Kiandutu Slum Students Stay Home Due To Financial Challenges
Despite the government’s order that all 2021 KCPE candidates report to Form One, more than ten students from Thika’s Kiandutu slum remain at home due to a lack of school uniforms and fees.
According to residents and well-wishers, more than ten students remained at home nearly a month after the Form One reporting date due to financial difficulties in their families.
Margret Wanjiru, Mary Njeri, and Francis Muthai are among the fortunate parents whose children received school uniform assistance from a well-wisher, allowing them to report to school.
They are still unable to afford dictionaries, Bibles, and other personal effects and necessities that schools require prior to admission, but they are hopeful that they will be cleared.
Wanjiru, a watermelon vendor, has five other children, all of whom have dropped out of school due to financial difficulties. Her child was assigned to a school in Thika.
Njeri’s son had been assigned to a secondary school in Kenol, Muranga County, but had to switch to a slum school.
“We hope once they report, they will not be sent back home for the other requirements because that will be the end of their secondary education dreams. I have other children in secondary school and being a casual laborer, I can’t afford to take them all to school. If the school cannot accept him with the uniform only, then that’s it,” said Wanjiru.
To Muthai, paying for school fees, rent, food, and other necessities is a pipe dream that may keep his child at home forever if more generous donors do not step forward.
Muthai said life is unbearable, and his child may not attend secondary school at all if he does not receive assistance to purchase other necessities as well as pay school fees.
Journalists who came to see the three children while they were getting their school uniforms interacted with more than ten other children who had yet to arrive at school.
They said they were almost giving up on their life goals and asked for help from well-wishers and the government.
The well-wisher, Andrew Maina, stated that they have a program that checks out slum learners who are still at home and assists them.
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“So far, we have helped seven children this year with school uniforms and other personal effects to help them join Form One. We have also established that more than 10 learners have not reported to Form One,” said Maina.
He urged the government to assist students from slums and other low-income families in enrolling in secondary school.
Thika West Deputy County Commissioner Mbogo Mathioya stated that the mopping exercise has been scaled up to ensure that all students report to school.
He stated that they have partnered with NG/CDF to assist the children with their educational needs.
Kiandutu Slum Students Stay Home Due To Financial Challenges