In the recent past, I had an animated conversation with the Chaplain of Embakasi Girls in Nairobi. We buttressed our discussion on useful psycho-social and spiritual programmes that should take centre stage in secondary schools. In the process, we digressed a bit and focused on the plight of needy students, which forms the central plank of this piece.
Our critical concern was on the notion attached to some of our altruistic efforts. Somewhat, there are plenty of people who are willing to help needy students. Albeit, they talk of helping only those who are needy, but bright. Somehow, when we go that way, it means we are getting it all wrong in our philanthropic efforts.
Firstly, as we all know, our secondary schools have students from humble backgrounds who actually need assistance in defraying school fees, getting personal effects and acquiring requisite academic tools. As someone who grew up as a total orphan, brought up by grandparents who were financially-famished, I know what Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) go through. It is a hellish life, rife with chilling challenges. In some cases, there are philanthropic people who come out to express their altruistic and empathetic side, but the only problem is that they have strings attached to such forms of love and largesse.
Again, I feel for the OVCs when those who are ready to give hope and help insist that they can only do so to children who are needy but bright. As someone who is at home with values of Christianity and teachings in disciplines like Psychology and Sociology, I look at such scenarios and I feel that sometimes we pile unnecessary stress on people who need hope and help.
Maybe, to substantiate it, the Judeo-Christian heritage does not teach us to express mercy and magnanimity only to the needy and bright. The last time I checked the sacred scriptures in James 1:27, I saw our brother in the Lord directing us that we should focus on religion that is both pure and pristine by propping up orphans and widows. His pen postulates with crystalline clarity: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Therefore, those who focus on assisting children who are only needy but bright should have some intimate intellectual intercourse with basic facts in Psychology. In that sphere of knowledge, there is something taught in relation to intelligence. Psychological pundits say that someone’s intelligence solely relies on nature (heredity) and nurture (environment). Going by the former, parental genes have an impact on a child’s intelligence. To abut it on the latter, the environment also contributes to one’s intelligence.
In retrospect, I am not saying that needy children should settle for less by punching below the academic expectations. Effort is direly needed. Why? Because on my side, to all the students I support in one way or the other, I make them understand that there is no way their education can be bankrolled by well-wishers then they just go to school to split hairs by doing a lot of nothing.
Then, we should strive to understand the OVCs deeper. Apart from educational support, such calibres of children are weak on diverse dimensions of this material life. My proposition is that they need a serious support system to prop them up because some of them are hard-hit by insurmountable problems.
If I can have a rehash of my own hellish experiences in high school, being a needy boy studying in a decimal day secondary school, sometimes I missed evening meals. The following day, I would trek for close to four kilometres to school on an empty stomach. I used to rely on the tea prepared in school, served at 10:00 AM. I sipped the tea without any escort because I was cash-starved. The scribe from the Gem of Siaya County only owned money in theory.
So, even when those who were paying my fee piled a lot of pressure on me, some of them knew nothing about my miseries and misfortunes, which sometimes dented my academic performance. Therefore, methinks it is utterly wrong to insist that you can only assist children who are needy, but bright. It is like saying that God Almighty should extend His grace (unmerited favour) to those who are only righteous in his sacred sight. If our Deity chooses to treat mere mortals in that manner, then sinners like you and I will have it rough.
Finally, in the way I see it, I have a feeling that that philanthropic people who are paying fees for needy children should ape what Wings to Fly and Affecto are doing. When schools are closed, they organize mentorship, career and life skills programmes for such children. They also visit them in school and discuss their academic performance with the concerned teachers.
© Victor Ochieng’
The writer rolls out talks and training services in schools. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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