A total of 8 LitClub facilitators from Kisumu made the trip Kibera. When we arrived at the Kibera Innovation Hub, our team was met by Prisca and Maureen. There was a lot to learn these two ladies who have a lot of energy and are doing a wonderful job with the children of Kibera. We were amazed at their work and the way they interacted with the children and the different activities they are engaged in.

The Kibera LitClub team was very receptive to our questions and experiences. Prisca and her team took us through a training session showing us how they run the LitClub and how they structure the whole program. When Prisca and her team took us through the 7 Strengths of LitWorld, our Kisumu facilitators paid close attention and wished they could hear more, as Prisca and her team delivered the information in a captivating way. We were so encouraged with the work that was taking place at Kibera. We learned a lot from each other.

Our leaders took lots of notes from Prisca and Maureen. We also had the privilege of meeting the area Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Kenneth Okoth, who was teaching the children of the Red Rose School the Kenyan National Anthem. He is the founder of Children of Kibera which partners with LitWorld to run the LitClub programs in Kibera.

Lessons Learned:

1. As LitClub leaders, we should always find the child in us for easy understanding of the children.

2. Reading aloud does help the child visualize and pronounce words better.

3. When doing a lesson on a particular strength, the best way to make the learning accessible for children is by backing it up with activites.

--Phoebe, Girls LitClub Leader, Kisumu, Kenya

*Submitted by LitClub Leader Michele Neale

Although I had stressed to the girls at LitClub that we were leaving at 3pm "en punto," it came as no surprise to me that they began to appear, ambling leisurely towards the library at 3.30pm – I myself hadn’t actually arrived until 3.15! The plan for the afternoon was to walk down to Huanchaco to meet with a local restaurant owner at 4pm. The girls were to be given the chance to ask her questions about her family business before we went to the beach to interview a local surfer.

However, as 4pm rapidly approached, Carmen and I were still running around Cerrito, tracking down missing girls, their parents and the odd elusive permission slip. When we finally began the walk to Huanchaco, an easy 15 minutes, it somehow stretched into an epic camino worthy of any adventure film as the girls just had to climb this wall or that tree.

We arrived at the restaurant at 5pm.

As we approached, I began frantically preparing apologies for the owner, but she welcomed us heartily with no thought or mention of our lateness. The girls listened politely and asked her very thoughtful questions about her life and her work. They loved the idea that she was an independent woman who ran her own business using skills she had learned from her mother and her grandmother as a young girl.

After a wonderful time with Doña Mariela, we trekked onward to the beach. There can be no doubt that the highlight of the day was interviewing Faviola a local surf champion and student, who was excellent at answering the girls questions and giving them a little inspiration. As Faviola described how she had borrowed a friend’s old surf board while she worked to save up for her own, their eyes lit up with hope and possibility.

Many of the girls attend Otra Cosa’s surf school, which allows them to surf during the summer holidays, but during the rest of the year there is no opportunity for them to catch some waves. They loved the idea that they could work together to rent or borrow a surf board from a local surf school so that they could keep on surfing all year long.

After a quick surf lesson from Faviola on the sand, we headed back to Doña Mariela’s for some delicious donuts with syrup before I hurriedly shepherded the girls back up to Cerrito.

The girl’s excellent manners and thoughtful and insightful questions made me very proud to be working with them. The changes I have seen in them since the start of the LitWorld programme in terms of self-confidence and inquisitiveness have been magnificent to witness and it is such a pleasure to be involved in their journey.

--Submitted by Hayley, Girls LitClub leader

Some of them talked of the long distance they have to cover, the rough terrains and sometimes the challenges that Mother Nature poses with the weather. Currently, it is the rainy season and the girls are juggling between waking up early, helping in the field with planting, and then running to school while wading through the puddles of water to ensure that they reach school on time.

However they told their stories in such an amusing, lighthearted way, that they ended up cracking our ribs with laughter. At the end of it all we were in high spirits. All these challenges having been shared with other girls instilled the spirit of sisterhood and belonging among the girls.

--Submitted by Golda, Girls LitClub Leader in Kisumu, Kenya

Sticking their pinkies out while sipping tea, some girls affected their voices to resemble British accents: “May I have a spot of tea, please?” and “Oh, that sounds simply splendid!” Like in our weekly meetings, we took time to read from R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. Still nibbling on snacks, the girls listened while scanning the LitWorld office. For all of the girls, it was their first time seeing the space.

But why read my reaction, when you can hear a review straight from the source? After the tea party, Dasira, a LitClub member, wrote us a message through the LitWorld website:

"Hi my name is Dasira and I go to LitClub at the Polo Grounds. LitClub is so fun I really love the trips and I feel so comfortable being in girls club because they give us these notebooks and when I write my feelings I feel happy because the LitWorld staff read it. I LOVE GIRLS CLUB AND LITWORLD!!!!!!!"

--Susannah Rosenfield, LitWorld Intern

We are the LitWorld committee at East Side Middle School. For the past two years, we have been building friendships with students who attend the Red Rose School in Kibera, Kenya. Kibera is the largest slum in East Africa and the students live in horrible conditions. However, you cannot tell that they suffer a lot, because they have never complained.

Our friends are kind, caring, and relatable. They have opened our eyes and made us rethink many things we take for granted. Our problems seem miniscule compared to theirs. But they have made one thing clear, they don’t want anyone’s pity. Our friends want to be treated just like everyone else.

Unfortunately, in Kibera, high school is not free. It costs $500-1500 per child per year. The issue is that many families do not have the money to send their children to high school. If children don’t go to high school, they will have to get a job to support their families or they will have to get married to support themselves. So far we have raised $2,300 and with the help of Litworld’s already existing grant, we have all managed to send all the eighth graders who attend the Red Rose School to high school for one year.

We are beginning to write letters to political leaders in the U.S. to help spread awareness about this issue of not being able to continue their education. Education is a very important thing, it is a right and everyone should be able to get one.

--Written by the young leaders of East Side Middle School 

Here are three brilliant grade 8 graduates in Kibera. Oh the stories they will tell.  

After completing our heart maps, Christen and I shared the roles we hope to inhabit in the future. Among other things, she wants to be a gymnast, and a recipient of good grades. I explained to her that since my grandmother had recently fallen ill and entered the hospital, I want to be a granddaughter. Immediately, she sympathized with furrowed eyebrows and a slight frown. “I’m sorry about your grandma,” she told me as she reached over for a hug. “I hope she gets better.” Having someone who is often silly and jocular express such genuine, heartfelt support held such meaning."

--Susannah Rosenfield, LitWorld Intern

During LitClub this week at Broadway Housing, we discovered what it takes to build curiosity through an activity called "Picture Prompts." Take a look at the photo below. What do you see?

Do you see a jilted former employee exiled from the Wonka factory walking away in shame? Or perhaps an old lonely man looking for a good slice of beach to sleep on alone? Maybe the man has just unfortunately discovered that the public shower has run out of water?

Before the teens came up with these creative answers, we started with the basics of seeing. We asked them to answer "What do you see?" on the most literal level. The words water, concrete, metal, man, old, black clothing, clouds and sky are examples of what we compiled. With our lists of words, the Broadway Housing LitClub then transformed this picture from "what we see" into a story we tell.

--Natasha Rivera, LitWorld Intern and LitClub Facilitator

The after school program is a series of reading, creating and writing workshops for girls to explore their extraordinary strengths and develop leadership skills. 

Mrs. Duff, Mrs. Leo and Mrs. Danielson along with a select group of 6th grade girls will meet every Thursday after school during second semester. Opportunities for girls to read and write in ways that help them explore their sense of self and create supportive social networks are provided. Snacks along with smiles and stories are shared.                                                                                                                                     

Our 1^st meeting had 9 students and 3 adults singing, praising and creating. It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroder will be our chapter book read aloud every meeting. Reading the poem, “The Invitation” by Shell Silverstein made everyone feel welcome. Personal journals were decorated and silly names created. The girls are going to work on planning the LitWorld Read Aloud Day activities for the community in the next few weeks.

--Submitted by LitClub Leader, Karla Duff