Back Row: John, Nelson, and Julius
Front Row: Rahab, Josephine, and Hannah
Introducing Canopy Life’s Kenterns (Kenyan Interns) for the 2017 school year! We’re blessed to have six college-age students, all Daraja Children’s Choir alumni, who will be spending time at the school. Julius (Daraja 2010), John (2009), Nelson (2009, 2010), Josephine (2010), Rahab (2008), and Hannah (2008) just graduated high school at the end of 2016. In Kenya, there’s a 9-month gap between when high school ends and university begins, giving us the opportunity to both get some hands-on help at the school, as well as invest in Kenya’s next generation of young adults.
Kenterns do everything from helping in the classroom to teaching some of the Deep Roots classes, cleaning the facility to watching over the kids, and assisting in the kitchen and office. New in 2017, we’re also developing the program to include discipleship with Teacher Linah and personal development in areas like typing, professional skills, etc.
By being part of Daraja and other sponsorship opportunities, the students in our Kentern program have gotten a great start in their educations and preparation for the future. In Kenya, less than a quarter of students get into university. After graduating from high school, students wait two months for the results of their senior exams, and then face the question of what to do next. If a university degree is out of reach, students begin looking through “diploma” or certificate level options. Rather enrolling as full-time students, many choose to pay for classes one at a time when they can afford them.
The situation high school graduates find themselves in is very much what Canopy’s students will face when they graduate, which is exactly why we’re equipping our students with problem solving skills, entrepreneurial experience, and worldview exposure. It’s our goal to give them the tools to create jobs for themselves and perhaps even products and industries that will create jobs for others.
While we don’t have all the answers, we’re hoping that being in a supportive environment, learning about their own personal interests and skills, and giving them personal development skills that are useful in the workplace will enable Canopy’s Kenterns to take strong next steps. Please join us in welcoming our six Kenterns to the Canopy Family. We’re so glad they’ve chosen to join us during this exciting transition time in their lives.