Happy new year to all of you!
January 1, 2020
While the children and their parents usually long for the big Christmas celebration at our partner school Milele Elimu Centre, the staff look forward to the year-end outing trip! For two years now, not just a day trip but an overnight trip has been planned. We want to give the hard working staff a break where they can relax and mostly have fun with each other! Because the success of our students comes with them! Ahsanteni sana!!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Christmas party
December 27th, 2019
The Christmas holidays are also popular with our children in Kenya. And what they are looking forward to every year: the traditional Christmas dinner at our partner school Milele Elimu Centre, with all the staff, all the children, their parents and maybe one or two other villagers who sneak in for the festive meal
Without the long-standing support of Sandro Steimer, Nicolas Kleiner, Gerardo Palmisano & Jonas Brauen, a Christmas celebration in this context would not be possible. Nearly 400 people enjoyed the festive meal, which included the very popular coastal dish "Biryani" as well as extra portions of grilled chicken pieces, chapati, fruit salad and of course a bottle of soda. The Christmas celebration was rounded off with entertainment from individual children and a dance competition by the parents, with food being given to the winners as Christmas presents.
We would like to thank the above sponsors for once again providing an unforgettable Christmas at school for our children and their families!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Charity Jass Event
December 15th, 2019
How time flies... Our first charity jass tournament was already 2 weeks ago. We thank all participants, sponsors and supporters for this successful day. Without you this would not have been possible.
We were a little nervous at first. Did we think of everything? Do we have enough bread for the fondue, when do we have to make the fire, do we have enough Jass cards, enough raffle tickets bought? There were a few little stumbling blocks after all. But we wouldn't be Forever Kids Kenya if we hadn't been able to get them out of the way.
The teams were great and wildly mixed. There was a lot of laughter and there were many matches. Our moderator Jonas could hardly rest and diligently distributed "match" prizes to the teams. Also our raffle fairy Christine could hardly save herself from the raffle hunters. Before the big award ceremony and the distribution of the tombola prizes, the teams were rewarded with a fine outdoor fondue.
The distribution of the tombola prizes became very exciting. Which ticket number belongs to the e-bike? What other prizes are there to win? The winner with the lot number 23 was so generous and donated the e-bike back, whereupon a spontaneous auction was started. Patrick was not outbid with his bid and is therefore the new proud owner of an e-bike.
We are very happy about the outcome of our first charity Jass tournament and hope to see many familiar faces at the next one.
Asanteni sana!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
This year's christmas fundraising
December 10, 2019
We have two possible candidates for university education!
We have reached a milestone - the first former students of the Milele Elimu Centre have just finished secondary school!
Two of them - Joel Samuel & Ibtisam Abdallah - always had outstanding grades during the 4 years of secondary education and were always top students in their own classes as well as in the streaming classes, which included about 150 students.
These two young people from the slums in Mombasa, whom we have trained, financially supported and accompanied to this day, are about to take the first step into their dream career. Both dream of studying medicine - what they still lack is the financing of the 4-year university education.
🌟"TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS"🌟
Joel & Ibtisam cannot do it alone, but with our help we can give them great prospects for the future and thus a way out of the everyday slum life. Not only their lives will significantly improve, but also those of their families and relatives. For their classmates and the whole village they are already great role models!
How can you support the dream of a university education for Joel & Ibtisam?
It doesn't take much effort - just send us an email at foreverkidskenya@hotmail.com and let us know how much you would like to contribute to their studies. If you want to donate in the name of a friend, please let us know by email as well. We will send you a nice certificate, which you can give as a gift.
Here you can learn more about our two students:
JOEL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6gl9vc1BG0
IBTISAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v98_ux6SYzA
Thank you very much for your valuable support!
We from Forever Kids Kenya and our partner school Milele Elimu Centre wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Christmas present for secondary graduate Joel Samuel
December 2, 2019
In our second part we would like to introduce our secondary school graduate Joel:
The last 4 years in the secondary school he got top marks. His outstanding subjects are geography, biology and chemistry. The scholarship he received from us for his secondary education encouraged him to study hard and even made it possible for him to dream of a career because he is not one of those students who are regularly sent home from school due to lack of school fees. He would like to study medicine and become a surgeon, his role models work as doctors in the Aga Khan Hospital in Kenya. Through the extracurricular activities he had the opportunity to travel once in a while and get to see different places in his country. This inspired him to hopefully see more of the world in the future. He also wants to be a role model and inspiration for his generation. In the following video he explains to us how he experienced the 4-year secondary school, what he liked most, what was less pleasant and how he hopes to have written a very good final exam - so that he can soon take the next step, the education at a kenyan university.
This year's Christmas fundraising is supported by Ibtisam and Joel. Donate for their future and support them in making their professional dream come true. A meaningful Christmas present for yourself or your loved ones. Write us an e-mail at foreverkidskenya@hotmail.com with the subject "Christmas present" and let us know how much you would like to contribute to their studies and whether you would like to donate in the name of a friend. We will then present you with a certificate.
In the name of Ibtisam and Joel, ahsanteni sana - Thank you for your Christmas present!
You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/g6gl9vc1BG0
The biggest Christmas present for our secondary school students Ibtisam and Joel!
November 27, 2019
Both of them are among the first students of the Milele Elimu Centre to graduate from the 4 year secondary education. Their grades have been very good so far, and with the necessary financial means they might have the possibility to study at the university soon! Help us to continue supporting the two best students of this year and make them become the first idols of our school! First we introduce Ibtisam to you:
She is one of our best students. Because of her strong performance, we supported her during the secondary education. She loves socializing and finds it easy to make friends, she likes the lesson «business» and doesn't like mathematics. Her heart's desire is to study medicine and care for children who don’t do as good as she does. When she grows up, she wants to help educate her younger siblings. She dreams big - she wishes to open her own hospital one day. Ibtisam is a role model for her classmates and a great pride for her family.
This year's Christmas fundraising supports Ibtisam and Joel. Donate for their future and support them in realizing their professional career. A meaningful christmas present for yourself or your loved ones. Write us an E-mail to foreverkidskenya@hotmail.com with the subject "Christmas present" and let us know how much you would like to contribute to their further studies and whether you would like to donate in the name of a friend. We will then present you with a certificate.
In the name of Iptisam and Joel, ahsanteni sana - thank you for your Christmas present!
You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/v98_ux6SYzA
Class 8 farewell
November 3, 2019
"To our dearest Class 8, who just finished their final exams (KCPE) a few days ago:
You can now proudly say that you have finished your 8 year primary education, and we can proudly say that we have prepared you in all the possible ways for your future educational path. We have gone through ups and downs together, but most important: we have always helped each other and have always been there for each other.The natural result of this is a deep bond, not only with teachers, but between everybody involved with the Milele Elimu Centre, that will surely last for a long time. Class 8, you have been and will always be a part of the Milele Family. You are always welcome back "home" to visit us. We would love to hear from you in the coming years. When our school started in 2013, a few of you were already with us, you were then in Class 2. Now you're all grown up - and ready for the next step. We wish you a lot of success for whatever comes across your path!"
The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/lBLZYzxMsnA
Last school day of the year 2019
October 27, 2019
ow time flies! Another school year has ended... Last Friday was the closing day of the school year 2019. The parents always attend the closing days as they are being informed about any important topic going on in our school. As always the 3 best performed kids of every class got a small present and this time round the teachers and students who participated in the National Music Festival finals 2019 in Nakuru were awarded with the official certificate of the festival, which they proudly received.
For next week we wish our Class 8, who will sit for their KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) exams all the success and wish them well as they will leave our school to hopefully continue with their further education.
Also "our oldest kids", the pioneers, who already went through 4 years of secondary education after they left us end of 2015, are going to sit for their KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) exams next week.
We wish ALL of our kids just the best and hope that they succeed in their exams to continue in the next path that is waiting for them! We believe in you!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Fundraising of the Third World Group Würenlos
October 21, 2019
A huge thank you to the "Drittweltgruppe Würenlos", especially to Karl and Mario, who support us in cooperation with the primary and secondary school Würenlos in this year's fundraising campaign!
Sandra Senn and Nadja Kaufmann were invited to tell the children and teachers of the school in Würenlos about our organization and our partner school Milele Elimu Centre in Mombasa. Everyone listened eagerly, participated diligently in the quiz and asked countless questions about life in Kenya. The children will now individually collect donations for us until the International Day of the Child on 20 November 2019. We wish you much success!
It was a very exciting and instructive day in Würenlos and we thank all participants who made this day possible!
International teachers day
October 5, 2019
To our dear teachers of Milele Elimu Centre
Thank you for guiding our kids from Kindergarten to 8th grade through good and bad times.
Thank you for all your support to achieve their goals.
Thank you for inspiring them to become great students.
Thank you for teaching them valuable lessons for their future.
Without you on our side Forever Kids Kenya and Milele Elimu Centre wouldn't be where they are now!
Ahsanteni sana! Happy teacher's day to you and all other teachers around the world!
.
Posted Story on Facebook: We hired our actual teacher Madam Ruth as a 19-year-old inexperienced teacher because we believed in her and wanted to give her a chance. Back then she started teaching 4th grade. These children are now in 8th grade and will write their primary school final exams at the end of October so that hopefully many of them will be able to go on to secondary school in January next year. Madam Ruth has grown incredibly in her role as a teacher and mentor for the children, today she is the mother of a 2 year old daughter. Hats off to her and thank you for the last 5 years with our partner school Milele Elimu Centre!
Musicfestival 2019
August 20, 2019
This year, for the first time, our school achieved their best result ever, reaching the national level! For most, the 650km trip from Mombasa to Nakuru was the travel of a lifetime!
Not every day do you get to pack your bags for 4 days, where you're away from your family members, not every day do you get to travel with the brand new SGR train, connecting Mombasa to Nairobi, not every day does a special service bus with private chauffeur tour you around Nairobi and Nakuru...
For some it was the first time to travel at all, 650km, halfway across the country. First time to ride the SGR train, first time to go on a safari though the national park, first time to see some of the big 5's, first time to put a foot step into a university (at Nakuru), where this year's music festival on the national level was held.
120 of our kids participated in 5 different categories from tribal and sacred songs, dances, english & french poems. All of them made it from the 1st to the 2nd round, two of them made it to 3rd round, and 1 group made it to the last round, THE NATIONAL COMPETITION!! Coming out 7th position of 14 participants in our category, we are so happy that our kids have even achieved this level, thinking of Kenya having hundreds of schools participating through all levels to reach to the nationals! The winner of this level gets to perform for the president, who knows, maybe next year it could be us...!
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU, MILELE KIDS! 🎉 🎉 🎉
~ THE SKY IS OUR LIMIT ~
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/XndqLn8HcDw
Project weeks Class 8
July 14, 2019
Today we want to show you, what grade 8 has been up to during the community project weeks:
A visit to "Wana wa Mola" children's home in Mombasa, which takes in boys who lived on the streets, right now they have boys aged 5 to 20 years old. Besides finding a loving home and a new family, they are also supported to go to school and encouraged to nurture their talents in their free time: their biggest passion is about dancing and acrobatics. So our children came to visit these youths and experience a different way of living, socializing, making new friendships and having a full morning of fun together. What the Wana wa mola kids were able to teach our Milele kids? See for yourself in the pictures and then in the following post in the video, pure awesomeness!!! 😄👏🎉💃🕺
Oh, and as visitors in Kenya you never come empty handed, so our kids brought a few bags of goodies with foods, clothes etc. to the children's home and were happy to present the bags to them after a joyful morning together!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Together We're Better
June 22, 2019
Forever Kids Kenya was nomitated for the "Together we're better" Future Award Switzerland 2019, organized by the DEZA/SECO and awarded at the Swiss Annual Conference for Development & Cooperation. Our team was on site, exchanged ideas in a lively, for us very constructive and unusual environment and discussed courageous projects for a better future with young and dynamic people.
We did not win, but as Norah Wilhelm of Collaboratio Helvetica said during her inspiring speech: "If everyone wanted to shoot the goal, nobody will shoot a goal. We have to learn to put our ego back and work together for a common goal. For a humane future with curiosity, compassion and courage."
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Solidarity day at the Bezirksschule Mellingen-Wohlenschwil
June 16, 2019
Eight classes of the Bezirksschule Mellingen-Wohlenschwil (2nd and 3rd Bezirksschule) have donated a part of their income from the annual solidarity day to our association. Our vice-president Pia Claire Kaufmann Padilla was given a huge check at the school.
Thank you very much for your generous contribution to the welfare of the children of our partner school Milele Elimu Centre in Mombasa, Kenya 🌍
Here's the online report:
https://www.schule-mewo.ch/bezirksschule/news.html/566/news/430
More projects
June 11, 2019
We continue with our community project weeks! This time we want to show you what Grade 1 & Grade 2 have been up to. Read here!
The teachers took Grade 1 to visit the Cannan Orphanage Home & School at Bombolulu, Mombasa. Here children find shelter, who were living on the streets or were abandoned by their parents or relatives. Besides giving them a loving home they also provide a daycare centre and a kindergarten school. The older kids are taken to nearby primary schools for their basic education. The kids spent some happy moments together where they interacted with games and other various activities.
Grade 2 went to visit Ronald Ngala Special School for Handicapped Children in Mombasa Town. This is a government primary school for the physically and mentally challenged children. This project was chosen to create awareness about these children and that they should not be treated differently. In the end they are all children who love to play and interact with other children. So much, that they didn't want our children to leave them anymore after spending the whole morning together!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Project weeks
May 10, 2019
The community project weeks were created to bring the community together, to do good, to make friendships, to create awareness, to socialize and help each other. For this project, each class teacher had to look for a place to visit with a suitable purpose. Let us show you what Kindergarden classes 1 and 2 were up to!
The “little sisters of the poor” is a home for elderly people, who have either been abandoned by their families, don’t have families at all or the families are very poor and not able to take care of them. Located at Tudor, Mombasa and run by the catholic church sisters, it is the home of around 50 elders. Our kids came to meet them, talk to them and sing for them and play with them. The elders were happy to have visitors around who care for them. It was a one of a kind memorable day for everyone!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Soliswiss
March 27, 2019
Hooray!
Soliswiss has published the story of our President Nadja Kaufmann Padilla!
Would you like to know how it all started? And how we managed to get almost 300 children in the slums of Mombasa to enjoy primary school education (in fact they enjoy school very much, don't even want to go home any more) and how we get them a warm meal every day?
Nadja tells the story in her own words!
Here is the link to the story:
https://forum.soliswiss.ch/berichte/1413/?fbclid=IwAR2i7ySc7oQGLkCjU40X084iyULPaIAjw_T2FEiwqb0-FtmNdCvvc0zE_CE
Hello school trips!
March 12, 2019
After almost 3 years of waiting our kids were able to go for the second round of school trips for all the primary students in the history of our school.
Grade 1 - 5 were sent on a Safari and visit their first ever National Park in their own country (of which Kenya is famous for, there are 54 National Parks): the Shimba Hills, a 1 1/2 hour drive from Mombasa. The park is thick with bushes and trees, so animals were hard to find. But the highlight was the short but tough hike to the secret spot with the waterfalls, which the kids saw for the first time and where they enjoyed a spontaneous swim too!
Grade 6 - 8 came to enjoy a 3-hour trip from Mombasa to visit the Gedi Ruins (near Watamu, along the north coast of Kenya), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kenya's oldest known towns from the past, dating from the 12th century. Also, they visited the company Kensalt, where they were given a tour and learned where the salt in Kenya comes from and how it is processed before it lands on everybody's food.
A big thank you goes out to the Secondary Classes Niederweningen, who made all this possible for us. Ahsanteni sana!!
More pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Visit from Switzerland
February 27, 2019
One of our long-time supporters travelled to Kenya and visited our partner school Milele Elimu Centre right away! It was a very nice experience for all sides, the special guest was received with a small entertainment block and could visit all classes as well as exchange himself with the employees. A planned short visit turned into several hours. Maybe it was not the last visit 😊
Thank you Herbert Winiger and karibu sana tena (welcome back any time again)! 👏
Pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
Secondary scholarships
February 18, 2019
We are very happy to be able to continue our secondary school programme for some primary school leavers from our partner school Milele Elimu Centre! Also this year in January/February we were able to send a few new students to the secondary school and support them financially. Here is Damaris, the oldest of 6 children of a single mother. She brings pride to the family with this opportunity and will hopefully be a role model for the younger siblings! All the best to Damaris for the next 4 years in secondary school! 📚📖
Would you like to help us maintain the secondary school program?
👉 Check out our homepage for donation opportunities!
A huge thank you to all who have already made this possible! 👏
https://www.foreverkidskenya.com/donations
Find more pictures on our Facebook page.
Activities during school vacation
January 24, 2019
The new school year has started and everybody is almost back to school ^_^ But what happened when school was closed for the 2 months vacations? We always look for activities for the kids to participate. This time round we are very pleased to have hosted "MOJA - Stitch for education" in cooperation with the local "Soweto youth initiative Nairobi". They came for counselling about everything that comes with puberty, for example general sex education, talking about HIV/AIDS, preventing teen pregnancies, address taboos and prejudices. In the end they even distributed reusable sanitary pads to our girls, which they were so thankful for.
We thank you guys for your time and efforts, karibu sana tena!
More pictures can be seen on our Facebook page.
Happy new year!
January 6, 2019
The staff of our partner school Milele Elimu Centre play a very important role in the education of our almost 300 children. They have worked very hard and reached the school goals that were set for 2018! Congratulations everybody, you really deserved this weekend treat in Diani (awarded as one of the most beautiful beach in Africa!!)!
We wish everybody a happy, healthy and a successful 2019! 🎊🎉🎈
See the pictures on our Facebook page.
