There was one predominant name that I kept seeing online. Mary Muriuki's name was in one article after another on issues dealing with homeschooling in Kenya. I knew she would be the person to reach out to for information regarding a network of families who were homeschooling in Nairobi. Try as I might, I could not find an email address, or Facebook page for her anywhere. It wasn't until we arrived in Kenya that my husband got a hold of her number and called her. From there things moved quickly. My husband spoke with several families who were homeschooling that very day!
We found out about a co-op group that was having their first meeting of the term on that Wednesday and another that met on other days during the week. We chose the co-op meeting on Wednesday's because of it's location. That Wednesday we went to the co-op. The kids loved it, we loved it, and we have been there ever since. The co-op itself does not have a Facebook page or website, but there is now a Facebook page for homeschooling families in Nairobi.
So....what is a co-op you ask. A homeschool co-op is a group of homeschooling families that in cooperation come together to provide social and educational activities for their kids. In our case we meet weekly. However a coop can meet twice per week, every two weeks, or even once per month. During this term the older children had a drama class, for which they prepared and performed a play, a Kenyan history class, a gym class, and a bible study class (optional). While the kindergartners and preschoolers have art, story time and gym. The classes may change a bit for next term.
There are many benefits of taking part in a co-op. First the children get to meet with other children regularly and in this way they are able to develop friendships. We parents also are able to socialize and develop friendships as well. Secondly, resources are pooled, so the cost is relatively low when considering the cost that these classes and activities would cost per individual family. Another benefit is having your child be taught by another adult other than yourself. Although we tailor our teaching styles to our children's needs, a major benefit of homeschooling, sometimes they may find someone else who teaches perfectly to their learning style, no tailoring needed!
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| Scene from the Christmas play |
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| Another Scene (the children painted the backdrop and made some of the props) |
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| Gym class for the middle grades led by Ambassadors Sports |
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Hi Shani, I'm really loving your blog and I'm totally impressed, and intimidated, by the rich experience your kids are getting. I'm interested to know - do you work outside the home at all? If you worked part time+, would you be able to manage homeschooling in Nairobi? I'm not very happy with our school options and I'm considering homeschooling but I have to work for the money! Thanks for your answer. Ramsey
ReplyDeleteHi Ramsey,
ReplyDeleteApologies that I didn't answer sooner. I am actually just seeing your message. No, I do not work.
If ever I do decide to work outside of the home, and continue schooling from home, I'd probably only work part-time. I do believe this can be done with older children who are more independent.
I understand your need for income. Many people have made it work by hiring tutors. In this way, you still have control over how your children are educated and what they are learning, but you are still free to work outside the home.
I hope this is not too late to help in some way.
Hi Shani, thank you for sharing your journey with us . We just moved to nairobi and I plan on homeschooling. Could you please advise us on the different co-ops available or where we can get more information on homeschooling support..will be highly appreciated! Warm regards, Flavia
ReplyDelete