Refugees and School Fees

On Monday I am going to escort some more refugees from Kenya on their way to the US. I’ll sit with about 30 people on a plane from Nairobi to Brussels and then from Brussels to Newark New Jersey. This group is a mix of Sudanese and Somali Bantus who have been living in a refugee camp in northern Kenya called Kakuma. Kakuma is a horrid place to be and these folks have stayed there for the past 10 years or so waiting to either be able to return home or find another place to resettle. Finally, they have been given the opportunity to resettle in the US and attempt to start a new era in their lives.

I hope it will be a good trip. I know it will be exhausting and I am going to spend way too much time inside an airplane. I leave here on Monday, arrive in the US on tuesday, spend the night and on Wednesday get on another plane and return to Kenya on thursday. Talk about serious jet lag.

Next Monday also marks the beginning of the final term of the school year for children here in Kenya. Kenya operates on a three term school year, with about one month off in between each term. Most of the schools in Kenya are private institutions. It was only a few years ago that the government began opening up public schools for the equivalent of elementary classes (known as primary) throughout the country. High school level (secondary) and above still costs lots of money.

This last term my wife and I helped a family that are very good friends of ours with sending their 4 children, all who are in different levels of secondary school, to attend the second school term for this year. Up until that point they had just been sitting in their house, not doing much of anything. Their parents have had difficulties finding long term employment and can barely manage to get enough money to stay in their low rent house and keep food on the table.

Now we are at the beginning of the last term for this year. And I feel really horrible because it looks like we are not going to be able to assist all them with continuing their classes. Our financial situation has hit a down side these last few months and currently doesn’t look like it may improve.

I’m posting this now because I am curious if any of you reading would have an interest and the capacity to assist me in supporting these children and possibly more kids that I know of around here that desperately need to be in school. If you do, post a comment and let me know. If you have more questions let me know that as well. Or if any of you have some suggestions that might help, send me those too.