CGA National Exam Results

 

The results for the 8th grade National Exams were released this week. The 27 students who took the exam in December at CGA did very well! This year’s class was filled with girls. There were only 9 boys in the class and 18 girls. That is very unique in itself because in the this region the number of boys in schools and taking national exams is always more than the number of girls. Around Lake Victoria in Kenya few girls are able to go very far in their education. Many times they are not able to maintain consistent attendance in school because of household duties, taking care of young children in the home and other factors. When they reach adolescence many of them drop out of school because of unwanted pregnancies and early marriages. Families around Mbita also don’t take much of an interest in educating their daughters because in this culture once a girl marries, she goes to stay with her husband’s family. The men will remain in their parents home and contribute to their family. Most people feel there is no reason to educate a girl who will end up working for her in-laws rather than a son who will support you. At CGA we try to give equal opportunity for all of our students, no matter the gender, clan, tribe or any other factor. We want all of them to succeed!

This year’s class at CGA improved the overall mean of the school by 12 points over last year’s class. Their overall mean was 306.44. The general pass mark is considered 250 and the “quality” pass mark is 300 so we far exceeded both of those. Four of the five subjects had a mean over 60 (a “quality” pass mark for an individual subject). It was only Kiswahili that was a little below with a 56. The class performed best in English, followed closely by Math and then Science and Social Studies.

The top student in the class was Esther Juma with 386 which we expect to be one of the top scores for girls in the district. She was followed by Wendy Melanie with 372 and Dancan Elisha with 371. Four others scored in the 360’s including Lucy Cynthia, Beatrice Atieno, James Okach and Nancy Alice.

Next week the students will be waiting for various secondary schools to select them and send them an invitation letter. Then in late February or early March they will be beginning the next stage of their education as they enter high schools. Most of them will be attending boarding schools and will have major adjustments to make adapting to a new way of life.

Suba Laker National Exams

We have received the results for most of our Suba Laker 8th graders who sat their National Exams in December. Just like the previous two years, our girls have done well.

In Mbita District less than half of the girls ever even finish primary school (8th grade), and of the ones that finish, very few reach the pass mark, especially at public primary schools which is where most of our girls go to school. We hope that through the club we are encouraging them, motivating them and giving them hope that they can make it with hard work. Through the years we have tutored them, helped them with revision books and exams, brought in speakers to share with them, and given them plenty of time for their studies. We were even able to help a few of them with their school fees and other small levies their school charged during their primary school education.

All but two have passed, and most of them even exceeded our expectations. Our top two girls scored 309 marks. Peninah Akoth was one of them. She did especially well in English but her Kiswahili score kept her from scoring higher. Faith Wambi was the other one. She scored over 60 in four of the five subjects. It was only Social Studies that was below 60. In all of her practice exams Faith was scoring around 270 marks, so her teachers and family were very surprised that she was able to score 309.

The overall mean for the 11 girls was almost 270 (the pass mark is 250). They scored over the pass mark in Math, Science, Social Studies and English which was the subject they performed best in. That might be because when they come to the club for training, they are spoken to in English most of the time and are encouraged the speak to each other in English. The lowest performed subject was Kiswahili, mainly because there was one student that was extremely low in it. If it wasn't for that one low score, they would have also finished over the pass mark in that subject.

In the coming weeks these students will be receiving calling letters from various high schools throughout the country and we hope that each of them will be able to continue their education. Please pray for God's provision so that they are able to join high school.

Latest Update

Back Home?? … Not really, but almost!

After nearly 5 months in America, I arrived back in Kenya on New Year’s Eve, ready to begin my 10^th year serving in Mbita.  Among other things in the past two weeks since I have returned to Africa, I have gotten settled back into my house; reunited with friends, colleagues, students and football players; helped 80 returning secondary students go back to school;  began the new school year at CGA; and had a weekend of training with the Suba Laker Primary School football girls.  In the coming weeks as the school year moves along, we will begin preparing our 27 CGA graduates for their graduation and to join various high schools throughout the country, as well as 14 girls from our football club. 

In some ways, it feels so good to be back “home” in Kenya.  It is wonderful to connect with dear friends and to see the young ones growing and maturing into what God created them for.  I love the warm weather and beautiful sunsets over the islands on Lake Victoria.  I am in awe of the way the stars light up the sky at night as well as the fishing boats on the lake, the sound of the birds singing sweetly in the morning, and even sometimes the hippos grunting down by the lake.  I smile at the random cows, sheep and goats dotted across the landscape, especially the baby goats that can barely walk.  There is much joy in my heart walking down the road when I hear a small child shouting “Uncle Joe” as he waves energetically.  I treasure going to church and seeing the people worship God with total inhibition, singing at the top of their lungs one minute and bowing down on the dirty cement floor in reverence the next minute.  For the past 9 years of my life this has been my “home.”

But something big is missing!  This time it feels much different to be back.  That is not because I was gone for the longest stretch since I came to Kenya in 2004.  It is because a huge piece of my heart is back in Portland, OR!  I know many of you have heard about Daneen, but many of you have not until now…  

My life was turned upside down in October.  Towards the end of my travels in America, I was heading to the Great Northwest before returning home to California.  A friend that I had met in Mission Training back in 2003 and had served with his wife in Kenya several years ago, told me that when I travel to Portland I should invite his friend Daneen to any speaking engagement I would have because she lived in Africa for a couple of years and is passionate about that continent.  I followed through with that advice and invited her to a small reception I was having for friends.  I was immediately attracted to her, and it wasn’t because of the delicious Apple Pie she had baked (though that didn’t hurt either).  Not only was she beautiful, intelligent, passionate, warm, friendly and outgoing, but she even worked for a non-profit that provides college scholarships to students in Africa!  What a perfect fit for CGA (and me)!  That was a great excuse to see her again at her office to discuss partnering with CGA.  Our relationship grew at a very rapid rate, probably because we were both at that stage where we were ready to find someone to share our lives with.  At the same time we were both very open, honest and ready to talk about our deepest desires, passions, struggles and weaknesses.  Towards the end of 11 amazing days together in Southern California I told Daneen I was postponing my flight back to Kenya for a month (until Dec. 30) so that I could spend a couple of weeks in Portland with her and then a week with her family in Pennsylvania at Christmas time.  I proposed to her with a poem on December 27^th at a point overlooking her hometown of York, PA.  We are planning a wedding for early next summer and then will be returning to Kenya in July for another wedding and to serve together in Mbita. 

So that is what is missing here in Kenya... DANEEN!!... my new “home.”  It is exciting to know that wherever God leads us in the coming years, we will always be at home because we will be together until we reach our ultimate home with our Father in heaven!       

It has been another incredible adventure for me that has the fingerprints of God all over it.  My life will never be the same again!  I can’t do justice to the story in a short e-mail update because once I get going I could fill up a hundred pages talking about Daneen and what she has brought to my life in the past few months.  If you want to read more, check out the stories on my blog:

http://www.joekenya.blogspot.com/p/love-story.html

 

My Time in America

During my time on furlough, I had travelled all over America seeing friends and family, and sharing about the work that God is doing in the lives of the young people in Mbita.  It was tiring and tedious with lots of travelling and staying in different places all the time, but at the same time it was wonderful reuniting with incredible friends and telling the great stories of hope that I have seen with my own eyes and experienced firsthand over the years in Kenya.  If you were not able to hear me speak while I was home, you can listen to one of my presentations at:

Joe speaking at Harvest Springs

I saw God’s provision through it all as I learned lessons of trusting in Him.  My faith continues to grow as I rely on God daily and see Him at work throughout the world.  The last 9 years of my life have been an incredible adventure serving God in Kenya.  I would have never dreamed up this path for myself and would have never come if I hadn’t felt God’s call so strongly.  Looking back I can say that it has been the best nine years of my life.  I can’t imagine living anywhere else or doing anything different at this time in my life.  At the same time though, something has been missing.  I don’t think I even realized it was missing, until Daneen finally came into my life…

I know many of you have been praying for a wife for me.  Thanks for your faithfulness in praying.  God is so good and answers prayer beyond our wildest imagination.  This next “season” will be incredibly busy and challenging.  I need your prayers more than ever!  Thanks for your support!

Prayer Requests:

1)      Pray for the Lord’s guidance in my relationship with Daneen as we grow to know each other deeper while we are apart.  Pray that together we would bring even more glory to Him than we have as individuals.    

2)      Pray for God’s financial provision for the 8^th grade graduates from CGA and the Suba Lakers so that they will be able to join high school in February.  Pray for their hearts and minds to be prepared for the rigors of boarding secondary schools.

 

 

 

A Christmas Blessing

The CGA students are now back to school after a wonderful December break. We are so grateful to all your donations towards our Christmas Tea Party and all the gift packs for our children's families.   Indeed it was a very special day for CGA.   All students gathered in the hall for chapel.  They sang songs of praise to God and also worshiped.  The story of the birth of Jesus was read from the Bible.  The emphasis was on how we can share or give the best we have with those that are in need.   This was crowned by sharing the way friends in America sacrificially gave to CGA.

In Kenya, families and friends love to be together and eat together during Christmas time.  This time around, the families were so happy because they had enough food to eat.  We are all so grateful and May the Almighty God Bless you and all your family members.

This is from one of our English teachers Jessie, who is a Missionary living in Mbita:

The Christmas party went well.  The kids seemed to really enjoy their tea and mandazi.  They were also given lollypops and the lower grades received small teddy bears . I am more and more impressed with Lillian (our Orphan Overseer).  She works so hard and has such wisdom on the spot. It is a privilege to work with her.  The parents and guardians were grateful.  I think they didn't show that much emotion because they couldn't really see what all was in the bag.  But a few who re-packed their bags to be able to carry them better were really thankful.  The person who showed the most gratitude came to give all of us who were helping big strong hugs.  Her eyes were watery with joy.  She just kept saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you”.