POVERTY has continues to plague the locals and residents of Kilifi County has contributed greatly to the challenges facing the education sector.
Many parents are unable to afford their children’s fees and other fees to achieve education. This situation has contributed to many children continuing to miss their studies due to frequent expulsions.
However, in an effort to find a solution to some of the challenges in the education sector, a man, who is a shoemaker in Tezo market, has volunteered to cut and donate part of his land for the construction of a school. Mr Jackson Kombe, 51, said that he decided to use that unique opportunity after the Gapeka Children’s Hope Center volunteered to help poor children get education.
The non-governmental organization decided to take over the Tezo Bright Academy private primary school following the request of its founder, Pastor Riziki Morris of St Peters Brain of Life Church and the Tezo community to develop it and give poor students a good environment to study to fulfill their dreams educational.
Students in the school are experiencing many challenges, which include lack of books and pens as their parents cannot afford to buy. The theme of the school is not very good because the children are continuing their studies in a building that seems to be a golf course built for the purpose of having rooms for rent that was never completed. It does not have windows, doors or floors properly lubricated.
Speaking to journalists in Tezo, Mr Kombe said that despite the fact that many children are eager to go to school, poverty has become a major obstacle for them not knowing where to turn to get help.
“I have been greatly affected by poverty where my children have been kicked out of school every time because I have not paid school fees and they sit at home for more than two weeks while I look for money,” said Mr Kombe.
He explained that the situation his children were going through is similar to what thousands of children from poor families are going through in Tezo and other parts of Kilifi County.
“I have given this farm with a pure spirit and I have never regretted it because education is important and many children have the desire to quench their thirst for education but they miss that opportunity because of the lack of fees,” he said.
Mr Kombe explained that he gave the piece of land on the condition that every child who joins the school will study without being charged fees.
“My children have also gone through that challenge, sometimes they go to school sometimes at home, but I want the whole community to get a good education and they get to go to school at the right time,” he said.
The shoemaker explained that the level of education in Tezo area is deteriorating every year as many children have to interrupt their studies due to the inability of their families to pay their school fees.
“A child will be expelled and stay at home for the whole week, go to school and be expelled again. It becomes a big challenge because they don’t get education in the right time,” he said.
The residents of Tezo depend on farming and raising goats and cattle where conditions are difficult during the summer. He said in the beginning, he was a good farmer before he quit that job and started sewing shoes for three years now. Due to the low income from his work, he decided to start selling cow’s milk to supplement his daily income to support his family’s needs. Mr Kombe said that he earns Sh400 or Sh300 every day by sewing shoes.
“I didn’t study and depend on sewing shoes to support my family. That is why I would like to see my community change through education,” he said.
Pastor Riziki, on his part, said he started the school in October 2021 and they have eight children who were at home despite the fact that their age to go to school had come.
“Those children had various challenges. Some of them are orphans, children raised by one parent, and others whose parents are of very low income,” said Ms. Riziki.
