Kisima NewsMay 2015

www.kisima.org offi ce@kisima.org

NEWCOMERS AND SCHOOL LEAVERS

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Hello from Kisima, where the academic year is proceeding along the now familiar sequence of events. Our new Form Ones joined us in January and have settled in happily with the help of their guardians in Form Two. We are very glad to report that we have all the sponsors we need for this class, with a last-minute surge as friends in the U.K. and Sweden shared the need with their friends. Thank you to all our sponsors and to those who have become Kisima Friends - supporters who give regularly to our general running costs rather than towards an individual student.

They are also determined to do well in their studies and are working hard towards this end. All the classes are inspired by the success of last year’s Form Fours, whose K.C.S.E. results were as follows: Overall grade Number of students A 4 A- 6 B+ 10 B 8 B- 3 C+ 2Although the government abolished ranking of schools this year, we know that Kisima came second in Nyandarua County. More importantly, at least twenty eight students will get a university place and we look forward to hearing about the courses they have been admitted for.

The girls of Forms Two and Three battling it out on the football pitch

The new pupils have already enjoyed a number of special activities here at Kisima. The fi rst of these was the talent night, where those who felt able to showed their skill in dancing, singing, juggling, acting and more. The event also included games such as musical chairs, picking lemons by mouth from a bucket of water and the very popular speed eating competitions!

Some of the Form One students when they had just received their new uniforms

Then at the end of February it was time for the inter-class football competition. Unfortunately the Form Ones came last in the girls’ and boys’ matches, but they are determined to do better next time.

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, KISIMA!

Students helping to make chapatis

David and some young helpers planting a tree

The hall gradually filled up with visitors, including former students, parents and guardians, officials from the Education department and teachers from our feeder primary schools, some of whom had travelled a great distance to be with us. The first session was a thanksgiving service, with an encouraging sermon from Psalm 136 - ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures for ever’.

Cutting the cakes

The excellent exam results were celebrated on Saturday 14th March, along with the commemoration of Kisima’s tenth anniversary. The school was a hive of activity in the days leading up to it, with the students involved in spring cleaning, decorating the hall and preparing songs and dances. On the day itself, some lent a hand in the kitchen while others were receptionists and ushers.

Form One performing a song

After this came performances by the students and many speeches from staff and guests. David narrated something of the history of Kisima, from his first vision for a school in 1992, through the sharing of that vision with friends in the U.K., to the purchase of land, the construction of the school and its opening in 2005.

Finally, cakes were cut, trees were planted and everyone enjoyed a good meal.

In the evening, when the other guests had left, the Kisima alumni shared their experiences and advice with the current students. It was great to see so many of them here, both those who are regular visitors and those who had not been back for years, and to hear their news of further studies, graduations, jobs, marriages and children.

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FARMING AND FRIENDS

The Kisima tractor - a Massey Ferguson 390T

In February we welcomed four visitors from Sweden, including Ebbe and Lena Westergren who had inspired Two Sisters Chapel to support Kisima. As well as presenting the plough to the school, they showed a slide show about Sweden and in return were entertained by some cultural dances by the students.

In March we were happy to see another friend, David Green, who used to live in Nyahururu and who now came to visit after three years back in the U.K. He contributed a lot to Kisima during his short stay, speaking at Friday’s assembly, Saturday’s Christian Union meeting and the Sunday service.

A student watering his newly-transplanted napier grass

On the school farm, maize and beans were planted in April and are now being weeded. The long dry spell has come to an end; though it is not as wet as often we are glad to have had a moderate amount of rain. We are also very happy to inform you that Kisima now owns a tractor and plough, bought with the money raised by the young people of Christ Church Chorleywood in the U.K. and members of Two Sisters Chapel in Kalmar, Sweden.

Thanks to another donation from Christ Church, we have also been able to buy a container that will be used as a grain store. It is here at school and will enable the farm produce to be kept well until it is used in the kitchen.

Small-scale farming continues at Kisima, with much of the school grounds under cultivation. This includes a section for the Form Four Agriculture students who have begun their assessed project. Each of the twenty nine students has a small plot where they have to grow a crop and write a report about the procedure. Unlike previous years, the students will not be eating their produce at the end of the project, as this year they have to grow napier grass, a fodder crop.

Dan and David with the new plough

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PRAYER POINTS

Praise God for... • The provision of enough sponsors for the new students• Enabling last year’s candidates to do so well in their exams• A happy celebration of Kisima’s anniversary and for helping us throughout the past ten years• The rain we have received at school and at the farm• The purchase of the tractor, plough and storage container• Sarah’s safe arrival

Please pray for...• The Form One students to continue to adapt well to secondary school life• Last year’s Form Fours as they move on to university, college and other opportunities• A good harvest of maize and beans from the farm• An improvement in the security situation across the country and protection for the students’ families in the affected areas• For the students who have left/ are off school because of illness• For the rest of the students to have good health

Thank you very much

OTHER NEWS

• Sadly, Kenya has been in the news recently, with the attack by Al-Shabaab at Garissa University College. We are thankful that none of our former students are at that university, though two are now police officers and are based in Garissa. Across the country there is a sense of insecurity as people are fearful of further attacks in universities, schools and other institutions.• There is also a high level of insecurity in some parts of Northern Kenya from which our students come, particularly Samburu and Baringo Counties. Inter-community violence has been on the increase for many months, with cattle rustling, killings and the disruption of livelihoods as people move away from their homes. • More sad news is that one of our Form Three students has had to leave school because of ill health, while another has been off for some months and seems unlikely to come back to resume his studies.• Let’s end with good news - the safe arrival of David and Catherine’s baby. Sarah Wanjiku Maina was born on 10th January, just a day after Catherine sent the last newsletter mentioning her imminent arrival! She is doing well and James is enjoying being a big brother.