“To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It’s about embracing the pain that you’ll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. I think people think too hard and get afraid of a certain challenges.”-Summer Sanders

 

In consideration of the above statement by Sanders, we would like to thank all the students who applied for the Innovation in Service Award 2015. Without a doubt, all applicants were engaging, with progressive projects which are and shall continue to touch many lives in our society. Though all are champions, the award could only allow for one team to win the KES 80,000 prize money; Macheo Mtaani Development Program (MMDP) won this year’s award.  

 

MMDP

MMDP is an education-oriented initiative, which aims to improve the academic performances in Science subjects by Form 3 and Form 4 students in Kibera slums. Initiated in July 2014, the project works with high school students from 3 high schools in Kibera, namely: New Horizon, Glory and John Paul ii Secondary Schools. The project, which runs in Kibera Slums, is driven by highly ambitious Strathmore University students and an alumni.

The program’s objectives are to:

• Avail students with text books and revision books in the sciences and Maths subjects.
• Expose the students to KCSE practical type questions and how to tackle each in a guided setting aimed at improving their performance in the KCSE Science subjects.
• Purchase lab apparatus and chemicals for the conduct of these practical sessions.
• Encourage the students to give back to society.
• Mentor and give individualized attention in real time, and live feedback (both academic and personal).
• Set up an independent and well equipped sciences laboratory in the long term.

 

Strathmore University students volunteer as tutors and mentors for the candidates in these subject areas. The project currently has 7 mentors/tutors actively involved in the process. The program takes place every Sunday between 4.00 – 6.00 pm in Glory Secondary School.

 

Outcome

Out of the 11 pioneering students of the project, 4 (Daniel Makosi, Justin Momanyi, Sam Otoyo and Stephen Kimanthi) gained direct entry to Strathmore University this year on scholarships to study Bachelor of Commerce and Certified Public Accountancy. This year, the project has attracted a total of 40 students in the final year of secondary school. Among our pioneer beneficiaries, 7 including the above mentioned are actively involved in the project. They encourage, mentor and tutor their younger counterparts into believing that they can realize their academic dreams of joining university.  

 

Long term vision

The project aims to have a ripple effect in Kibera slums, inspiring many high school students to pursue academic excellence as one of the most solid routes out of the dire conditions of the slums.  In the words of Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. Championing young people to be change agents by use of education is a realistic and an achievable goal.