Kijabe Town Primary School

Moffet Bible College is a small college located here in Kijabe. The college is an AIC (African Inland Church) college. Linda and I take a class on Tuesdays at the college. We will update you on this class at a later date. There are 11 students in our class they are all 4th year students. One of the things the students have to do is called outreach ministries. This could include visiting the patients at the Hospital, leading study groups in Nairobi for recently converted Christians, teaching Bible at local schools, etc. One of the schools they visit is in Kijabe Town. Kijabe Town is a small village about 5 km from Kijabe. Many of the Kenyans who work in Kijabe live here. It is similar in size to Cyclone, TX. (We really miss good Texas BBQ). The School is called Kijabe Primary School.

In Kenya the school system is broken down into the following classes. Standard 1 thru 8 (Grades 1 thru 8 in the US). These classes are often on the same campus called a Primary School. All children in Kenya are eligible to attend Standard 1 thru 8 for free. The government funds these schools. The level of education varies greatly from school to school based on the area and the level of income of the parents. After finishing Primary School the students can attend Secondary School and complete Form 1 thru 4 (Grades 9 thru 12 in the US). The students must pay to attend the Secondary School. The majority of these schools are boarding schools. They are often affiliated with a church organization. The fees for these schools vary greatly based on the education opportunities available at the school. The schools in Nairobi are very similar to High Schools in the US. RVA plays many of these schools in sporting events during the year.

Back to Kijabe Town Primary, there are around 350 students attending this school. The Government supplies 1 headmaster and 5 teachers for the school. The parents of the students contribute a small amount in order to provide funds to employ 3 additional teachers (this is a common practice in the rural areas). Each class in self contained in a class room. There is not a Government funded lunch program, the children at this school are provided a lunch of beans and rice which is funded by a program started by a missionary at RVA. There is a school uniform policy at each school. School uniforms are a big business in Kenya. Kijabe Town is a very poor area and as you can see from the pictures not all the students can afford to wear uniforms, but this does not keep their excitement down.

There was a need for someone with a vehicle to take the Moffet students to this school on Tuesday afternoons. Our class at Moffet is on Tuesday mornings, this worked in great with my schedule, so I agreed to take the students. The Moffet students teach Standards 4 thru 8 a Bible lesson from 2:35 to 3:10 once a week. Imagine this happening in Lorena. The road (a mule trail) is dirt and rock. The 5 km (3.1 miles) takes around 20 minutes to travel. I do not have to use the 4 wheel drive when it is dry, but I am told when it rains it is a must. It runs along the side of the mountain and is wide enough for a vehicle to pass a goat or cow. I have only met one car (I backed up until I could pull onto the side at let it pass).

The first week only two students went. The next week they said a few more were going to come. Our car has a total of 7 seats in it so I told them that would not be a problem. When I arrived the next week there were 8 students waiting to go. Needless to say it is a very tight fit. This is a very common theme in Africa, there is no such thing as wasted space. They put as many people in car that they can, fill your cup with chai as full as they can, put as many people around a table as possible, etc. One student told me it would make the ride go smoother since there was more weight in the car. That is one way to look at it.

The students at the school are very excited to have the Moffet students teach them. They are eager to learn about the Bible and the promising words that it has in it. Many of these students come from very poor families and do not have a lot to look forward to. It is a very humble experience for me each week as I see their excitement and eagerness to learn more about our wonderful God, knowing that many will go home in the evening to a home without running water or electricity, probably sleep on a mat on the floor and wear the same school clothes all week. If only we all could be as excited about our God! Keep these kids in your prayers!

Here are some Pictures of the School.

This is the lower Primary Wing. It has been very dry in the area and the crops have not done well. Most of the parents are farmers and rely on the crops for their income.

This is the upper Primary Wing. The small house on the left is used to keep the wood in for cooking.

Here are the students I take to teach, The person on the left is a teacher at the school.

This is the inside of the Standard 5 class. I take turns each week sitting in a different class. The children really enjoy hearing about Texas. (Jane, this could be your class)
Kids in Africa are not much different than in the US. This is their funny pose!

Here are the kids getting out after class.
This group of boys surround the car each week as we are leaving. They are so excited to have visitors at their school.