Farmers Helping Farmers (FHF) has been working in the Meru area of Kenya since the early 1980’s. Their work has been monumental in connecting and working alongside the locals.
In writing our blog, my fellow classmate and I took the opportunity to speak with some of the staff tat the school where we are teaching. We asked multiple staff members how FHF has helped. They shared:
FHF has helped to improve the nutrition in the food we provide to our students. For instance, the organization helped to build a vegetable garden with netting to protect what we grow from the birds. This also helps to employ the gardener. Two years ago FHF also helped build our school kitchen, which has three cook stoves with proper ventilation making it easier and safer for the school cook. We now have proper stainless steel drying racks, dishes and utensils, as well as food storage which has helped improve food safety and sanitation.
Considering that approximately 90% of our students go to bed without food, our kitchen has improved the livelihood of our students while increasing school attendance.
Teacher workshops has also helped to educate Kenyan teachers regarding food safety and sanitation which transfer to students having a deeper understanding of the importance of washing their hands for example both at school and at home. Furthermore, teachers learn about various teaching strategies that when implemented in their classrooms make a difference and have challenged Kenyan teachers to teach more to differentiated learning.
Kenyan teachers shared that having teachers visit from Canada helps to teach our learners to have more open minds in terms of diversity. Interactions between visiting teachers and student increase our learners capacity to listen better too.
As pre-service teachers completing 5 weeks of a 10 week teaching practicum we have had the privilege to observe first hand the amazing work FHF does here in Kenya.
Blessings from Kenya.
Nicole & Alauryn
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