Wanga Primary School, Kenya
We have been linked with Wanga Primary School in Kenya for more than 3 years now and staff, pupils and parents have learned so much.
Wanga Primary School is in the Suba District of Western Kenya, about 1km from the shores of Lake Victoria. It is a mixed, day school with a pre-school unit attached. It has two permanent classrooms and six semi-permanent classrooms. It has one permanent building which houses the school offices and a staffroom. We have four male teachers and two female teachers. The school is on a four acre plot of land covered by grass and scattered local trees. The pupils take part in activities such as football, netball, volleyball, singing, dancing and playing other small games. They also like watching pictures.
Our pupils looked at this information and realised that they had much in common.
Both pupils have studied topics mainly based on maths. We have exchanged data for use in data anlaysis and for data presentation, such as pie charts and graphs.
As a school we maintain awareness of the diversity of cultures across the world through our curriculum, from Geography to Citizenship to the work of the Eco-Action Team.
July 2007 saw three members of staff visit Wanga. The theme was water and complimented the work we had carried out in school on our Carbon Footprint. On our return our pupils quickly realised that our use of water is excessive and a supply of safe drinking water is taken for granted here in the UK. Seeing images of pupils collecting water from Lake Victoria and carrying it 1.2 km to school in plastic containers was for some incomprehensible.
In January 2009, as part of PSHCE, our Y8 pupils have taken part in a pilot scheme to use the Kenyan soap opera 'Makutano Junction' as the stimulus for discussion about health with great success.
The school link has also inspired pupils to raise money for specific projects. Wanga wanted to start their own school garden but all their efforts were wasted each time they tried as the local sheep, goats and cattle would happily raid their plot. Pupils have raised money to pay for fencing around and plot and work on preparing the ground has already started. Through fundraising both in school and in the local community a new classroom is now being built.