Blog

Battle of the Schools

In the Kisii region, there is an annual vocational school skills competition called Bonanza.  All vocational schools in the region are invited to compete.  They come poised to demonstrate their MIGHT in their different trade areas.  The students and teachers look forward to it all year.

This year, the competition was held on the 4th of October 2019 at Riatirimba School located an hour from Nyamboyo. The venue was chosen as a central location for all schools in the region.  

We arrived to find ourselves competing against 8 schools and 160 students.  NTS was the only non-governmental school, meaning we were not founded using government funding or technical assistance.  NTS was founded in 2016, so as a relative newcomer, we were honored to be invited.

Group shot before the competition begins

The rules of the competition are straightforward.  Each school is divided into vocational teams and then each team has complete an assigned task from scratch during a specific time period. The teams aren’t told the task in advance.  So, you’re racing against the clock to solve and implement complex problems.

Before the competition began, I gave my students a pep talk: “This is our time to show who we are. We can win those trophies because we are always capable!”

And win we did.  NTS won first place in Computer Design and in Electrical Wiring!  We came in second in Masonry and Carpentry, fourth in Hairdressing and fifth in Tailoring.   We had competed the year before and had not done well.  It was our dry run – we learned how the competition works and what type of practice we need.  This year we took two months to prepare, creating mock situations where we focused on problem-solving and working in cooperative teams.  We created time-sensitive tasks and developed our ability to listen to each other as well as keep a cool head under intense time pressure.

Back to the competition.  Our Electrical Wiring Team had two hours to prepare a live home circuit board demo complete with a consumer unit, bulb, sockets and switches. The Computer Studies Team had to develop a 15-minute animated PowerPoint presentation starting with a storyboard, then develop it into an online design and presentation. 

Every team was graded by a team of judges selected from expert teachers at each of the schools.  No judge is allowed to grade their own school.  The judges award marks for each step of the task, so they are evaluating process as well as product.

Ten, nine, eight – START!  The Electrical Wiring competition was the most pressured and thrilling.

As the second hand raced, our main competitor was the Nyamagesa School Team. Nyamagesa is one of the oldest, most respected and better-funded government schools in our region.  So there we were, a David to their Goliath, each team focused and determined.  The first 45 minutes were breathtaking and agonizing as both teams scored almost identically step-by-step.  Then … with students and teachers cheering us on … we pulled ahead!

It was during the most difficult part, the wire piping segment …  Our opponents lost focus and time. NTS had this down – with heads bent they skillfully mounted the wires on the board, completing the circuits.  We held our breaths and then … YES IT WORKED!

Tension mounts as the electrical board is wired!

What a thrill for NTS students and teachers alike to see us win. And more importantly, we learned.  In every category, our teams learned.  Each student took home a lesson, whether about technique, focus or teamwork.  Next year, those eight other schools better watch out!!

It Truly Takes A Village

I’m writing this as we recover from an electrical outage due to heavy rains.  The power line connecting our village generator to the school was felled by a tree just as I was working on NTS’ three-year budget. As frustrating as it was to be suddenly plunged into the dark, I’m grateful for the timing.  It was a “light bulb” moment. I realized our school should have its own small electrical generator so when the village goes out, we can continue.  And into the budget it goes!

This is the kind of problem-solving that makes me proud –  both of myself and my village.  While they can’t provide the generator they will do everything they can to help.  In fact, their help is why we’re here at all.  It’s taken years of problem-solving as well as planning, pushing and sometimes pleading to build Nyamboyo Technical School. But suddenly, we’re preparing to graduate our first cohort of nationally certified professionals.  We’re REAL!  And we’re not going away.

It’s an overused phrase but, in our case, it truly has taken a village.  There are many unsung heroes among us and I’d like to make a few, overdue introductions.

Our teachers – For the last two years, our 4 teachers have donated their time.  Each of them are working professionals with their own businesses and families to feed.  Still for two years, each of them has donated 4 – 5 hours daily to teach.  Frankly, no amount of money could ever genuinely repay their selfless commitment to our nearly 60 youth.

(We plan to pay salaries, however modest, within the next year.)

Our elders– I would like to honor Mr. Tangaso, who is Nyamboyo’s Village Elder and one of our great supporters.  Originally a farmer who worked his own land for food, Mr. Tangaso now oversees the well-being of our community.  He counsels individuals and families, encouraging us to live in peace and harmony.  He forwards community issues to the local government as well as represents the judgements of the government back to the community.  His many other responsibilities include conducting village meetings (Barazas), attending weddings, burials, and other community events.  He is also one of the founding members of the Nyamboyo Seventh Day Adventist Church and is the church council leader.

Throughout all his responsibilities, he is one of NTS’ great recruiters.  He never misses an opportunity to mention the school and encourage youth and their families to enroll.  When I attend events (fundraisers, Barazas, and church services) he speaks, without fail, about NTS and its importance in our community.  Mr. Tangaso, it is with the greatest gratitude that we applaud your efforts to help the NTS community thrive.

Our parents – In our community, it is not unusual for children as young as 6 to work full-time to add to the family’s subsistence income. So when parents send their children to NTS, they must work longer hours or take on second, even third jobs. Such is their commitment to elevating their sons and daughters permanently out of poverty.  Today, it is my honor to recognize our parents for their sacrifice and support.  They motivate us all. 

Our community – Our school is housed in the village community center, which is donated for NTS’ weekday classes.  (On weekends, the building is used for village meetings.)  In return for the donation, we maintain and improve the facilities and grounds.  Every morning, from 8:30am – 9am, 58 NTS students repair, clean, and maintain the facilities. That’s a total of 29 work hours a day, five days a week. The building is clean, structurally sound, and the grounds perfectly groomed.  We are teaching our students how to improve and take pride in where they live and work.  This is the heart of ownership.

There are many plans for the year ahead.  We are expanding our student body from 58 to 75 and preparing to graduate our first cohort in January. We are opening two businesses and building a school garden/nutrition program.  There will be many more heroes joining us as the new school year unfolds.  I hope you will stay tuned and perhaps consider joining yourself. Where ever you are in the world there is always something you can do.  Our school and our village welcome you.

Click here to learn more about becoming a part of the Nyamboyo community.