Saturday, February 09, 2008

11 Worthless Girl



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Worthless girl performed by a school in Kenya.
Worth watching
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11 comments:

Sayyeda said...

:'(

* said...

I read something yesterday about an initiative called 'family fund' -started in Mexico in 2003 and which now aids 11m of the population. It's a scheme where if a family earns less than $68 per head per month, they get 98 somethings (mexican money)on the condition that they send their children to school and get them vaccinated. If the child misses school, the parents are warned and if truancy continues the payments stop. It seems unfortunate that parents wouldn't do at least the school duty of their own accord (I'm sure they have understandable reasons). In any case, apparently the scheme's working.

I had denied the sentiment of the quote below and merely found it interesting, but it seems to some extent at least, true:

"...as each child becomes successively capable of profitable employment, it is so employed-- in many branches of hand loom weaving at the age of six years, or even younger. Of course this precocious employment is injurious to the intellectual and moral education of the child; in many cases altogether prevents it; and the family grows up a set of human machines, with not futurity but that of treading in their parents' steps marrying before they are adult and giving birth to an equally degraded progeny. Such a state of things produces a rapidly increasing population, confined by ignorance, by habit and generally by poverty-- chains as strong as those of caste in Hindostan-- to their own occupation."


- N. W. Senior (1928), Industrial efficiency and social economy

Double :'(

Sayyeda said...

That quote reminds me of some incident some time back, where a man was complaining of the cost of school fees, and his say was rather to have his sons earn and bring home some money. Since 2002, the government's introduced free primary education. It was an exciting moment back then, I remember a grandfather joined grade 1! This year they intrdocued free sedcondary education. Though I hear free education is not accessible to everyone.

Health sector also has similar issues. I met someone a few years back who would rather not visit doctors. They were prescribing and restricting too much, that money could not buy him.

Family fund sounds like a good way to tackle the problem of health and literacy and as well as a good incentive. If I'm ever going to follow my dreams of opening a school in a village I might attempt in introducing some elements of that scheme!

* said...

Oh,I remember something on TV about that I think- but it was a middle-aged man that joined primary school. He got on really well with the children and the teachers, lol masha'Allaah.

I read somewhere else that even though free education was made available, parents still prefered their children to skip school to earn a wage. I suppose it's hard to think long-term when the short-term is so precarious.Hmm.There was a suggestion for compensating parents for the "loss of (their child's) earnings" and also organising the school time table so there were no lessons during the harvest.Apparently in China they had "work school" programmes, where the students did both, so everyone was happy...except perhaps the children.

My mind stumbled on the health care bit. Please explain again? (I malfunction slightly after lunch lol sorry)

Ameen at your dream- It sounds like a lovely idea. Keep detailed notes, so we can expect a book at the end of it!

Sayyeda said...

Yes let me explain, I think I was being incoherent. lol.

This man after visiting the doctor was asked to get some medical tests done, which for him was expensive. Also they found out he had diabetes type 2. For that the doctor prescribed him medicine which again was a strain on his pocket. I guess he din't really realise the long term benifit of the medicine. To him that visit to the doctor increased his expenses and perhaps for him, life is about striving to live each day with the little he has.

Have a look at this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3746101.stm
It's grandad in school! :)

Ernest said...

Hi sayyeda, i love your blog,just discovered it when i decided to click on your profile.
Keep up the good work and post more often!

DENNIS MARETE said...

Hallo Sayyeda. Just stoping by to say hallo many greetings from sunny Bangkok

* said...

Lol,I understand now- thank you. Do you think if he had understood the implications of not taking medication (in the longer term), he would have been willing to pay for it?

Thank you. I wonder which grade he's in now and if he can read the bible!

Sayyeda said...

Thanks Ernest and Dennis for stopping by :)

*: Hmm.. I don't know, I think he understood the concept...

I looked Murage up, and this is what I found from one of the local newspapers:

The world’s oldest pupil, Mr Kimani Maruge’s dream could be shattered.

Maruge, 87, might not continue with his education at Kapkenduiywo Primary School in Eldoret because of the post-election violence.

The Mau Mau veteran was to join Class Five as the schools re-open today, but he is now camping at the Langas Police Station.

Maruge told The Standard that he had lost his property to looters and arsonists.

"I do not see a possibility of continuing with my education. My livestock and other property was stolen or burnt," he said.

"People trying to flee were hacked and speared to death, but I was lucky because I got a lift in a Government vehicle."

He appealed to well-wishers to help relocate him so that he can continue with his education
http://eastandard.net/news/?id=1143980355&cid=159

14 January 08

:(

* said...

I didn't mean to imply he's ignorant..

Thank you for the update- I hadn't expected the media would keep up with him. That is really sad.

Sayyeda said...

Neither did I. Was surprised to come across a recent article of him.