The Goals And Aims Of School Sponsorship
The churches in Pokot North sponsor 14 comprehensive schools (first 9 years, covering primary and middle school in the UK), and 3 secondary schools (final 3 years). Although all were started by the churches, most have developed and are now run by the Government. As a Charity, TRAIN(Kenya) helps support more than 30 teachers in these schools that have a few thousand registered students.
What is sponsorship? All schools have a sponsor, usually the church that started the school. The sponsor is recognized for this and has certain privileges, especially in the comprehensives: the Chairman of the Board of Management (BOM) is from the church, and the church has influence over who is the Head Teacher. All schools have a lesson on Friday morning, called PPI (Pastoral Programme for Instruction), when a representative of the church can teach from the Bible, with much freedom to be faithful to God’s word, making known the gospel to the children. This past year they have been studying the Gospel of Matthew. In the secondary schools we have been able to hold special meetings called ‘Weekend Challenge’.
Why does the Charity support extra teachers? Much of our finance goes towards this at present. The fact is that the Government does not post enough teachers to this remote area of Kenya. The churches believe that, having started the schools, there is an obligation to make sure they go on well. Without adequate staff the churches will be maligned by many in the local community. In this we are helping the BOM who also supplement the teaching staff.
Why are we involved in education at all? We believe it is through the learning in such schools, and the spiritual input that the brethren can have, that together with the churches, some young people will be converted, and some of them called to church leadership. After many years of sponsorship we are beginning to see this fruit.
