INTRODUCTION
Joy bells Academy started on 8th January 2001 in a tiny mad room in Kiambiu slum in Nairobi Eastland. The school had 12 pupils and one teacher called teacher Eunice, who was in charge of everything at the school. Most of the children did not have school uniforms and could not pay school fees of Kshs. 200/= per month and luck other basic needs. OUR VISION
We envision a society where a
ll members irrespective of their gender, income, tribal, political or age have equal opportunity in life and meritocracy is the cornerstone. OUR MISSION
To provide the highest attainable standards of education to the vulnerable in a society. By the end of the first term the teacher tried so hard to see that each and every child is in a position to read and write and is in a position of learning. Joy Bells started as pre-school only to cater for Baby class, Nursery and pre-unit classes ages 3-6 only which objectives were as follows. Objectives of Pre-School education
1. To provide an informal education geared towards developing the child’s mental capabilities and his physical growth.
2. To enable the child to appreciate his cultural background and customs.
3. To foster the spiritual and moral growth of the child.
4. To develop the child’s imagination, self-reliance and thinking skills
5. To enable the child to build good habits for effective living as an individual and member of a group.
6. To make it possible for the child to enjoy living and learning through play.
7. To enrich the child’s experience so as to enable him to cope better with primary school life. The above points are needed while taking care of the children. School development [growth up]
By the end of the year 2001 the school had 25 children. This was due to hard work and quality education that the teacher was providing the young ones have attracted many parents and thus has made many parents to pull out their pupils from other nearby schools. Having qualified, devoted teachers had made parents to start primary school. Good Samaritan volunteered and sponsored the school with building materials and the school was constructed. The construction begun on July 2005 and was launched on 17th November 2005 with 12 classes. Primary classes started in January 2006 with 30 pupils in class 1 and 11 pupils in class 2. In 2007 pupils in class two were promoted to class 3 with a few students from other schools and by the end of the year we had 412 children and 16 teachers. We have both indoors and out door activities and our school had participated inter classes music competition being witnessed by parents and we also had inter classes drama competition which was also well done. During the year 2008 the school management and board of directors decided to increase school fees which really affected the number of pupils who reopens the school this year, this was because many parents could not afford the amount which was suggested. The management decided to introduce a feeding programme to help children who doesn’t afford lunch in their homes, this has been a great help to many parents as most of them are jobless and could not afford a three course meal everyday but we lack enough funds for this programme as many items have gone up and we are appealing to well wishers to fund us to enable us sustain this helpful programme. Most of our teachers are like volunteers as there are no enough funds to pay them well but some of them are leaving us because of that little pay. We had plans for parents to attend seminars also but due to lack of funds we are not able to do this. This would help illiterate parents to be able to follow up what their children do in school. The school management is trying hard to make sure that children get the best service ever and this has encouraged most parents to bring their children to our school but the big problem is finance because most of them cannot afford school fees.
1. Children who are orphans and living with guardians.
2. Children who are infected with AIDS most of them are in Baby Class and Nursery.
3. We have very many single Jobless Parents.
4. We are on a squeezed compound and children do not have enough space for that important physical education.
5. The environment that our children come from is very filthy and most of them fall sick very often but the parents cannot afford the public medication. The management suggested that it would be better if the school has a cheap and affordable hospital near the school where the children could get immediate medical attention but the funds are not there.
6. Post Election violence in Kenya which took place immediately after the 27th Dec. 2007 really threatened the parents and they moved far away from the school after their households belonging were all burnt down. They walk very long distance and their children are being rained on when coming to school. They also come to school very late due to long distance. Due to this the management suggested that it would also be better if the school purchase a vehicle that would ease the transport of the children still we do not have enough finance to cater for this.
7. After providing basic education and the parents cannot afford secondary school fees, these children most of them normally turn into crooks. And to avoid this management is having a plan of starting a Joy Bells Secondary School to help these children better their future. The problem of finance still remains the same in achieving this. School uniform some parents can not afford full school uniform and most children are wearing civilian clothes so we are asking you kindly if you can help in any way be it with learning materials or with uniform or school fees or feeding programme whichever God will provide we would appreciate. Finally we welcome you whole heartedly to this place to prove by yourself the situation we are in since seen is believing
