By the time the news spread that Joyce Mwikali from Mukalwa village in Matungulu Sub-county had been appointed Machakos County’s Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, she was confined to a bed at Kenyatta National Hospital.
And that is exactly where she received the good news a day later, the joy surpassing the excruciating pain that had fastened her to that admission bed for two weeks.
The suffering she has undergone has not gone away, but the refreshing tidings are a reminder there is always an antidote to any unfortunate occurrence.
Before being appointed, the 52-year-old served as a head teacher at Kwatombe Primary School.
She had before been in Kisitimani Primary and several other schools as she doubled up as a woman representative in the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kangundo branch.
When Education News visited her in her office in Machakos, she was confident the position fitted her pretty well, even though one needs to be knowledgeable in curriculum changes.
Mwikali said that landing such a lucrative position was a dream come true and believes she is equal to the task.
Having a Bachelors of Education degree from Kenya Methodist University, plus two diplomas from Kenya Institute of Special Education(KISE) and Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI), she is probably best suited for the job.
She noted that in conjunction with the county government, the ministry plans on improving ECDE education countywide.
“Most ECDEs use primary school classes, but we are planning on improving to have our own model. We will do good classes, kitchenette, and good sanitation to suit the said age,” she noted.
“The county began a feeding programme for ECDE and it’s doing quite well as more kids are coming to the 1167 centres across the county,” she added.
On Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), she disclosed plans to build a centre of excellence and equipping it fully.
The former head teacher decried low enrolment of students in the 43 VTCs.
According to her, many students in primary and high schools are encouraged to do well and get into university.
“We cannot ignore that we have students who get D and below in KCSE. They should be made aware of the courses they can take up in VTCs to learn skills that will enable them to earn money,” noted the minister.
“We have seen many of the boys who don’t make it to university get into the boda boda industry, which is very competitive and a health hazard. Parents need to be told that instead of buying their sons motorbikes, they can pay for them to learn at our VTCs to help them make a better living,” she added.
She said there is need for a sensitization programme to create awareness of the issue, and that parents, teachers, and students should be involved.
Her experience as a teacher will help a lot in achieving her key responsibilities since she is aware of most of the challenges around education.
“I was on the ground and very aware of the challenges like inadequacy of classes and few ECDE teachers because now we have 967 teachers while the centres are 1167,” she pointed out.
On pay raise for ECDE teachers, she noted that the ministry is pushing to ensure they are paid according to their job groups rather than a standardized pay.
She noted that the county has a plan of opening a talent centre that will offer courses not found in the vocational centres.
Such courses include swimming, dance, graffiti, music, artistic drawings, deejaying, and bookbinding, among others.
“It will be called Machakos Career Centre and because the world is dynamic, we have to broaden our scope in innovation. We will engage Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), advertise it, and get trainers,” she said, adding: “We are also planning on partnering with investors to build a world-class library that will accommodate even the young kids. The aim is to create a reading culture from a young age and I pray this is achieved within five years.”
Her hospital visit for check-up and treatment is not over, even as she goes about her call of duty with energy and enthusiasm that no one can suspect she is paining inside. She is a story of resilience and fortitude.
By Agnes Orang’o
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