SIMBA EDUCATION CONSULTANTS

Center for people Development

Our goal is to improve learning outcomes (in reading and socio emotional skills) among lower primary grade 1- 4 school children. The implementation strategy of the project is to work with the communities, school level actors and education managers at the County and Sub County level to improve the adoption of art and play-based pedagogy for enhanced quality of literacy instruction and positive learner-centered experience at school; and to support home/community level actors (such as elders, caregivers, parents, CSOs, and volunteers) to create stimulating home learning environment that reinforces school level efforts and remove barriers to education for pupils.

Both strategies engage children, teachers, school leaders, parents, elders, school management committees (SMC) and parent-teacher associations (PTAs), County and sub-County level education officials, teacher trainers/coaches/mentors, and national level agencies under the Ministry of Education.

Elder-Teacher Knowledge Transfer

Traditionally the Luo community used to have a practice known as `Siwindhe` where young people especially girls were taught at night. This practice stopped. Our program is coming up with the same style where the elderly women and men teach identified early childhood teachers our culture and traditional practices. This is aimed at transferring the same knowledge to the pupils. This improves the teacher`s professional development as they are trained on play-based learning (PBL) teaching practices to enhance children’s literacy and socio emotional skills for inclusivity.

Early childhood education in mother tongue

We have mobilised the local pre-school and nursey schools to offer Literacy and numeracy in the mother tongue- the Luo. Teaching the learners in their mother tongues in the first 4 years of their schooling improve performance, interest and retention in school. First days in school appeal to learners if they are spoken to in what is familiar. We have sessions where parents are encouraged to talk to their children in mother tongue at home as far as possible.

Storytelling through riddles and proverbs

Our community has very rich culture in riddles and proverbs usually using naturally occurring plants and animals like the Hare, Hyena, Crocodiles, Snakes, Eagle, Spider and plants Baobab, Circus and Mango trees just to name a few examples. These proverbs and riddles are used after-school to supplement learning activities at the community and household level.

Using forms of play such as games, sport, poetry, performance, dance art and music to engage children and promote integration

The targeted schools create lasting impact and empower children with the knowledge and skills to drive change in their lives, their families and their communities through games, sport, poetry, performance, dance art and music that engage children. Teachers organize pupils into clubs that perform the games, poetry, dance, music and songs. These provide supplemental and also after-school learning opportunities for children: examples include after-school reading clubs, dancing clubs, community reading centres, reading competitions, and also equipping caregivers with skills and resources for creating stimulating home literacy – Siwindhe. We provide additional educational inputs such as reading materials, grade-appropriate story books, teacher manuals, other teacher and learning materials in poets, classroom infrastructure is decorated with talking arts/points.

Through these activities, the project contributes to achieving SDG 4, ensuring ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all’, including its underlying principle of ‘leave no one behind’ it brings the community together.