On average, around 175 children have attended school for the past month. This compared to 187 in the prior months. The main reason for the slight drop in number is that the government has been focusing on relocation of families to nearby land.
Eight trainee teachers who were under the mentorship of the trained teachers have undertaken their exams this week. They have completed making their practical life and sensorial materials, including some materials for culture (puzzle maps). Finishing touches are needed for the math and language materials, which they will endeavor to carry out, by the end of November.
The teachers will also tie and dye material for a set of new school uniforms during the holidays in preparation for those children who will need them in the New Year.
Due to the heavy rains, regular maintenance is required on the roofs, as they tend to leak. Advice is being sought for a more permanent solution for this problem from the organization that trained the community to build the roofs and from other sources. The maintenance work will be done during the school holidays. School closes on 23rd Nov 2012 and reopens 7th Jan 2013.
The school compound experiences flooding whenever there is heavy rainfall. A foreman and an architect from the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru has visited the site to give us advise on how we can tackle this problem efficiently. They have suggested that a depth of 450 mm be dug across the school compound, followed by a covering of hand packed hardcore and then finished off with three quarter inch ballast. Water will seep through the ballast, drain into the hard core and then dissipate through various drainage points towards the outside front field. Various drainage points will also need to be created to drain out the water seeping in from the roadside, and this will once again be channeled to the field. On approval, this work on the compound will commence as soon as school closes for the holidays on 23rd Nov 2012.
Three houses for the community have been built and occupied. Four other houses have been built but doors and windows are yet remaining to be fitted. This will hopefully be completed soon. Thereafter two more houses will be commenced.