Children in Kenya

They watch their baby brothers or sisters, help cook dinner, go to fetch water, herd cattle, or help with the farms.

What jobs do your parents have?:

Most people in this part of Kenya are sustenance farmers (they grow food for their own use) and some have jobs as laborers or miners.

What time does school start, and what time do you go home?:

All children walk to school--some for many kilometers each day--and they arrive around 8:00 a.m. and leave around 2:30-3:00 p.m.

How do you get to school? Are you allowed to go to school by yourself?:

All children walk to school and go by themselves or with friends. The youngest are accompanied by their older siblings.

Where do you eat lunch? What is your favorite food?:

Sadly, at most rural schools there are no tables, no silverware, and no chairs. Kids sit on the ground, eat with their fingers out of plastic bowls, and sometimes bring plastic bags to take home whatever they don't eat so they can share it with their families.

What language do you speak at school? How do you say "Hello" in your language?:

Most children here speak three languages: English, Swahili (the second national language), and their tribal language (there are over 30 tribes in Kenya). "Jambo" means "Hello" in Swahilli.  If you are "cool" you say "Mambo" and the response is "Poa!"

What are some common kids' names at your school?:

Most are Christian names such as Simon, John, etc. but many go by their last names.

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