Feeding 2000 daily

From 1st September, Porridge and Rice will provide a nutritional breakfast for 1700 pupils each school day.

The number of pupils is growing steadly in PaR, and is expected to rise to at least 1800 and possibly as many as 2000 by the end of December.

When in March 2014, Porridge and Rice started feeding the 250 pupils at Excel Emmanuel Community School in Ngando, an area of the Nairobi slums, no one had any idea that this number would have grown seven fold in 18 months.

Heri Junior

Heri Junior Community School is now a member of the Porridge and Rice team, taking the number of PaR partner schools to four.

Heri Junior is in Mithonge, about an hour from the first PaR partner school Excel Emmanuel in Ngando. Mithonge is in the Dagoretti District.

Heri Junior was founded by Ruth Mbithe who is the current head teacher. Hagaai has worked at the school for 6 years and is the deputy head teacher. Both are highly motivated and dedicated to the success of their pupils.

Heri Junior has 550 pupils which will reach 600 by the end of the year at the current growth rate.

Growth Monitoring

Growth monitoring has provided the first measurable evidence of the impact on pupils of PaR interventions.

Pupils 5 years and under had their weight and height measured. This data was plotted on WHO growth charts against the same data collected 6 months before.

The improvements were dramatic with children jumping from the low percentiles (unhealthy) to over the 50th percentile (average health).

The data will be analysed carefuly over the coming months to identify children who have not made good progress towards normal health and who may thus need greater attention than provided by PaR programs.

Sanitary Pads

Because sanitary pads are too expensive, girls miss school when they are on their periods, sometimes up to as many as 12 weeks a year. Their school work and results suffer as a consequence.

In a society where being female is a disadvantage, menstruation adds yet another barrier to girls reaching their full potential.

From September, all menstruating girls and female teachers at PaR schools will receive free sanitary pads bought from Zana Africa.

ZanaAfrica was set up in Kenya by a Harvard graduate determined to provide low-cost, high-quality sanitary pads. ZanaAfrica sell pads at around a quarter of the cost of commercial brands.

Volunteers in Kenya Summer 2015

Nine volunteers visited Kenya this summer 2015 to work for Porridge and Rice. Seven of the volunteers were in Kenya for a month and the other two for a fortnight.

Existing blackboards at Excel Emmanuel School were repainted and new ones installed. Every classroom at the school now has a large good quality blackboard.

A concrete floor and a wooden framework were built at Lizpal school for an extension to the kitchen. The walls and roof were added by a parent.

Both Lizpal and Glad Kids schools were painted with the help of parents. Both schools now look smart and welcoming.

Fidgety Fingers

Fidgety Fingers raised a very impressive £675 for Porridge and Rice. Thank you so much for.

Fidgety Fingers is a small pre-school of 20 children aged 2 to 4 and a half in Hastingwood, Essex.

Each year, the pre-school selects a charity for which to raise money. This year, Fidgety Fingers selected Porridge and Rice.

The children participated in events like a sponsored bike ride inspired by the Tilnar Cycle Challenge and a Princess and Pirate party, all to raise money for the charity.

Porridge and Rice is only able to continue its work in the Nairobi slums because of kind donors like Fidgety Fingers. A big thank you to Fidgety Fingers, and a big thank you to all those that have donated to Porridge and Rice.

FGM

Usually, the girl is held down without warning. The cutter removes the clitoris and external labia without anaesthetic and using an unsterilised razor blade. After cutting, the vulva is stitched closed leaving a small hole.

The consequences of FGM include psychological trauma, and severe pain during urination, menstruation, sexual intercourse, and childbirth. FGM can also cause infertility and even death due to blood loss or infection.

It is estimated that more than 125 million girls have undergone FGM, and 30 million are at risk over the next decade.

CBO Compasssion ia a group committed to the eradication of FGM. At Porridge and RIce, they used a range of techniques including singing and dancing to warn pupils about FGM and teach them about their rights.

Visit the PaR Facebook page for more pictures and details about the work done by PaR.