School Profile;

Alekii was started in 2009 and is Educational Institution registered with the Kenya government through the ministry of Social Services as a community Project. The school was started to offer basic education to the orphans and vulnerable (needy children) who could not afford the costs of education in public schools. Most of the children are orphans and needy who lost their parents due to HIV/AIDs and Malaria, which is rampant in Suba District where we operate. It is a part of the community development project, working close together with other groups from the community. The bigger aim is to provide education to all who want to create a change in the world, is it local or even greater national or international

Alekii is a kindergarten project with incorporated orphan programme and community development visions in Rusinga Island, Kenya. We basically provide early childhood education with a focus on satisfaction of basic needs. We provide shelter, social, and educational care and work on a creation of identity awareness through cultural exchange. We plan in future to deal with water, sanitation, solar, sustainable energy, non formal adult education and for disabled/challenged children, and library.

Currently we have 2 teachers, one cook and one Secretary among other volunteers. The identified volunteer i.e teachers, cook and Secretary are always in the school but have no pay. They have volunteered themselves to support the children.

As at now, we have 15 children but the number is increasing each week i.e 10 boys and 5 girls. They are of ages 3-8. Our centre provides them with basic needs i.e food, shelter, clothing, basic education and spiritual nourishment among others. Due to lack of boarding facility attributed to lack of funds, our children don’t sleep in school but we attach them to some care givers/guardians where we visit them and check on their social status.

The school is open for any insights that may deem necessary depending on the availability of resources for the benefit of the children and the community. In conclusion, Alekii Academy is envisioned not to be an ordinary school for children and the community. It is envisioned to be an ordinary school with special programs to enhance rural and community development.

The daily activities at Alekii Academy start at 7:30 a.m when pupils start coming to school, the teacher on duty comes as early as 7 a.m to welcome the pupils who come earlier than the others. Between 7:30-7:45 a.m: the teacher on duty works with the pupils on doing the general cleaning. There is an assembly from 7:45-8:00 a.m.

-General inspection of the pupils, this include checking weather the children washed their faces, legs, cut nails, combed hair, with clean cloth, well tacked with buttons among others.

-The children then sings some songs, recite Lords prayer led by the teacher on duty and then depart for their classes

-The pupils are led to sing National Anthem on Monday and Friday. For the first one and a half hour the pupils choose their own indoor games after which they are led by the teacher guiding the lessons.

A child is endowed with fundamental human rights -- the right to life; good health; protection from violence, abuse and discrimination; education; and an adequate standard of living. The survival and well-being of today's children is inseparably linked to the peace of tomorrow's world. However, there are still a lot of children who are suffering from malnutrition, ill health, inadequate or no schooling, poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water - and gender discrimination and abuse. You may know some of them.

1. Participation It is important that all children have the opportunity to learn to participate in programs that directly affect their lives. The principle behind participation is empowerment. Participation is a right. It gives children tools for action. Teachers need to respond by giving opportunities for participation.
2. Access Education must be available without discrimination. Everyone in the community needs to reach out to those that have been underserved.
3. Prevention The goals of prevention are to get rid of all kinds of abuse related to children and to help children and young adolescents make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
4. Discipline and Violence Discipline is important in every classroom. Teachers and students need to maintain order so that the work of learning can be done. Conflict will always be part of our lives. The question is what we do with the conflict. New models and techniques of conflict resolution can be used in schools and in the family.
5. Instability Education is a means for providing stability and normality to those children caught in natural and human-made emergencies.

Languages (English, Kiswahili and local languages Dholuo)

1. Reading- Simple Words
2. Environmental – (Nature study in the garden and caring for the goats and sheep)
3. Basic Arithmetic
4. General Science- Health Science)
5. Writing on the floor (Scrabbling) and some write in exercise books)
6. Modeling

Children are served porridge a (breakfast ) at 10:00. Porridge is served in order, children are taught social behavior, eating together as a family. They then wash cups. This meant to teach them self responsibility.

They break for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Sometimes the children are given lunch in School but this depends on the availability of funds.

At 2:00 p.m they do have a chance to sleep an. Rest and have their choose games and story telling sessions for memory development. On Wednesday and Fridays, they are washed at the lake as from 11:-12: a,m. The lake is about 500 meters from the school. We do have home visits on Fridays and Saturdays afternoons.

1. Interest in global partnership development to involve twinning of schools and exchanges.
2. Environment Conservation and Protection
3. Orphans and Vulnerable Support program through the provision of basic needs
4. Lobby and advocacy on the rights of children with special focus on orphans and vulnerable
5. Identity awareness work through intercultural exchange within the community with people with people and organizations all over the world.
6. Strong insight of becoming independent and autonomous by involvement of the whole community (local and abroad)

1. Lack of funds since the school depends on charity from well wishers
2. Rapid increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children in our area of operation
3. Poverty which contributes to high increase of number of cases of child abuse

1. Building of a new classroom;
2. Paying of teachers salaries:
3. Adoption program ($ Adopting a child and supporting him/her per month with $6 )
4. Buying of school books and learning materials.
5. Supporting the kids to have basic needs, clothes, food and shelter.

Mama Linet Okeyo

P.O Box 56, Mbita 40305, Kenya

Tel: +254 725 213 87773 / 254 725 092 386

bechiokeyo@gmail.com