Upendo-Wadsworth Partnership

A week has already gone since Mrs Sally Bates (Headteache,Wadsworth Fields Primary School, Nottingham, UK) and Mrs Vanessa Tift arrived here at Upendo Junior School. Today was their last day in school where they had shared lunch with the teachers and particpated in games with the children.

During their visit, the two had an opportunity to attend lessons, discussed with our teachers both the teaching and assessment approaches used in UK and also met the pupils International Link team who explained to them the Bean Growng Project which is being undertaken by both of our schools. They also had an opportunity to have a look at the various sources of water here: the springs, the boreholes, and the tw rivers bordering Kiminini town. Clearly very different from the case in UK.

Apart from Upendo, Sally and Vanessa had the opportunity to visit Kiminini Primary School to see for themselves the challenges facing public primary schools in Kenya. They also visited our local hospital at Kiminini and attended church service.

Last but not least, we reviewed the achievements of our partnership and challenges thereof over the past three years. Both schools believe the partnership has been mutually beneficial to the children, staff and the local communities despite the various challenges noted. We further took time to focus about the future. We have jointly applied for further funding from the British Council and if our bid is successful, we shall focus on modes of transport used in Kenya and in UK, our homes, our environment and continue experimenting on other crops. The teachers at Upendo highlighted the various ways in which these themes could fit in our curriculum and how relevant the exchange would be. We are aiming beyond the sky!

We hope that our friends travel safely back home and that we shall maintain the cordial relationship between our two schools.