Education

Children’s Homes and Schools

The Mirera Secondary School in Naivasha - A bursary fund for HIV orphans fund, who have lost family to this disease were assisted with a donation of Kshs. 600,000.

Musical Education

This is another important aspect of Kijani’s objectives. It has developed from and forms part of the Annual Festival - specifically designed to help needy children where music brings a new dimension to their lives. Some 300 children now form the Ken Burton choir which often takes part in Kijani’s Festivals

In addition musical education workshops have been held during the last three years in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Naivasha and Mombasa.

These have been attended by over 4,000 students, teachers and lecturers from many schools as well as Moi and Kenyatta Universities.

Many of these have performed in the Festivals and in particular some 900 participated in The AMREF 50th Birthday Celebrations.

Ken Burton’s programme for children’s homes

Ken Burton, well known conductor of the London Adventist Chorale, (LAC) specialises in teaching young children to sing. He has become particularly involved working in Kenya in homes for needy children and the results of his work have been spectacular.

Over the last four years in Kenya he has worked with the following children’s homes:

  • Nyumbani, Dr Thomas Barnados, Kibera Health Centre (Amref Project)
  • Dagoretti Centre (Amref Project), Mukuru Slums, Shangilia Mtoto Wa Afrika
  • Mama Ngina , The Nest and New Life Home 

Some 550 children, from age two to fifteen and 450 members of various choirs have taken part in the programme. These children regularly perform in Kjiani festivals. Many are sponsored, by Kijani, to attend and form part of the audience of some of the exciting festival performances.

Funding from the Festival to date Kshs. 1,725,000

Music Education workshops and schools performances

Schools and universities have also benefited from donations from Kijani - Kshs.2.400,000

Ken Burton, The London Adventist Chorale, The Garden Opera and The Guildhall Strings have held workshops for orphanages, schools, Kenyatta and Kabarak Universities, Kenyan Choirs and Nairobi Orchestra, during their visits to Kenya.

The choirs that have received this training were from Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki and Naivasha.

Special schools and student concerts have taken place for each Festival, four of these occured in Nairobi at The Arboretum when some 3,500 children attended. In addition schools and children’s home were invited to concerts in Kisumu, Nanyuki, Naivasha and Mombasa.

All of the above were sponsored by Kijani including the AMREF concert.

This has been a four year programme.

AMREF Kshs.2, 200,000.