2010: A TIME TO REJOICE
By Walter Ong’ala  AKIN Project Manager

2010: A TIME TO REJOICE
By Walter Ong’ala  AKIN Project Manager
It is exciting to realize  that AKIN has started reaping the fruits of its hard work. Who could have imagined in 2007, when all this began that we would reach the level where we are today. Thanks to all the partners who have stood with us in this endeavor, we have positively impacted the lives of more than eighty Kenyan youngsters.  The past three and a half years has been a time to learn and at times we have been forced to learn the hard way, but  today, other organizations can consult with us and benefit from our experience and success.
THE PROGRAM EXPANDS
The AKIN program is now actually divided into two components. First, there is the Student Sponsorship Program. In this program there are fifty- five students currently enrolled. Seventeen of them will be graduating at the end of 2010 and our staff is helping them look beyond graduation and plan for the next phase of their lives. Some may qualify for university and others will enter the job market.
We are  proud of the results achieved by students who have taken vocational studies within our student sponsorship program as well. Of the 15 vocational students who have graduated since the beginning of the AKIN program, we have helped 12 get job placements. The young men are working as carpenters, welders, and  mechanics and  the girls are employed as hairdressers. They are renting houses and standing alone. Their success has motivated  the younger vocational students who are following in their footsteps.
In January of this year, AKIN took the bold step of opening the AKIN Learning Center. We hired two full time teachers and enrolled ten Class Eight students who had not passed the KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) exam which would allow them to enter secondary school. Rather than see them turned away and face uncertain futures, we offered these ten eager youngsters a chance to study for one year at the AKIN Learning Center. They are participating in a unique remedial curriculum that is designed to address their academic weaknesses and give them the chance to retake their secondary school entrance exams in November. The goal is to have each of our Learning Center students enter a high quality secondary school next January.
The Learning Center teachers are helping the students create an effective study plan which will relieve some of the stress theses students  have experienced in the past due to lack of confidence in their abilities. These young students are learning how to budget their study time  and work in small groups to help each other comprehend  more challenging material. The teachers are also available after regular classes to tutor on an individual basis.
We are pleased to have the consulting services of Prof. Digolo who is a curriculum development expert at the University of Nairobi. He is helping us to come up with a curriculum for the Learning Center that will not only be effective in teaching the current Learning Center students, but also form the basis of an academic syllabus that can be replicated in future years and possibly in satellite Learning Centers that could be established under the AKIN banner.
We are grateful to all those who have contributed in any way toward the support of African Kids In Need; with your help there is no limit to the difference we can make in the lives of young people in Kenya.
Thank you for being a part of our journey….

Walter Ong’ala

Project Manager