NABU Team’s Kwa Njenga School Visit

NABU’s Leadership Team in Nairobi, Kenya

The sunny skies in Nairobi, Kenya provided the perfect backdrop for NABU’s global team visit to Kwa Njenga Primary School. Nestled in the heart of Nairobi’s Eastlands Area, Kwa Njenga Primary has a population of nearly 2,000 learners and is run by the local government. The school is the heartbeat of the area as it serves learners from the nearby Kwa Njenga slums, which is a low income settlement.

Despite the local economic status, the community remains resilient in its efforts to champion education. The residents protect the school environment ensuring the students have a safe place to learn.

There was excitement in the air as the NABU team made its way to the classroom where they were immersed in a learning experience with grade 2 and grade 5 pupils. First to warm up and get to know each other better, we engaged in fun icebreaker games that got our blood flowing. Next, one of the teachers - a NABU Literacy Champion, Teacher Josephine Koima, read for us a beautiful story from the Kiswahili library titled: The Underground People. Team members and pupils alike paid special attention as we journeyed through the land of these mysterious people.

It was time to test our understanding of the story, and we quickly formed groups to see who could find the most words in the shortest time possible in an engaging crossword search puzzle. In a fun, but mostly competitive way, we were able to secure three winners, with the groups each receiving a special gift of a NABU book cover which they could display in their classrooms.

Mauro Daez, NABU Philippines Country Manager

“It was such a beautiful experience, I love seeing the reactions of the kids. You can tell that they like hearing these original stories and they know that they can relate to the characters and the stories”, Said Mauro Daez, NABU Philippines Country Manager.

Just before the team left, there was one last round of fun and games. This time, Teacher Esther Gacigi, who is also a NABU Literacy Champion, introduced a game that tested our concentration, memory and response skills. Team members let loose as they tried to keep up with the children and the teachers instructions that left us all in stitches. What a powerful way to end an amazing afternoon spent with the children who are being impacted on a daily basis through the NABU App, a reading tool that has enriched and opened new doors for storytelling time at Kwa Njenga Primary School. This is a true reflection of the community being NABU’s source for creativity.