Day 9 - Kibra

Today we prepared a new workshop where the students have the chance to model a human hand with paper, straws and strings! During our visit in Mbagathi High School, we could deliver a short presentation about engineering before we set up three stations for the girls of Form 2. We decided to have a straw tower competition, let the children play the steady-hand game and figure out the bionic hand. All three stations met incredible participation and curiosity from the students. It was so encouraging to see the girls ask all kinds of questions and work together to find the best approach, having fun with the challenges.

After we had to leave the students, their teacher took the time for a long conversation with us. According to her, few students take physics, as they do not really know what they could do with it, so I was glad we could give them a small insight, when Form 2 is about to choose subjects.

Then she told us more about the hardships schools face in Kibra, the constituency of Nairobi that is home to today’s school, but also to Nairobi’s biggest slum. Many students do not have any real opportunities to study outside the school premises due to limited space and family obligations, which is why the school tries to keep the girls there as long as possible each day. One of the biggest problems is teenage pregnancy, but the girls still finish school afterwards, partially under official programs. My respect for the teachers’ and pupils’ determination there tripled.

- Micha