St.

Francis progressive
learners centre.
Nairobi, Kenya.

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Contents

1. Why was St. Francis progressive learners centre created? What is the purpose? .............. 3
2. Who is Julius Nyandega? .................................................................................................... 3
3. Who are the students?....................................................................................................... 4
4. What competencies do students learn at which grades? ................................................... 4
5. When and how do students learn at the school? ............................................................... 4
6. When and how do students learn at home? ...................................................................... 4
7. Who are the teachers? How do they teach? ...................................................................... 5
8. What revenues and costs does St. Francis progressive learners centre have ..................... 5
9. What investments are needed to improve education? ...................................................... 5
10. What clothes do students and teachers wear? Why? ...................................................... 5
11. What do students and teachers eat during the day? ........................................................ 6

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1. Why was St. Francis progressive learners centre created? What is the
purpose?
In 2007, Julius Nyandega was teaching at Nairobi goodwill learning centre. This was his first job after
finishing college. While he was working, Julius observed that relatively little special attention was given to
vulnerable children. He was frustrated about this and wanted to change it.

Julius Nyandegas vision was to help vulnerable and orphaned children access quality education. He
wanted to use child centred approaches and innovative teaching and learning techniques to enhance child
development. He had a goal to address social needs of children and youth by providing holistic learning
approaches aimed at enabling the child overcome childhood challenges - thereby making them responsible
adults.

Julius started by offering door to door tuition to children who were not accessing education, as their
parents chose to keep them at home. Julius wanted to work towards promoting millennium development
goal # 2: Ensuring that children everywhere, boys and girls alike, are able to complete a full course of
primary schooling.1 In 2008, Julius Nyandega founded St. Francis progressive learners centre in Nairobi,
Kenya.

St. Francis progressive learners centre is driven by a passion to work with vulnerable children, for example
children in difficult circumstances,
children in need of special care and protection, and
orphans and vulnerable children.

The school provides an alternative home to children in distress as a result of circumstantial needs and
demands.

2. Who is Julius Nyandega?

Julius Nyandega is married to Jennipher Atieno. Jennipher educates herself to be an early childhood
education and development teacher. Jennipher and Julius have a son who was born in 2013.

Julius Nyandegas father is a fisherman and Julius mother works with cereals. Julius parents live in Homa
Bay county about 400 kilometres from Nairobi.

Julius has 7 brothers and sisters. Two of Julius Nyandegas brothers live with Julius, his wife and son.

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http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/education.shtml
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3. Who are the students?
Students, who attend St. Francis progressive learners centre, are between 3 and 15 years of age.

In 2008, when the learners centre was created, there were 5 pupils. In 2009, just one year after St. Francis
progressive school was founded, 50 pupils were attending the school. At that time there were 6
classrooms. In 2016, more than 200 pupils were attending the school of which about 1/3 are girls. The
learners centre now has 8 classrooms.

4. What competencies do students learn at which grades?

Grade Competencies

Kindergarten

First grade

Second grade

Third grade

Fourth grade

Fifth grade

Sixth grade

Seventh grade

5. When and how do students learn at the school?

A year of learning at St. Francis Progressive Learning Centre is split up into 3 trimesters:
From the beginning of January to the middle of March.
From the beginning of May to the middle of July.
From the beginning of September to the middle of November.

6. When and how do students learn at home?

In April, August, and December, students do not come to the school physically. Before the start of each of
these break periods, students are given questions by teachers. During the December 2015 break, for
example, each student was given 150 questions. Their tasks during the December 2015 break was then to
find answers to these questions.

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7. Who are the teachers? How do they teach?
Besides Julius Nyandega, 7 other teachers help pupils to learn: Zeth, William, Caleb, Maurine, Janerose,
Mercy, and Getty.

8. What revenues and costs does St. Francis progressive learners centre have

Revenues per month

Monthly revenues from tuition: Average tuition of USD 15 * 120 paying pupils USD 1,800

Lunch: USD 0.5 * 60 pupils * 20 days per month USD 600

Total revenues per month USD 2,400

Costs per month

Salaries per month: 1 * USD 150 + 7 * USD 100 USD 850

Rent per month to James Gitonga Karue, leader at Chrisco fellowship church USD 270

Monthly costs for cooking a daily meal to 80 pupils: USD 600

USD 40 for salary + USD 28 per day * 5 days * 4 weeks

Total costs per month USD 1,720

9. What investments are needed to improve education?

Wi-fi / Wlan. Costs per month: USD 30.

10. What clothes do students and teachers wear? Why?

In Kenya, it is a law in Kenya that students must wear a uniform. Some students do not wear a uniform
because their parents cannot afford to buy one.

The reason that students must wear a uniform is so they can easily be identified by members of the
community. Thereby, a possible bad behaviour of students can be discouraged. For example, members of
the public can stop students from going to a pub after school. In other words, a key purpose of students
wearing a uniform is to develop and maintain disciplined behaviour among the students.

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11. What do students and teachers eat during the day?
For breakfast, students and teachers mostly have tea with chapati, a soft bread.
For lunch, students and teachers eat githeri2 or rice and beans.

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/Stfrancis-progressive-school-365003153697750/

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Githeri
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