--This past week may be the most hectic week of the entire year at Tenderfeet. The school year begins for Kenyans in January, and that makes for a busy schedule helping children in transition.
Tenderfeet is assisting four new girls in their secondary education. They are Nancy Moraa (pictured right, she is the youngest sister of Sharon Kwamboka's deceased mother), Mercy Wanjiru, Lucy Wanjiku (middle daughter of Regina Wanja from Eldoret), and Carol Ndirangu (former Tenderfeet student).
Nancy and Mercy will probably go to a boarding school in Nyahururu. Carol is starting her second year of high school, but we only recently started the sponsorship (last year, her education was interrupted because she could not pay). We are still trying to decide on the best course of action for Lucy, but she is likely to go to vocational school.
Mama Margaret has also been assisting with some other children in other parts of Kenya. She has been coordinating the payment of school fees for a boy named Dennis in Mombasa, as well as two children named Ann and Peter who have relocated from Eldoret. We also have three current high school students that are being assisted, Arian Ogo, Kevin Ochoki, and Emily Nyabura.
Meanwhile, there are new children being admitted to Tenderfeet. We will be admitting 20 new children to have 80 in all. The government educational officers have threatened to close the school if Tenderfeet doesn't have at least 40 at each of the two school locations.
There were 65 previously, but now 5 have gone on to the next level, meaning 20 have to be added. Mama Margaret has already interviewed a few families, and will continue the work next week. It's difficult because there are so many children out there in need of education, but at the same time, it's important to find ones that are the most deserving.
Finally, the 5 Tenderfeet graduates are in the process of enrolling. Brian Mungai, who lives in Riruta, is going to Bensesa school. The four other children are on the waiting list to got to Olympic Primary in Kibera, but Olympic is only admitting 20 new students and there are 107 in the queue. If they can't be admitted there, Mama Margaret will try to get them in at Soweto Academy.
This was all made more challenging because one of our wonderful Tenderfeet staff members, Mercy, has left Tenderfeet to start her own project. This left us short-handed, but we are fortunate to have a recent addition to the staff, Carol Warimu.
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