December 31, 2016

We wish you ALL a prosperous, healthy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Thank you to all our supporters all over the world, you have changed the lives of many people!

Here is a picture from the very early days.

December 25, 2016

A very successful school year has ended and everybody always looks forward to the very special ending: the christmas celebration at school! Once again we are happy and very appreciative that people with big hearts are showing us their love and support: a big THANK YOU to Sandro Steimer, Gerardo Palmisano & Nicolas Kleiner for your Christmas party contribution! The children and their parents stuffed their bellies with the best of foods and on top of that ice cream for everybody was distributed! Wow, tamu tamu (sweet sweet)!

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From Forever Kids Kenya and Milele Education Centre, we all wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a successful & happy NEW YEAR!

November 29, 2016

Are you looking for a Christmas gift idea? Are you wondering what you should wish for? Or are you simply looking for a suitable present for a loved one? If any of these questions apply to you, then we have the right gift idea for you!

Secondary school scholarships for our students

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With your contribution you will enable the best students of our Milele Education Center to attend a secondary school in Mombasa after completing primary school. With a donation of only CHF 30 the monthly student's school fee will be paid for.

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Help supporting adolescents who score the highest grades, however due to their origin from poor conditions cannot achieve their goals independently. The completion of the secondary school (4 years) is an important step for the children to escape the harsh everyday life in the slum.

Just send an email with the subject line "Christmas gift", your full contact details and donation amount (for the secondary education) to: foreverkidskenya@hotmail.com.

If you would like to donate in the name of a loved one, please let us know the name of this person as well as your own name and we will issue a Christmas gift certificate for you.

Thank you very much for your valuable support!

Your Forever Kids Kenya Team

November 15, 2016

The 4th school year of our partner school Milele Education Centre has ended and as always all the parents are invited to have a talk in school as the children also entertain them for the start of the meeting. A graduation ceremony has also taken place, where the Kindergarten 3 Class leaves the "nursery" behind and is ready to enter the "primary" education. The best 3 performers of each class are rewarded with a present, and this time a local donor sponsored black leather school shoes as prices. On top of that they have added some extra school uniforms for the price givings. Lastly for the first time they created a show room, where the parents could see some handcrafted christmas cards made by the children and also see how the school has transformed since beginning through a picture slide show on a TV screen. All in all a successful and happy day for everyone!

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Click on the Facebook page of our partner school for more pictures.

November 9, 2016

Towards the end of this school there was a lot of action going on in our partner school and many visitors came along. They spent wonderful days with Raphaël & Nico from Share A Dream and the Kaufmann & Blaser family from Switzerland! Thank you to everybody for making the last school days of the year very memorable for everybody. Ahsanteni sana na karibu tena (thank you very much and welcome again)

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To see the rest of the pictures, simply click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

November 1, 2016

The 8 years of hard work in primary education is coming to an end for the second ever Class 8 of our partner school Milele Education Centre. Today starts the 3-day marathon of final exams. We wish the KCPE candidates strength, faith and success to pass these final exams and for a bright future to come!

October 20, 2016

We welcome Raphaël & Nico from Share A Dream to the Milele Education Centre! They spent a week at the school in Mombasa and we thank them for their time and efforts. Cheers to working together! We will let you know what is going to come out this partnership. Read how they experienced the Milele Education Centre.

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Click on the Facebook page of Share A Dream, to see  their posts about our partner school Milele Education Centre.

October 16, 2016

PARTY SAFARI 4 AT THE WERKK BADEN, SEPTEMBER 24, 2016

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The party pics are here! Thank you to everybody who passed by and supported us! Until the next party in the new year...

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You can find all the party pictures on our Facebook page.

October 10, 2016

A few days ago our friend Dianne visited us with a little surprise for our children, something they haven't tried before. They came in big packs, different colors and flavours - and the kids loved it! Thank you Dianne for the goodies you brought us from the Rotary Club Mombasa! Asante sana!

September 20, 2016

Last week there was a school fun day with the lower primary classes. It was the last school trip for this year and this time round the classes 1, 2 and 3 enjoyed themselves. For the older children they did more educational school trips, while for the younger ones it was all about fun! So they went to visit the Mombasa Luna Park, where the children enjoyed a once in a lifetime experience!

To enjoy more pictures of this fun day, please click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

August 29, 2016

It is sports day once again! But this time, they had a different experience. It was a competition sports day against another school from the neighbour hood: Paintrose. Our kids are wearing blue, while Paintrose is wearing purple. Our kids and staff looked specially smart on this day, this is thanks to Leandra Sherilyn & her girlfriends from Switzerland, who gave them some very cool sports wear, so that all of them look the same and can be identified as belonging together. Thank you so much to Leandra & the girls!

To see more pictures of this tournament day, please click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

August 13, 2016

Wow! The first school trips for all the primary classes are taking place! On the first batch Class 4 - 6 went to visit Haller Park, a wonderful nature and animal park in Mombasa, established by Swiss Dr. René Haller. The second batch of Class 7 and 8 went to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fort Jesus and the Butterfly House in Mombasa. For both groups it was a very interesting and above all educational trip. By the end of the day everybody went home tiredly but happily, having many stories to tell their parents... These school trips wouldn't be possible without the support of the Secondary Classes in Niederweningen and Peter Derks from Switzerland. Thank you so much - Asante sana!

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For more picutes from the school trips please click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

August 4, 2016

We are sad to say that it was time for our volunteer Alek Sandra "Madam Alex", liked by everybody in school, to head back home to Germany. She has left children and staff with many happy moments and memories and we are all awaiting the day she will come back to us. We miss you already. THANK YOU for your precious time with us MADAM ALEX!

Read here how she experienced volunteering with us:

As I learned about the Milele Education Centre when I met Pia Kaufmann in May 2016, I was very excited. The fact, that is was a school in Mombasa, Kenya, supported by a Swiss organization, made me enthusiastic from the beginning on. I am a teacher myself and that made me decide within two weeks to go to Mombasa for a month. Thanks to the phenomenal cooperation with Nadja & Mark I was able to start my volunteering program already by the end of June 2016. They helped me organize the accommodation and informed me about Kenya/Mombasa in general and the upcoming school program. These matters of facts helped me to overcome my initial nervousness. As I arrived in Mombasa I was picked up by Nadja & Mark and together we went to the hostel, where we had time to talk about some important things. On the following day we went, sitting on the back of a motorbike, to school, which is located in the middle of a very poor part of the Nyali quarter, I call it “the village”. First of all I was introduced to the staff and to the present children. On this day some of the children were absent because of participating at the Music Festival. The rest of the children, from class 4 to class 8 had a sports day going on, and with this I had the opportunity to learn about the all-round engagement in the school. The first half of the day I spent in school and had a look around, helped teachers where I could, and the rest of the day I spent at the Music Festival with the children, watching their wonderful performance. The following weeks passed by so quickly. I enjoyed the daily moments with the staff and the children. I taught a few lessons a day and learned a lot about Kenya, their people and their mentality. I was showered with positive energy and everybody, without exceptions, took care of my well-being in school. The time at Milele has enriched myself and my life immensely. I am thankful and happy that I was able to make this experience. The school is a great managed institution and one can not describe it better than the very fitting school motto: “Milele Education Centre opens hearts, minds & doors!” Thank you again for this unforgettable time!

Fore more pictures please click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

August 3, 2016

Last week we had special visitors from Switzerland! Andrea Küng & Marina Möckel spent two days in our school and enjoyed time with our staff and specially with our the children, who couldn't get enough of them :-) Pictures were taken, questions asked, stories made... We say thank you for the fruits you brought and mostly your time spent with us. Everybody hope's to welcome you again at our school, KARIBU TENA (welcoma again)!

For more pictures please click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

July 14, 2016

We welcome our new volunteer "Madam Alex"! It is a privilege to host her at the Milele Education Centre and we are happy for the coming lessons where knowledge, skills and ideas will be exchanged and wonderful memories will be created together!

KARIBU SANA (Welcome)!

To see more pictures, please click on the Facebook page of our partner school.

July 7, 2016

As earlier announced we present the video with our children's performances at this year's music festival! Take your time to watch it, for someone not familiar with african traditional dances and songs, it will be a joy to watch!

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On the second round we didn't reach 1st place anymore, which means our journey for this year ends here. But we will be back for next year's music festival and we will even do better! This year we participated with three different performances, as in order of the video, here are the explanations:

1. SEBULE SEBULE (Good bye): A Luhya (the biggest Kenyan tribe) traditional dance, sung during marriage ceremonies, as the community gets together for the bride, gives her advices, gifts and sends her off to her new family and home, saying good bye to her. It's a happy moment for everybody.

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2. SHINANYENZO (Ghost or the living dead): A Luhya folk song from the Idakho community, about a family that was hunted by a ghost in the past, and now in the present it seems that the ghost is coming back for them. The daughter-in-law fears the ghost and leaves her new family to return to her own parents, after she refuses the marriage and the dowry payment (wedding price).

3. HAMBA KU YESU (Come to Jesus and you will receive salvation): A Luhya sacred folk song. It accompanies topics like salvation, resurrection and crucification. For this song we did the style and performance of the Israel Nineve church.

To watch the video, go to our "Social Media" section, you will find it under "Youtube".

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To see all the pictures, please click on the Facebook page of our Partnerschool.

June 24, 2016

BREAKING NEWS! It is time to reveal the "little" secret ;-) For the first time since Milele Education Centre's existence they have participated in the annual music festival (sub county). They have registered to perform in three different categories. Unbelievably in two categories they won the first place, while in the last category they scored second place! What does this teach them? No matter who you are, where you come from, what resources you may have or may not have, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE! We are so PROUD of our children! A big thank you goes out to Madam Grace as the trainer, who worked hard to bring our children where they are now! For the categories they've won they will participate next week on the next level of the music festival (county), which can go up to the national level if successful, where performances will take place in the country's capital, Nairobi.

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Looking at the pictures just makes you feel as joyful as our children are, doesn't it? Tonight they will fall asleep with smiles on their faces! The video of their performances will be posted here soon too... stay tuned!

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To see the pictures please check the Facebook page of our partner school.

June 14, 2016

Pssst! Something BIG is going to happen soon... Can you guess what? Stay tuned and we will reveal it soon!

P.S. It's so admirable and entertaining how our smallest ones look up to our big ones and want to be just like them, by naturally copying what the big ones do!

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To see the video, click on the "Social Media" button, and you'll find it on "Youtube".

May 19, 2016

"Measles is one of the most contagious diseases ever known and an important cause of vaccine-preventable death and disability among young children worldwide. Failure to vaccinate children against measles and rubella (german measles) puts them at risk of severe health complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, deafness, blindness, brain damage and heart disorders."

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On Monday Kenya has started a nationwide vaccination campaign. During 9 days 19 Million children throughout the country will be vaccinated against Measles-Rubella (involved are children from 9 months up to 15 years). At the same time a deworming exercise will also take place. This project is sponsored from the Kenyan Government and the UN. Our children from the Milele Education Centre were among the first pupils to be vaccinated. Most of them weren't happy about the event, but as they grow older they will understand and appreciate these necessary actions. Others were brave and didn't even make a sound as they saw the injection coming.

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Have a look at the pictures on the Facebook page of our partner school.

May 11, 2016

The second school trimester of this year has started and we want to show you what has been happening during the school vacation. The second, very professional and total fun day of teambuilding! With new activities, more intense teamwork and lots of laughter, everybody enjoyed and learned a lot on this day. Of course afterwards the obligatory relaxing part of playing bowling took place. Not only was it the day of teambuilding, but also the day where they received the new, colorful staff polo shirts! Included with the new school motto, printed on the back of the shirts: OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS. We love the new school motto!

For forther pictures please click on the link of the Facebook page of our Partnerschool.

April 15, 2016

Once again sports day was due, but this time everything was different. The sports days in the past were always enjoyed by everyone, but sometimes you have to break the routine and try new things. This time, for the first time, a fun & games sports day was organised at the Milele Education Centre. And everybody has enjoyed it to the fullest! Some of you may still remember some of those "childhood games". Here we're showing you insights on how this cool sports day looked like. 

To watch the video, please click on the play button on the left side of this text.

And to see the pictures of this awesome day please click on the link of the Facebook page of our Partnerschool.

April 5, 2016

A secret donor has brought lollipops for the whole school. What a simple but huge joy in a child's life! Maisha ni tamu sana (life is very sweet)! Thank you! Asante sana!

Check out more pictures on the Facebook page of our partnerschool.

March 27, 2016

"We love our lunch! With Mombasa's extreme heat these days our teacher let us have our lunch outside in the open air, under the shade of our big mango tree. We are having fun and it is really enjoyable! And our food is awesome, rice with coconut beans and for dessert bananas, yippieh! This was our last day before the long holidays, HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!"

The Kindergarden Classes of Milele Education Centre

Check out on more pictures published on the Facebook page of our partner school.

March 14, 2016

The first sports day of this year has taken place! As the heat is almost unbearable right now in Mombasa, we couldn't spend the whole day at the beach because there is no shade. So the first half was spent on the field in school, where there is at least a little bit shade wink emoticon and after having lunch the second half was spent at the beach, everybody's favourite place!

Check out on more pictures published on the Facebook page of our partner school.

March 3, 2016

Milele Education Centre is reaching a new milestone! The first ever Class 8 of last year are now entering Secondary School. The process of applying for Secondary Schools starts in February and so far we were able to help some of the families to bring their children to school. It was such a happy moment to see them in their new uniforms, grown up, proud with the parents, how they are excited (although not everybody can show it) to begin this new chapter of their educational road.

See for yourself on the pictures published on the Facebook page of our partner school.

February 22, 2016

After words follow actions: last week Milele Education Centre has returned back to swimming lessons after a long break of almost 2 years! Although Mombasa is on the coast, most of the children don't know how to swim or can't swim properly. Also most of the children have never entered a ppublic swimming pool before. So it was really time for the swimming lessons! Class 8 and 7 made the start.

Check out on more pictures published on the Facebook page of our partner school.

February 17, 2016

It is time for swimming lessons! After a long break of more than 2 years swimming lessons will be introduced again at Milele Education Centre. We thank the PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLl TELLI in AARAU for the donation of the swimming materials, which were left at the swimming pools without owners. With these Materials swimming will be more fun and easier to learn for the kids!

February 12, 2016

We are welcoming the new students of the year 2016: the Babyclass! Aged between 2 1/2 and 4 years, this is their first step into the long way of getting educated. We welcome them to school and hope that they stay for the next 12 years to they finish their primary education.

Check out on more pictures published on the Facebook page of our partner school.

February 5, 2016

We are happy to announce that towards the end of the last school year we had another volunteer with us, which everybody was very happy about! It was a short but very intense time for all parties. Read here, how Nadine has experienced her stay in Kenya and specially in partner school:

Since my childhood i have dreamed about going to Africa one day. As a child I was in contact with a Swiss lady called Margrit Fuchs, who has built up and managed orphanages in Rwanda for decades. But I was too young to go with her to Africa, so I was left at the airport when she departed, or I was there to pick her up, when she returned. And unfortunately, she died in 2007 at the age of 90 in Rwanda.

But for me the time has come to let myself in to the adventure of Africa. My school, where I work, allowed me an unpaid vacation for my trip. I didn’t want to see many different countries, only 1-2 countries, whereby I could see more deeper into it. For this case I hoped to learn a lot about the country, life and culture by volunteering. Fortunately I have found the perfect organization and school with Forever Kids Kenya and Milele Education Centre. I was lucky that I was able to meet Nadja & Mark (president of the organization & founder of the school) in Switzerland for a general talk about the volunteering, before they went back to Kenya. They are very friendly and from the start I had a good feeling with them. My anticipation grew bigger every week. As they left for Kenya, we kept contact through Email, to answer some more questions of mine. This time of communicating with each other was very helpful for me.

In October, my time has finally come, after a week long stopover in Zanzibar, I was picked up on a Monday at the Mombasa Airport by Nadja & Mark. I was happy to spend my first night in Kenya with them and felt very welcoming. The next day was a public holiday so school was closed, but Nadja & Mark took time to show me the surrounding area. It was great to visit Old- and Newtown together with them, also the market, the local food and so on... I enjoyed their company and tried to get as much information as possible, as a few days later they would be going on a short trip. Even if they weren‘t around personally anymore, they made sure I was in good hands with Mr. Godfrey, and I felt I was.

On Wednesday was my first day in school. Already the way going there with the motorbikes and tuk tuks was new and exciting for me and during the ride I have seen many impressions. The contrast of rich and poor are very visible and the closer we got to school, the more we were surrounded by ironsheet houses. Of course I have seen pictures of slums or the school before, but seeing it in reality and being inside of it is more impressive.

Of course you can’t compare the classrooms with ours in Switzerland. They are simply built and equipped, quite small and narrow, with a big number of children. For me it was impressive how the children and teachers can teach under such circumstances. As I was teaching I caught myself being distracted from the classes on the left and right.

During my first 2 days I was able to go from class to class and get some impressions. It was nice that they gave me the free choice of which class I wanted to teach. I thought I will automatically be teaching Kindergarden classes, because this is what I know already. So the first days I spent with the Kindergarden classes, and for the rest of the volunteering my curiosity brought me to class 3.

In the Kindergarden I was totally fascinated by the way the lovely Madam Racheal was teaching. The difference to my work as a Kindergarden teacher in Switzerland is very big, because we use a lot of toys and so the children have lots of time to play. Due to lack of materials in Kenya they concentrate on the blackboard. Through this the children have an early contact with numbers and letters. Madam Racheal motivated the children in a playful way and also with praise (for example through singing). For me she had the perfect mixture of being friendly but still being consequent. I didn’t only appreciate her way of teaching, but also appreciated her friendship privately. In this age the disciplinary work and upbringing is very important, same as with us in Switzerland, so it was also a nice change for me to go and teach the older children.

I have spent the longest time of my volunteering with class 3. There I felt that I was on the right spot, because the children were a bit older, spoke very good english and were very communicative. I harmonized well with the teacher Madam Rebeccah and we both profited from each other. We have shared the lessons and complemented each other. I think that the children felt it and this brought a happy atmosphere in class. At some days, when Madam Rebeccah was absent, I took over the class alone. This challenged me and brought me closer to the children. Most of the lessons aren’t very diversified and are being held by repeating or writing from the blackboard, so the creation of my own lessons brought excitement to the class. It was a pleasure for me to transfer my knowledge to them, because they were very active in the lessons. I could tell you so much more about it... The children have touched me deeply and affected me with their joyful way and energy. We have often laughed together and they made me have goose bumps when I heard them singing for me or when they spoke to me with wise words. And I have learnt a lot from them. I already miss the happy faces, which welcomed me every morning with the words „Musungu-Musungu“ while waving at me.

All in all it was a wonderful time which I’ll never forget. I’m endlessly thankful to Nadja & Mark that they made this possible for me. For me it is remarkable, what they both have built up with so much passion and what they perform day by day. I totally support the whole organization and will do it in the future too. I’m really looking forward to a reunion.

All the best for you, Asante Sana

Nadine

Check out on more pictures published on our Facebook page.