Between 7:30 and 8 am, an almost daily scene at St. Joseph's Academy is Musyoki Kilonzo greeting students and helping the youngest — 3 and 4-year-old students in the Play Group — transition from home to school for the day.
Musyoki manages most of St. Joseph's formal and informal operations. He not only uses his jack-of-all-trades skills responding to the varied daily needs of the school, but is an established, beloved favorite of students.
Teachers are supported throughout the day with Musyoki coaching PE and Games classes, teaching an introductory computer class to Grade 1 students, and playing a vital role in the roll-out of St. Joseph's Story/Language classes — with his ability to move seamlessly between Kiswahili and English, enabling Paula to work more closely with students and teachers.
While English is the language of instruction in schools throughout Kenya, English is not readily spoken at home in rural communities. Kiswahili and the local tribal dialect, Kikamba, feature almost exclusively in Kalawa.
The transformation we are witnessing in language acquisition and the subsequent explosion of learning is truly remarkable — great credit goes to Musyoki's assistance, as well as the willingness and trust of St. Joseph's teachers and parents.
— Paula