School and Kindergarten

Since inception of the orphanage, one of our most pressing objectives was to operate our own school, to offer an education of the highest standards for both local children and Nice-View children alike.

In many African countries military style school rules are still practiced. Misbehaving Children are beaten with sticks or forced to their knees with their hands above their head; a position they must hold for hours. Due to the extraordinary average class sizes here (in public schools more than 60 pupils per class) teachers are mostly unable to cope and are generally not well trained. The school buildings are small, the space cramped and often there are only unsanitary toilets. Teaching material is regularly missing and, especially in public schools, there are no school desks, so that the children often have to sit on the bare ground, even in the rain. Subjects like art or music are often missing and the sport facilities are limited to playing football.

Schools operate from 08:00 to 18:00 o'clock during the week and from 8:00 - 12:00 o'clock on Saturdays. Thereafter they have a long way home and regularly they have to do homework until very late at night and without pause on weekends.

How can a child be still a child?

We have tried it with various (public & private) schools, informed the youth welfare office and even the responsible ministry about the nuisances: without nameable success. Therefore, we are glad, that after years of more or less helpless watching, the physical and mental abuse of our children has come to an end and that we could lay the foundation stone for our own school end of 2007.

Nice-View School with Kindergarten

In September 2008, a new school, operating under the Nice View banner was commissioned.

The school was designed to accommodate 100 pupils, meaning that, because the orphanage has only 40 students, some 60 students can be admitted from outside. The school operates in the modern British system 6:4:2. The children go to Primary (Junior) School for six years, to Secondary (Senior) School for four years and can reach after further two years of school A-Level.

The objective is not to make profit; the expenses that accrue like salaries of the teachers are covered by school fees. These fees are very low so that poorer families can afford to send their children to our school. Furthermore, some very poor children are sponsored by us or a foundation.

High-quality school books and material used by most UK schools are also provided by us.

In the whole Msambweni district, as well as Kwale, our school is the sole school that also makes it possible for children from poorer families to receive a diverse school education. Now even children from socially weak families have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality and internationally recognised secondary school qualification.

New facilities are the teacher's and the computer room.

Next to school subjects like English, Maths, Sciences, Swahili, French, German, Music, Art, History, Geography, Social Studies & Ethics, and Sports we have clubs and societies that offer; Taekwondo, Drama, Music & Dancing, Advanced Maths, I.C.T., Wildlife, Art & Drawing, and Red Cross.

Furthermore, we have decided to serve all children a second breakfast as well as lunch. All children, even those from outside Nice View get additional clothes, shoes and school bags from us. These were originally received from Germany.

Plans for the future:

At the moment we only offer schooling at the primary level. Our older children who are in secondary school, attend various boarding schools throughout Kenya. For the planned expansion to a Secondary School we have started building additional classrooms and these will be commissioned in time for the academic year 2010/2011.