Gatoto provides high-quality holistic education at low cost to the children of the Mukuru kwa Reuben slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The school strives to achieve high academic standards and to give the children an opportunity to participate in various co-curricular activities. Furthermore, Gatoto provides a daily meal of nutrition-enriched porridge to the students, which is the only reliable meal of the day for many students. The school also provides HIV/AIDS education to reduce the spread of this crippling disease, as well as getting its students involved in community service. |
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| As Gatoto is a school, its main purpose is to provide academic education to its students. The school follows the Kenyan National Curriculum, providing tuition in English, Mathematics, Swahili, Science, Geography, History, Civics and Christian Religious Education to prepare the students for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). Gatoto also teaches additional subjects such as Home Science, Agriculture, Business Education, Music, Art and Craft. It continuously seeks ways to improve its academic standards and has created a team of teachers in each subject to find ways to improve the teaching of that subject.
Additional classes are provided during the school holidays to prepare the final year students for the KCPE exam. Supplementary tuition is provided after school hours to children of all ages who require more individual attention. There are no additional charges to the students for this extra work.
Furthermore, we employ a guidance counsellor, who provides support and help to the students in the school. She helps many students with their problems at home, including assisting them in getting funding for food or school fees from other organisations. For an example, please read the story of Peter, a past student at Gatoto. |
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| Great education is not only about earning high marks on exams. In order to create the leaders of tomorrow, Gatoto strives to instil the values of leadership and involvement in its students. This is achieved by providing the students with the opportunity to take part in multiple co-curricular activities, such as:
Ballgames: Football, Netball, Volleyball, and Handball
Athletics: Gymnastics, Running, Javelin (using a stick), and Shot-Put (using a rock),
Performance: Drama, Music, and Poetry
Other: Green Club (Treeplanting) and Scouting.
These activities are free to the students of whom over 75% participate. The students compete in District, Provincial, and National competitions, often with impressive results.
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| The rate of urban food poverty in Kenya is 38.3%. Consequently, many of the students at Gatoto do not receive their recommended minimum daily food intake, which has an effect on their health and performance at school. To combat this problem, the school initiated a food program in 1996. The school provides a daily serving of vitamin-enriched porridge to the students. This has had many positive effects, including improvements in attendance, child health and development, and academic and extra-curricular performance. |
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| HIV/AIDS is an enormous health issue in African countries, including Kenya. The national HIV/AIDS rate has risen from 4% in 1990 to 14% today, with the urban rate estimated at 17.5% and an even higher rate in the slums. This means that of the 400,000 residents of Mukuru, over 70,000 are HIV positive. Education is considered critical to fighting the spread of the disease. Consequently, HIV/AIDS education is taught weekly to all children in Standards 1 and above. Furthermore, the school liases with AIDS Organisations to invite guest speakers for the staff, parents and children throughout the school year. Staff members receive training from Save the Children on teaching methodologies for AIDS awareness.
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