laughter, and friendship on the Galilee school campus.  This is the second year that the school has done the event, and it is something that the children very much look forward to.  The school brings in a large wading pool, which is filled the evening before Fun Day.  The day also featured a trampoline, bounce house, and face painting.  Fun Day was also filled with music and dancing, with frequent "dance offs" among the children.  To fund the day, parents were asked to contribute 200 Shillings (a bit less than $2USD), but the majority of parents were not able to contribute.  All Galilee students are welcome to attend the event, regardless of whether their parents contributed.  

Alumni Visit Followup

In our last post we described a recent alumni visit in which former students of Waddington High School came back to campus to motivate the students and provide them with information about the best ways to further their education beyond high school and position themselves for good careers.  In addition, the alumni donated 47 textbooks to the school to aid students in achieving their goals.  Fanuel (the school director) had this to say about the alumni event:

I can't say thank you enough for your kindness and spirit.  Your new year gift to Lorna Waddington High School is the best ever.  The textbooks will go a long way in furthering quality education for our students.  My prayers have always been for you, our Alumni, to come together not only helping your young brothers and sisters still learning at our school, but also helping each other.  We have seen how alumni organizations of other institutions have been of immense benefit to the alumni and the institutions (from Alliance, Starehe, Maseno, etc.).  There is a lot of strength in unity, being that the alumni are spread in different spheres of career we can always uplift each other, do business together, do charity together, and always help one another in times of difficulties.  The train has left the station and we would like as many alumni as possible boarding this train, taking on board the old and the young, and leaving no one behind if possible.  The future is bright for all of us.  At least if I die today my dreams are on the path to realization!  Thank you again my sons and daughters who thought about this wonderful idea.  May you all be blessed abundantly.  May the unity spirit continue to grow in you always.

Please visit the His Hands for Kenya website to sponsor the education of a child at Waddington High School.  

WHS Alumni Giving Back

Saturday was a proud and exciting day in the history of Waddington High School and the sponsorship program, as a group of WHS alumni visited the school to mentor students and pass their knowledge and experience on to the next generation of future WHS graduates.  The alumni group came together and organized the visit at their own initiative to give motivational talks and career advice to current WHS students.  They also surprised Fanuel (the school director) with a donation of 47 textbooks!

The alumni advised the students on career choices and the discipline needed in the work industry, what grades are required to get to the positions the alumni have attained, and the other things the students will need to do to follow in the footsteps of the alumni.  "Mostly," said one alumnus, "we wanted to encourage and mentor them, that we are from the same slum, the same environment, and we have made it in life.  We showed them it doesn't matter where you come from, but what you have achieved."

One of the alumni described the event and the advice imparted as follows:

Well, it was a come back event which was organized by Lorna Waddington Alumnus who happen to be led by Boniface Matua (2008 pioneer class/went to University of Nairobi).  Those who came included Lenard Imboyoka Juma (2008/went to KMTC), Billy Omalia (2009/went to Kenyatta University), Edwin Wabwire (2008), Samuel Oketch (2009/went to University of Nairobi), Victor Ochieng (2014), Bosire (2009), and Rebecca Musau (2009/went to Nairobi Institute of Technology). The purpose of this event was to encourage and guide the Form 4 and Form 3 students.  Everyone had a platform to talk to the students where it was evident that working hard towards your exams will liberate you from your poor background.  Choosing a course entails a proper combination of subjects, but whoever has done sciences has never faced the trouble in finding a career path that is sometimes faced by those choosing arts and humanities.  Academic talent remains a highly paid carrier in the world.  However, you need direction and sacrifice for such talent to pop.  Above all, appreciate where you have come from and always say thank you.  God sees you and blessings flow forth with.  Finally, we had brought some textbooks 47 in number which we gave out to the principal who will in turn make available as per needs in the school.  We brought chemistry, maths, and English among others. We did everything unaware by Mr. Okwaro - thanks a bunch to our director.  We will always come back once again.

Our next blog post will include Fanuel's (the school director) reaction to the visit and surprise gift of textbooks.

Please visit the His Hands for Kenya website to sponsor a child at Waddington High School.