This is not a charity school. It's a school you will want to send your kids to

Just a bit of context...Many Hopes is a charity that was initially founded by two journalists to rescue young girls from extreme poverty and the traumatic situations that often are associated with it. In the past 9 years Many hopes has provided a home for these girls in a group setting filled with joy and love. Additionally, they have worked tirelessly through the legal system in Kenya to provide protections for children.

Front entrance

A current initiative of the Many Hopes organization is to create a primary school (pre-K - 8th grade) with a student population comprised of girls from extreme poverty and girls from privilege. The hope is that these girls from very different backgrounds will form a network of empowered young women who will work in their home country to stem the tide of poverty and abuse.

As founding head, my job is to oversee the completion of the building, develop a curriculum, establish a school culture, furnish and equip the interior and hire all the staff…..pretty much a dream come true for an educational leader!

The school is about 70% completed physically. It is an extraordinary building by any standards. It’s a four floor square structure with a large open courtyard in the middle. There are 41 huge (30 x 40 meters) classrooms, large open spaces for gathering and auxiliary rooms for a multitude of uses. There is an auditorium that will also be rented out for community use. There’s a large dining hall with a full kitchen. Each floor has a huge faculty lounge and work room.

Huge classrooms

Now here is where it gets interesting  . . .  In terms of curriculum, we are exploring the International Baccalaureate program (IBO). The IBO Primary Years Program (PYP) is philosophically kindred with our educational beliefs. There is also a hard reality in Kenya. That reality is that in Kenya there is a national test that all students take at the end of 8th grade that determines where they go to high school - or if they go to high school. Another hard reality is that the school will be judged by our students’ performance on the tests. As rabid progressive educators, this is causing a bit of discomfort. The school will also be judged more by appearance than by what happens in the classrooms (at least initially). For example, we have learned that the style of the student uniforms will be critical and that the school MUST have a crest. Speaking of appearances, we have been told that Randy must join the golf club and drive a respectable four wheel drive vehicle (so, no more Volvo convertible).

Courtyard

As a brand new school, strategic marketing will be imperative. We will be working with a PR consultant to develop a multimedia campaign and plan a grand launch event. Marketing will based more on the appearance of prestige than on deep philosophical underpinnings. We know that we will be able to create a school culture and educational program that is consonant with our progressive beliefs, but for now, in order to fill the school with fee paying students, it’s all about appearances.

Meanwhile, back at home, we try to balance the work with  time to appreciate of the beauty of Kenya’s coast.