Virtues and Community Development for Kenya

Virtues are growing everywhere at Mwiyenga Primary School.  Before student lessons begin, classes pick and read a virtue to guide their day.  Teachers sing virtues songs with the children. They post a Virtue of the Week.  During lessons, virtues are identified in characters and stories.

Acknowledgements, Academic Achievement and Appreciation are growing.  Teachers acknowledge students and fellow teachers, students acknowledge teachers and fellow students. Children acknowledge their parents and parents acknowledge their children.  It was heartwarming to hear that students thank and acknowledge their teachers for their hard work in preparing lessons for them and that parents are coming to school to offer assistance and thank the teachers for teaching their children virtues.  Parents and teachers are seeing improvement in academics and behavior. Teachers are inspired to find new and creative ways to bring virtues to light in their school community.  Parents come to the school to thank the teachers personally and ask for training in virtues.  Teachers are now reaching out to parents by phone to invite them to trainings and encouraging the parents to invite other parents.

Many wonderful things have been happening at Mwiyenga Primary School since the water tank was installed at school! Grace is flowing...

• Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), came to school to bid on a sanitation project.  When they saw the water tower donation (and all those virtues on the tower), they were inspired to supply enough water to serve the school AND the community!  Parents joyfully agreed to help with labor.
• Red Note Records was happy to hear about virtues activities in Kenya and offered to send a music donation.  A big thanks to Red Note Records and children's singer/songwriter, Red Grammar for their generosity in donating 30 Teaching Peace music CD's for distribution in our virtues schools, local community development groups, and beyond. Students and staff at Mwiyenga are eager to learn new uplifting songs.  
• Thirty students received new school uniforms. 
• A Virtues Club formed and meets twice a week to learn and practice the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project.  "We share experiences in day to day when using virtues and the teachable moment we encounter and how we make it right. We set clear boundaries by being committed to time and responsibilities given to each of us (teachers and pupils) , we honour the spirit by singing the virtue songs which makes us humble before God, and we also read verses and practise Reverence and Prayerfulness by praying. We share and care for each other," a teacher told me. 
• Two Community Development Groups have formed within the school community: 20 parents of Early Childhood Development students and 20 parents of primary students.  (Learn more here about the Virtues and Community Development for Kenya groups that are forming in Kakamega County.)  These groups will help provide for the sustainability of the school and the community!

Soon more teachers will be trained as Facilitators of The Virtues Project.  And that is a good thing---as teachers from other schools are asking to learn about The Virtues Project too!

Thanks to your kindness, showing you care, making life better for others; virtues are growing and grace is flowing at Mwiyenga Primary School!  Your charitable donations will help ensure that: children are able to attend a virtues school, staff and parents will continue to be trained in virtues, and the school will receive virtues materials and other resources needed to flourish as a virtues community.