Posts Tagged ‘St. Clare Girls Centre’

(St. Clare Centre for Girls is founded on several “pillars.”  One such pillar is the “Pillar of Sport.”)

What is a sport?  Sport refers to any form of competitive physical activity, which, aims to use, maintain or improve physical ability.  At St. Clare, one of our four pillars, sport, is carried out daily to help with physical fitness.  Some of the sport activities include: football (soccer), netball, volleyball, high jump, badminton, and other.  Jogging is the most important one because it helps the students and the pupils to strengthen their bones and muscles first before starting the other sports mentioned above.

When engaging in a sporting activity, the students have teachers who train them.  The pillar of sport is taken seriously for its role with physical flexibility and mind relaxation following a day of being in classes.  Sports are very important to us at St. Clare for we know that by having exercises each day, we are able to retain strength in our bones and flexibility in our bodies.  This way we can become free thinkers and stay young.

Physical exercise is also beneficial for us because it reduces the chances of arteriosclerosis since excess fat is broken down and the heart is kept active and strong.  We can avoid obesity and high blood pressure.

We had never participated in competition with other schools, but with the help of the teachers who train us, in March and April of 2012, we were able to go to the provincial level.  This was a good beginning for us because we believe that next time, we can go to the national level.

So say NO to laziness and YES to exercise in order to live a happy and long life free of stress.

By Beatrice Gacheri (a student in Form 4)

(Written by the older girls at St. Clare Centre for Girls)

I wish to share my thoughts with other Kenyans and people from different countries and continents who read this article.  For me, “rule” is a governing principle in which everyone in a country is expected to obey the laws, including powerful people, military leaders, parents, and family members in a prescribed and correct manner.  It is not an option, but is something to which people must assent.

In school, students try to obey their administrators, headmistresses/headmasters, teachers, prefects and each other.  Following the rules is very important in our daily lives.  We follow rules to avoid punishments and for our lives and studies to run smoothly.  Teachers encourage students to follow the rules in order to succeed.  Students must focus, study hard and “burn the midnight oil” in order to do well with their examinations.

Rules help a person be a good model and a successful person.  Every successful person has practiced discipline and obedience.  This motivates me so that I can achieve my goals.

A leader is someone who is responsible for others.  In Kenya, we know of leaders and some include:  Father Francis Limo Riwa, our director, from Tanzania.  There is Mwai Kibaki, the third president of Kenya and Barak Obama, the U.S. president.  I have read newspapers and books and discovered what are the qualities of a good leader.  Some of the qualities are: faithful and fair to all, honesty, hardworking, humility, generosity, being friendly, kindness, goal oriented, courageous, polite, loyal, trustworthy, respectful and compassionate.

How can a person become a leader in Kenya or anywhere?  Be a role model, and a person of integrity.  Take care of school property and follow schools rules.  When talking to people, be respectful to those who are older and to colleagues.

By Agnes Alex M.

Several young primary girls from St. Clare Girls’ Centre along with their teacher, Mr. Musyimi have caught Father Riwa’s focus on creating food sustainability.  Under the guidance of Mr. Musyimi, over thirty primary school girls at St. Clare Centre began a “tomato club.”  They planted tomato seeds on a seedbed.  Approximately 1,500 seedlings were later transplanted into a small garden.  After planting these seedlings, the club members and Mr. Musyimi took care of them each day.  The care of the tomato plants was challenging due to interference from chickens, pests and diseases.  The tomatoes had to be watered daily and sprayed frequently.  In addition, it became very tempting to just grab a fresh tomato from the garden and take a secret bite.

With the help of their teacher, Madam Catherine, and Sister Renee, the girls in Class 5 (5^th grade) made their own rosaries.  (Sister Renee’s brother, Owen and his wife, Sandy, supplied the materials for the project.) The girls at St. Clare say the rosary every day as part of their evening prayers.

Because God hears their prayers, prayer is so very important to the girl.  One of the girls, Saferina Kuraki, wrote, “We believe in prayer and we believe everything is possible with prayer.”  Saferina said that when the girls began making the rosaries, they thought it was difficult, but now they find it easy and enjoy doing it in their spare time.

(Workers level the tiles.)

Workers are putting the finishing touches on St. Clare Centre for Girls.  Located in front of the entrance into St. Clare, the builders are completing the tile work on a patio.  This will add to an already lovely home and school for the children living at St. Clare Centre.

Two more volunteers heading to the Children’s Village with Bud and Sue are Fred and Kathy Partlow.  Both Fred and Kathy are teachers, having over eighty years experience between them.  Fred will teach Latin to the students in Forms 1, 2, 3 and 4.  In addition, he will also instruct Form 4 in Theology and introduce them to the Latin Mass. Kathy will be working with Forms 3 and 4 developing a unit on the American Civil Rights’ Movement.  She will actually be picking up where she left off in 2011, when she traveled with the team to Kenya that year.  In addition, Kathy and Sue will team team a combined social studies/writing class to Form 2.

In 2007, Madam Madeline Horrigan, a volunteer from the United States dedicated a small room as a library for St. Clare Centre for Girls.  Madam Madeline and her friends donated hundreds of books to this library and it has served us well.

But the population of St. Clare has grown to over 300 students and so we need to expand to a larger space.  The library expansion was planned by many well-wishers.  Our Dominican Sisters believe that St. Clare Centre should have a spacious library where girls can sharpen their reading skills.  They shared this idea with other Dominican sisters from the United States.  God guided one of these sisters, Sister Judy Byron, who brought the need for the library to her family.  Sister Judy’s sister and brother-in-law were blessed to have Danielle, a sunny joyful child, with blonde hair.  Sadly, God called Danielle when she was just seventeen.

Danielle’s parents decided to contribute to St. Clare’s library.  Because of their support, a more specious room was set aside to become the library.  Danielle’s parents donated money to provide paint for the walls, shelves and other furniture and books.  Danielle’s family requested that the library be named after their daughter.

St. Clare students are very happy.  Through learning using different books, girls get many ideas, which bring growth and change.

The library is still in the process of expansion.  Several books have been bought with more books and teaching aids to be purchased.  The library is under the care of Madam Maureen Jumba, who is our librarian.  Some of the girls and Sister Maurine have taken the time to cover the books, which are  attractive and more appealing.  Madam Maureen hopes that all the library resources necessary for a primary-secondary school will soon be available.  In addition, she urges that time be given for students to make good use of the facility.  We are so proud of this gift from Danielle’s family.

(Written by Lydia Lenegwesi, a student in Form 4.)        

WHAT: A PHOTO EXHIBIT created by the girls at St. Clare Centre, Nchiru, Kenya

WHEN:  MARCH 16-APRIL 20, 2013

WHERE:  SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES PEACE CENTER AND GALLERY

33 E. Adams

Detroit, Michigan

When Bud and Sue return to Kenya each year, a small group of folks accompanies them.  These volunteers work at the Children’s village, sharing their expertise, experience, skills and talents with the children and the staff.  One of those volunteers who will be traveling to Kenya in February 2013 is Kate (Kathy) Woods.  Spending over forty years of service, Kate has been a health care administrator, educator and psychotherapist.  Presently she volunteers with several hospice programs in the Chicago area.  While at St. Clare, Kate will be exploring topics including emotional development and the formation of good character with classes five and six.  Together, she and her students will be discussing how stories and myths share life lessons.  In addition, she will being some journal work with her students.

WELCOME ABOARD, KATE!

Recently several students at St. Clare Girls’ Centre created a mural depicting St. Clare and St. Francis, the patron saints of the Children’s Village.  The mural pictured was designed and created by members of Class 6B.  The girls wanted to show both St. Clare and St. Francis in two ways: as the ordinary young people they were before they joined religious orders and as members of their religious orders.  St. Clare students have created other murals depicting the Nativity, the Last Supper and Pentecost.  Perhaps a new tradition has been born since last year when the art classes began celebrating significant feast days by doing dining hall murals.